Counterfeit Cisco | Lower Prices on Thermometers and Masks
Happy Tuesday!
I hope the first day of your week went well. It was my first day back at work in a little over a week of course, and while I thought it was going to be hard to get into the swing of things it all started flowing pretty well right away. I have some really great leaders and I love meeting with them weekly to hear what’s going on and to give feedback and guidance. Some things we do saps our energy and some things give us energy. Meeting with leaders and hearing how they are moving things forward is certainly one of the things that GIVES me energy! The coffee didn’t hurt.
Counterfeit Cisco switches
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2020/07/15/counterfeit-cisco-switches/
Someone sent this article to me and I thought it was worth sharing with commentary. First of all, you all know that CablesAndKits sells pre-owned Cisco. What you may not know is that the entire pre-owned industry is vulnerable to counterfeit product. Why would I say that?! Because it is true, and you need to know – and you need to know what to do about it. Being as I am your trusty networking products CEO I am going to tell you!
First of all, let me paint a picture for you. Let’s say that you want to buy a nice pre-owned car. Do you go to Carmax, your local brand name auto dealer, or do you buy one sight unseen from some guy you met in a waffle house at 2am? The shady guy in the waffle house may have a “great deal” for you, but aren’t you a bit concerned with where he got this car, if he actually owns it, if it runs right, etc? Perhaps instead you go to the local Chevrolet dealer because surely they have your best interest in mind – but they buy many of their used cars from auto auctions and they don’t ALWAYS get the best ones. Or, maybe you’ll consider Carmax. Not only can you find a good deal on a good ride, you can trust that they have gone through the car with a fine-tooth comb to ensure it hasn’t been wrecked and repaired to the point YOU cannot tell. That is one of their brand promises – a GOOD deal (not always a great one), on a GOOD car. (I own no stock in Carmax, and have never bought a car there – but I am very well aware of their brand position)
The pre-owned Cisco industry (or any pre-owned industry) is the same – in addition to the “traditional” ways of buying, there are people that make it their business to be someone you can trust, and that is how they build a reputation and a long-term business – providing you value and minimizing or eliminating the risk. This is what CablesAndKits exists to do – to “add value to your IT infrastructure”…. to help you save money on your IT spend while reducing or eliminating your risk – and we’ve been doing just that for almost 19 years. (Gosh I am getting old)
How do we do that? Well, let’s start at the end. Most things you buy from CablesAndKits (including Cisco hardware) are covered by a LIFETIME warranty. That means that for as long as you own the hardware, if you have any issues with its function, we will replace it free – and in ADVANCE of you returning it. We also have a 30 day 100% satisfaction money-back guarantee. Anything you buy (except for special orders and certain other products) can be returned no questions asked if you are not 100% satisfied. Buy it, check it out, use it, and if you have doubts – return it! (The product page will tell you the warranty and return period)
Working backwards from there, everything that comes through our doors is fully tested, reset to factory defaults, and inspected for damage and authenticity. We are part of an organization with roughly 300 other members that also are in the business of buying and selling pre-owned networking. We share with one another what we learn to ensure that we all find and eliminate counterfeit hardware from our supply chain. Together, we make sure the hardware that runs through our hands is legitimate and authentic. And as an organization, we are VERY serious about it.
Within the pre-owned Cisco space we are very well aware of the products that are most commonly counterfeited. We either place extreme scrutiny on the vendors we buy from and the effort we give to inspections (like in the case of 2960X switches), or we just avoid buying and selling them. A few years ago there were a few models of Cisco switches that were so often counterfeited that we just refused to sell them at all. It would blow your mind to know the tricks we have for detecting fakes.
Just like Carmax, at the end of the day, it is our job to protect you while providing you the freedom to choose to buy pre-owned to save money, get a better product, better warranty, better service, quicker shipping, and so on. We are not successful if you are not successful (and happy), so we go to great lengths to do tons of things behind the scenes to protect you and ensure your long term success.
One last thing – pre-owned hardware is not for everyone, and not for every situation and environment. I personally would not install pre-owned firewalls in my network, but I would use pre-owned switches or transceivers for “access” all day long and half the night. I would never buy critical hardware from some random stranger in a waffle house (think online auction) but I would certainly trust a company like ours (whether us or someone else reputable) to play a part in my overall IT network strategy. And at the end of the day, there are things you SHOULD buy “new” (from the channel). And guess what? In those situations, we can refer you to a Cisco partner that will take good care of you just like we do.
We are glad to have a conversation with you about when pre-owned makes sense, and when it doesn’t. At CablesAndKits we are first and foremost here to serve you – to positively impact the lives of others, and to add value to your IT infrastructure. Let us know if you have any questions at all and we are here to answer them and guide you the best we can.
From Joe, our friendly Safety Supplies Product Marketer:
Thermometer prices have been cut. In addition, Our premium thermometer has been put on special this week while we wait for a shipment of our standard ones to arrive. We don’t want customers waiting around to save a few dollars so we gave you best of both worlds, a premium option at an amazing price! https://www.cablesandkits.com/mc/thermometers/fam-289/fp-18843/?=ThermometerType&type=Premium
New wipes are in stock and live on the site! We have a limited quantity of larger rolls of wipes available. We have both a 900 count roll of 2XL Wipes (EPA Approved) as well as a 700 count roll of Clorox wipes! (FDA Approved). Clorox wipes seem to be the new gold so act fast before they’re gone!
