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
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