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O-Ring Buyers' Guide to the Internet
Comparative Evaluation of Leading Internet O-Ring Supplier Websites

Ê View Table 2: Specifications, Properties, and other Technical Information & Resources

* Inclusion in Price Comparisons pending; none rank in top half of any the four quantity-price groups.

"Don't even bother..." We agree with AnaLog Services (unaffiliated) who advises o-ring users to "not even bother with any of the online O-ring purveyors lacking the nerve to post prices on their websites." - Analog Services, "A Word on O-Rings" - http://www.logwell.com/tech/O-ring/ (03/21/2005)  Of course, our thoughts didn't end there, so we went ahead and published everyone else's prices, too!  The only reason we see to conceal pricing on standardized commodities like o-rings is to enable getting the highest possible price out of each customer...like used cars are often sold.   In other words, publishing our prices (and everyone else's) as we do isn't so much "nerve" as it is integrity: Almost everyone claims to have the lowest prices, but only Standard Gasket proves it.

Selection

The websites in this survey were objectively selected as follows:

• All websites listed on first five pages of Google™ search for "o-rings" (3/21/2005) surveyed; all those meeting the following criteria (10 total) featured:

1. Offer full lines of common types and sizes of o-rings for sale;
2. Based in the United States;
3. Prices published online and available without password, registration, or request for quote.

• Those not listing prices listed separately on Resources page.

Pricing Rank

Price comparisons (1=lowest prices) based on totals and averages of 50 common sizes (AS 568-001 through -932) of most common o-ring rubber type, Buna-N (Nitrile Rubber).  (See Price Comparison Details.)  Although relative pricing is usually consistent amongst other common material types of o-rings, exceptions may exist.  We hope to publish similar comparative price evaluations on Silicone, Viton®, and EPDM in the future.

• 1, 2...7 - Rank of sites evaluated in Price Comparisons based on composite of piece price and extended cost according to published prices and discounts:
  • Min - Based on published minimum line item purchase quantity.
  • Low, Med, High - Based on published prices including discounts at Standard Gasket's three additional price break quantities.
• Pdg - Prices available, pending inclusion in Price Comparisons. (Sources not listing prices in any way are not included.)

Price Listings

Many of the companies make viewing their prices very difficult, especially if one wants to view multiple items, discount quantity breaks, or simply the price and minimum quantity without being forced into an online ordering system.

• Lists - Multiple prices viewable in list form, often as drop-down menus within ordering system; usually single-tier pricing.
• Charts - Multiple prices and price breaks viewable in chart form; usually includes dimensions, quantity breaks, other information.
• PDF - Downloadable price lists (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader); generally include size, price charts, rubber compound information.
• Single - Only viewable item-by-item, generally slow and quite user-unfriendly components of ordering systems.

Price Breaks

Description of any published price breaks based on quantity or order value.

• 2, 3, 4-tier - Published price breaks based on:
  • Qty Relative - Price breaks on same quantities for all, regardless of piece price.  (With piece prices typically ranging over 100x from lowest to highest, this approach renders wide variance in cost of qualifying for a discount; e.g. one item is discounted at a $20 purchase, while buying in the same tier on another can run over $1,000!)
  • Price Relative - Price break quantities vary to afford discounts in similar value ranges.
• Disc - Additional discounts beyond individual item quantity breaks, generally based on overall order value.
• Hidden - Price breaks incorporated in invisible lookup system rendering determining optimal purchase quantities nearly impossible.
• None - Discounts usually implied in solicitation for special quote, but no standard price breaks or discount schedule published.

Min Item$, Min Order$

Minimum purchase requirement for any single Item and for any single Order, where stated.   Item$ ranges indicate high and low minimum purchase amount from standard Buna-n O-ring prices unless otherwise indicated to be higher.

S&H$

Shipping & Handling charges, where stated.

Terms

Describes payment terms offered on website.

• CC - Major Credit Cards (not necessarily all, though);
• Acct - Account and billing with approved credit.

Ordering

Brief description of ordering options offered on website.

Other Products

Brief list of products featured besides standards o-rings.

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Metro Industries, Inc. dba Standard-Gasket.com 4018 E. 137th Terrace Grandview, Missouri  64030 (USA) Voice: 816-763-7277 / 800-545-8578 Fax: 816-763-0476

Orders, Inquiries, Customer Service: Email: custserv@standard-gasket.com Phone: 800-545-8578 / 816-763-7277 x350 or x306 Fax: 816-763-0476 Attn: Customer Service

Large Orders, Custom Quotes, Technical Assistance: Email: sales@standard-gasket.com Phone: 800-545-8578/ 816-763-7277 x302 or x306 Fax: 816-763-0476 Attn: Sales