I'm with you on this too. When researching, I always select the main retailer only. For one, it usually means I only have 1 or 2 pages of hits to look through instead of dozens. But also for the reasons you mentioned too - not all of those 3rd party suppliers operate with the same integrity. Plus, in some cases with those 3rd party suppliers, shipping is extra - not to mention it comes via a slow boat from China.
As for counterfeits, ensuring you are buying directly from Newegg, Amazon, etc. does not always work either because counterfeiters have been able to scam Amazon and Newegg too - who in turn unwittingly pass the counterfeits on to us. But I will say, Amazon has launched several aggressive programs to thwart fraudulent sales. But with Amazon being so big and selling so many items, I am sure it is easier to make a high-speed turn on a dime for an aircraft carrier.
Reliability and performance for sure. And most of my clients don't care about the price of the individual components but do with the total cost of the computer. I have a couple who are totally involved in component selection and price. They just want us to verify their choices make sense and are compatible, then to put it together for them. And that's fine too.
To be fair about delays in shipping, weather does factor in - as it did this last week. You can sigh-up for service alert notifications from FedEx or visit UPS to see if there will be delays in your area.
