What's new
What's new

Federal Buyers Network?

baran3

Cast Iron
Joined
Jan 28, 2007
Location
Littlestown PA
Anyone ever heard of or dealt with Federal Buyers Network. Want to know how much of a scam it may be. Basically pay, not a terrible high amount, to have a listing in their directory that people procuring from the government would theoretically access to find suppliers for various needs. Seems like could be a definite scam / waste of money. Anyone have any firsthand knowledge?
 
First off, there isn't one thing these "Help you score big government contract" people can do for you that you can't do yourself for FREE. There isn't any secret inside track to doing government work, the government does not charge you to sign up or to bid. Once your in the door you will find one advantage, the government will pay on time (net 30) or even accept discount terms and pay in 10 days. The disadvantage, dealing with all the paperwork, and continual updating of registrations and passwords. Also the government puts all contracts up for bid, even if you have done the same part 3 times in a row you will have to be low bid on run number four to win the job. Most jobs show procurement history with quantity and price, and prices are racing to the bottom. I did a few dozen jobs and most went for 35% of 2005 prices. In a nutshell doing business with the government doubled the time taken to get short run (4-8 hrs) out the door compared to selling to the private sector and the price was the same. Long run jobs go way cheap. Most small parts (that will fit in a 4" x 6" bag or less) require individual packaging and labeling. Even if you made 5,000 small spacers. Most shipments require RFD tags which can be outsourced or printed yourself with a $2500 printer. It isn't the kind of work worth paying someone to assist you getting.
 
Like DualKit said, you can do it all yourself.

Being in a directory is probably not going to help you in the slightest.

On occasion there will be a "rush" job and a buyer will call you, but its usually because you had already made the parts before, and they need one NOW, and they'll put it on a credit card.

There are services out there that will sort through all the crap for you, and give you the RFQ's in a nice little package, with prints, and specs. That can be handy because sorting through all the RFQ on the government sites is a pain in the ass. That type of service can be handy and save you a lot of time.

Paying somebody to set you up and put you in a directory, sounds like a waste, but apparently there are a lot of companies that do that, they keep calling.
 
apparently there are a lot of companies that do that, they keep calling.

I have grown very fond of caller ID
Saves so much aggravation and wasted time

20 years ago I signed up to be on the DOD bid list.
I got packages with stacks of microfiche cards, RFQ's for parts for
tank transmissions, ship gear boxes, jet engine parts...this is after I
specified small parts, etc. All sorts of special finishing, labeling, and packing
requirements. And the packages came for 15 years, even
after I did all the 'STOP' procedures. :nutter:

Those packages were not cheap to send out
Talk about Govt waste.
 








 
Back
Top