Got a question for the airline and corporate MRO guys.
Sometimes when shopping for products, I run into what seems like a purchasing firewall. The manufacturer won't quote a price or deliver product, just tech information, and only after interrogation.
Then they request documents certifying I'm not a foreign spy, and demanding restrictions no one is actually going to comply with given the product of interest (see below). We're not talking computer chips or exotic alloys. Most recently I'm searching sources of sealants and insulation materials.
Then I get referred to a distributor list, so I call them, and get told "We don't stock that, but I can contact the manufacturer and get a quote. But before I do, you'll need to apply for an account with us." Or "We can only sell to a company, not an individual."
Why does the aerospace sales system operate as it does? I understand the reasons a manufacturer might use a distributor, and I don't expect every source to be like Amazon or Aircraft Spruce. That said, aerospace sales seems to be the land of lunatics who are not very interested in selling product. Is there something I'm missing?
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Sometimes when shopping for products, I run into what seems like a purchasing firewall. The manufacturer won't quote a price or deliver product, just tech information, and only after interrogation.
Then they request documents certifying I'm not a foreign spy, and demanding restrictions no one is actually going to comply with given the product of interest (see below). We're not talking computer chips or exotic alloys. Most recently I'm searching sources of sealants and insulation materials.
Then I get referred to a distributor list, so I call them, and get told "We don't stock that, but I can contact the manufacturer and get a quote. But before I do, you'll need to apply for an account with us." Or "We can only sell to a company, not an individual."
Why does the aerospace sales system operate as it does? I understand the reasons a manufacturer might use a distributor, and I don't expect every source to be like Amazon or Aircraft Spruce. That said, aerospace sales seems to be the land of lunatics who are not very interested in selling product. Is there something I'm missing?
.
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