to sale rep & manufacturer's sale manager especially if you're dealing with RFMD Sale group in Torrance, Southern Cal & their distributor Innovation Sales (the Sirenza line). We do product qualification for Space & Mil industries. In one particular job recently, we help to set up spec for burned in, life & electrical test for a potential customer to provide them about 2000 parts annually. I ask for a sample board for a RFMD's particular product to correlate our test fixture to their. The Sale Mgr & their rep came to our office to "help" us out. They asked very detail about my requirements and my customer. The idea that they might steal from us did cross my mind then but I thought the quantity of parts is very small to their size so I don't think they wouldn't stoop this low. After delivering the sample board, they disappear and fail to follow up. It's very odd I thought because I never met a rep not to follow up. Later I found out, my customer have gone to them. Very unethical. I'm tagging their business cards on my wall to remind me their names & my lesson.

Ouch! In the sixty's the mantra was "Don't trust anyone over 30". I would bet that these sales guys were all over 30. (I am waaayyy over 30, btw)

Seriously, I think that customer information should always be treated as confidential. This is especially true if you don't have any sort of contract binding them to you.