To avoid delays and brokerage fees for items bought from out of the country, do NOT order through the U.S.-based McMaster-Carr site if at all possible! This applies to other companies as well. There are other viable vendors that deliver once or twice per week to campus. These are:
- Gregg Distributors (everything that McMaster-Carr has)
- Acklands-Grainger (sensors, industrial)
- Metal Supermarket (materials)
- Digi-Key (electronics)
Metal Supermarket delivers for free on a weekly basis. The other above-listed options charge for delivery depending on cost of the order. McMaster is one of the most popular options used by ECE Stores.
ECE Stores place orders via Digi-Key, and it has free delivery for orders over a certain amount. As well, the .ca website for Digi-Key will sometimes default to shopping in USD which means the purchaser incurs the duties instead of digikey themselves. Always make sure that when selecting shipping it specifies that Digi-Key is covering duties.
For DHL and FedEx, duties are similar for small orders. DHL charges per invoice line, so getting lots of small components (like fasteners or PCB components) through DHL can easily amount to an expensive bill: purchasing the same from FedEx would be cheaper.
The following companies have a Canada-friendly policy and they offer a discount to UBC projects:
| Company/Group | Requirements/Exceptions | Type of support provided |
|---|---|---|
| Aurora Bearings | Automotive teams. Wire transfer prior to shipment | Half the order Bearings and rods at lowest cost, the other half provided free. |
| Soller Composites | Composites | Discount |
| Misumi USA | Registration with UBC student Email | Discount |
| SolidWorks SEK | UBC Student Team | Free SolidWorks Student, SolidWorks Electrical licenses for team members |