We’re proud to announce our most popular 3-ply facemask prices have been cut across the board for all quantities. Stock up and stay protected! https://www.cablesandkits.com/mc/facemask01/fam-273/fp-18748/
All floor stand dispensers we carry have seen a price cut. These are available in all forms: gel, liquid, and spray. We even carry models that can do all 3 so you can’t go wrong! https://www.cablesandkits.com/safety-supplies/dispensers/cat-1384/
Please let me know how I can be of service to you. If you need assistance with something, advice, or even if you just need someone to pray for you, I am here and listening.
Blessings,
Craig – CEO
P.S. Don’t forget to go follow us on Facebook here: CK Facebook Page.
Main Safety Supplies Landing Page: https://www.cablesandkits.com/c/safety-supplies
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Face Protection:
3-Ply Masks:
Quick Ship 3-Ply Disposable Mask – Buy in 10, 50, 2000
Standard Ship 3-Ply Disposable Mask – Buy in 10, 50, 2000
N95 Masks:
N95 Mask – Both Kimberly Clark and 3M Models available
KN95 Masks:
Quick Ship KN95 Mask – Buy in qtys from 1 to 1200
Standard Ship KN95 Mask – Buy in qtys from 5 to 1200
Face Shields:
Re-usable / Disposable Face Shields – Quantity discounts available. Can be custom printed.
Goggles:
Vented
Non-Vented
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Sanitizers, Dispensers, & Wipes
Hand Sanitizer:
3.3oz Gel | 10oz Gel | 16oz Gel | 1 Liter Gel
4 oz Liquid | 1 Gallon Liquid | 1/2 Gallon Liquid
Disinfectant Wipes:
Single Serve Alcohol Wipes – Back in stock!
Lysol Disinfectant Wipes – – 80 count pouch
Sanitizer Dispensers:
Motion Activated Desktop Dispenser – Use for Liquid or Gel Hand Sanitizer
Motion Activated Floor Dispenser – Available in liquid/Gel and Spray models – Pre-order now!
Wall models coming soon.
Bottles and Pumps:
Bottle Dispenser Pumps – Pump tops for Gallon and Half Gallon Jugs
Empty Fillable Bottles – 8 oz bottles for dispensing liquid or Gel
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Temperature Detection:
Thermometers:
Touchless Infrared Thermometers – Basic and Premium options available
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Body Protection:
Shoe Covers:
Non-Skid protective shoe covers – FDA Approved. Non-FDA version available cheaper soon.
Isolation Gowns:
Disposable arm length Isolation Gowns – FDA Approved
Gloves:
Nitrile and Vinyl Gloves – Back in Stock!
COVID-19 / Business News for Today:
- Over 8,937,000 people worldwide have recovered and over 1,851,000 people in the US have recovered! The death toll stands at 138,000.
- Following a marathon summit, leaders of the 27-nation European Union agreed on a vast spending plan to rescue the economies damaged by the pandemic, despite their deep-seated divisions over how much the richer nations should help poorer ones.
- Major League Soccer on Monday reported no new coronavirus cases at the Florida hotel housing all teams participating in the MLS Is Back Tournament, the fourth consecutive clean bill of health since a scare forced the abrupt postponement of the D.C. United-Toronto FC match July 12. The league, which has been announcing results every other day for several weeks, said it tested 1,106 individuals Saturday and Sunday.
- Some 900,000 public sector workers are set to receive pay raises from the British government amid the global health crisis that has claimed at least 45,000 lives in Britain — making it the worst-hit country in Europe. The raise was announced Tuesday by Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who said that the front-line staff make a “vital contribution” to a country that has always relied on them.
- The NFL and its players’ union agreed to a coronavirus testing program for players on Monday, resolving one of the key remaining issues between the two sides as rookies for the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans reported to their training camps Monday. Under the testing agreement between the league and the NFL Players Association, players will be tested daily for the first two weeks of training camp. Daily testing will continue as long as the rate of positive tests of players, coaches and other team staffers is above 5 percent. The league expects to receive test results within 24 hours.
- Connecticut lab finds ninety people who received positive COVID-19 results did not have the virus, according to the state Department of Public Health. The department said the state public health laboratory uncovered a flaw in one of the testing systems it uses to test for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and 90 of 144 people tested between June 15 and July 17 received a false positive COVID test report. Many are nursing home residents.
- A University of Oxford group and the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca reported Monday that their coronavirus vaccine candidate, on which the U.S. and European governments have placed substantial bets, was shown in early-stage human trials to be safe and to stimulate a strong immune response. The study, published in the British medical journal the Lancet and involving 1,077 volunteers, was described as promising. A second report in the same publication on a Chinese vaccine showed what researchers not involved in the study described as modest positive results.
