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1801 Completed Speakers
Completed speakers require considerable time. The current
wait is 12+ months. This has remained constant since the 1801
loudspeaker benediction in the year 2000. I cannot in good conscience commit to orders for customers
placing a high priority on a guaranteed timeline. The only guarantee I can
offer is that I will gladly accept orders and fill them in the order
received. My dedication to family and work come before my hobby.
Shipping cost for completed speakers is $90 in the USA. $70
covers the actual shipping cost. The additional $20 is for a very solid
plywood-reinforced carton. DHL ground carriers are far too "energetic" for
a standard cardboard box with newspaper stuffing or bubble wrap. I have
learned this lesson the hard-way.
Shipping completed speakers overseas is brutally expensive.
I have accomplished this twice to Europe, but the cost was @$450.
Deposits
I
didn't want to require this, but lack of customer integrity has necessitated
this measure. I operate on very little overhead and @ 7% profit margins
(if nothing breaks). In 2001 I netted $1.9k loss. Some of this
was due to customers "backing out" of their request.
I
operate on the FIFO (First In, First Out) method. This means the first
check($) received/"in" is the first item
delivered/"out".
I require a 50% deposit for completed speaker requests. This deposit is
non-refundable.
Payments are non-refundable.
Products are normally mailed within 14 days from the time
I receive a check. Personal checks will be allowed 10 days to clear, but
the 14 day mailing remains unaffected. Product mailing may be delayed due to backordered inventory (Ships
traveling from Norway to the US aren't very quick). This has only happened
once during the past 3 years, and I still fulfilled my 14 day goal.
I
consulted another gentlemen in a similar predicament with customer integrity and
deposits. He wrote the following:
You
know that is a universal problem. I have always shipped my cabinets
trusting that the guy on the other end will also send payment. I have been
burned twice. One time long distance, one time local. You just have
to
move on. Not worth going nuts over it...
I think that some of the buyers out there picture some INTEL type of
operation where one unit makes no difference. Guys like you and me do this
for fun, really, and cannot afford losses (be it non-payment or custom order
cancellations). So I think it is important to build in some profit in
order
to offset the losses. We sure won't get rich off of it!
Ken
I
also don't want to require this, but my bank charges me a $25 fee for returned
checks. This fee will be directly passed to the customer.
Prices are subject to change without notice. A deposit locks the
product price published at the time of deposit. Hence subsequent price
increases will not affect those who have made a deposit.
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