[Elecraft] Import Costs from America

[Jim Brown]

On Fri,9/26/2014 2:08 AM, Poul Erik Karlshøj (PKA) wrote:
> Hi Jim
> Yes I saw that coming, but you are missing the point.
> No Jim, all I ask for is that*for warranty repair*  that the manufacturer pays for the return shipping. I believe that is normal commercial practice (also for other US manufacturers).

Several years ago, I needed warranty repair on consumer product made in 
the US. I paid shipping to the mfr, and he paid return shipping. Every 
company sets its own warranty policy.  Elecraft has set theirs. Do 
Kenwood, Yaesu, and ICOM pay warranty shipping?  Do they have a warranty 
service center in Denmark?

> It should (hopefully) not be a big financial burden for the manufacturer. Depending of course on the quality of his product and the number of units needing repair during the warranty period.

The other man's job always looks easier.

> I did not see anyone giving a figure of how many KPA500 and KAT500 units have been needing warranty repair. Maybe Elecraft could enligthen?

That's their business.

Consider this, Paul.  Most companies that manufacture ham transceivers 
sell through dealers and/or distributors that add a significant mark-up 
to the selling price. In exchange for that mark-up, they deal with 
import/export, sell the product, and provide warranty service.

Elecraft has chosen to sell direct to their customers in most parts of 
the world. This greatly reduces the initial purchase cost, especially if 
the customer buys in kit form. But part of that cost difference is made 
up if the product must be returned for warranty service.

And -- as hams, we profess at least some level of technical competence 
in radio and electronics.  We certainly ought to be able to perform 
minimal troubleshooting with advice from competent tech support by the 
manufacturer, and Elecraft certainly does provide that support. We also 
ought to be able to remove circuit boards and other key components for 
exchange, and reinstall replacements.  And in areas where we're not 
particularly competent, we should be able to call on neighbor hams who 
are competent in those areas.  We certainly do that in the places I've 
lived -- West Virginia where I grew up, Chicago, and the San Francisco 
Bay Area. The hams fitting this description are Elecraft's target 
customer base.

Elecraft is a small business, their only products are for ham radio. The 
owners are not independently wealthy, but they are first-rate engineers 
and good businessmen. They know that international shipping costs could 
eat them alive, so their terms of sale are that the customer is 
responsible for those costs. What other ham radio company makes its 
Owners and Chief Engineer available via email to its customers via an 
email reflector that they read every day? Certainly not ICOM, Yaesu, 
Kenwood, or Ten Tec.

73, Jim K9YC