Buyer Beware
Buyer Beware
Randy Stott, Managing Editor

No one likes paying too much for anything. Everyone wants to get a better deal. That’s why you shop around before buying a new car. That’s why you look at sale advertisements before buying a new refrigerator or big screen tv. The bigger the purchase, the more you want to compare prices.
Fortunately, the Internet makes such comparison shopping fast and easy.
And the same is true for businesses operating in the industrial space. If anything, the pressure to find new suppliers is more intense for business purchasers than for individual shoppers. It’s not always just about price, either. Often, it’s about timing. Who can get me what I need and meet my deadline?
But there’s danger out there, because nowadays anybody can sell anything, and even small-time players can appear to be big-shots online. And while you probably know enough not to buy a computer from NefariousDude76@darkweb.net, you may not even think twice about buying from his professional and convincing online storefront.
Industrial purchasers need to be even more vigilant. It’s not just your credit card information you’re protecting, but in some cases, people’s lives. Much of the machinery we build could be quite dangerous if the components inside were substituted with inferior alternatives. Think automobiles, airplanes, wind turbines, or any type of equipment that requires an operator.