If you need new equipment don't order from the smaller companies during these "shortages" it seems that you may save a buck or two but will wait months to get what you need! I ordered from a smaller company (which i won't name) around the time of the B. Hussein Ob(s)ama inauguration and am still waiting to be charged for the things i needed or at least my wants needed if that makes any sense. The company got tired of my inquiring about "how much longer?" and finally told me "LOOK YOU WILL BE CHARGED WHEN WE RECEIVE THE ITEMS IN STOCK!"

If you don't like the way your order is being handled why don't you just cancel the order? I get fliers from many sources and when I log onto there sites usually find there out of stock. I'm taking this to mean they never had the items to begin with and had no intention of having them available for sale. Therefore I've quite ordering from them whether large or small.

I have found these things to be true with a few companies.
It is a shame that when you order something they tell you that it is on backorder but do not tell you for how long,or they inform you that it will be instock shortly, only to find yourself waiting for months not weeks for the items to come in.
I have recently stopped ordering from a certain company who at one time was very reliable,because of this problem.

Mostly true, I''d agree, but I don;t attribute the out-of-stock problem specifically to small companies. I've had 100% good luck with two very small companies. Some companies are trimming overhead during these "trying" times (and some never had much inventory - they rely on the "temporarily out-of-stock, will you wait?" customers). The best thing is to resort back to the ancient telephone ordering that we used to do not much more than 10 years ago. It works well and avoids ordering and then waiting for the company to order your stuff before shipping it to you.

most of my stuff I order offa the 'net, BUT I call and check to see if it's in stock if there is any question.....