® International customers

A few years ago a customer in Australia sent me some 1970s vintage Honda carbs. I rebuilt them. He got them back, and a month or so later, due to his complaint, I paid for him to return them to me. Going over them carefully, I found nothing wrong with them. I paid to ship them back to him. Not only did the expensive shipment times two more than eat up all my profit, but worse than that. On top of that was the free labor, and on top of that was the months, almost a year, of trying to help him, taking time from other work, and in the end, the very end, he finally admitted to me, after nearly a year, that each time when I brought up the subject of ignition timing, and you can believe I did bring it up at least three times over the course of that year, he had not been truthful when he said he had checked the ignition timing. He admitted he had no idea how to adjust or even check ignition timing and another mechanic on his end had finally made the bike run right by servicing and adjusting the ignition. You know what? I essentially paid HIM to have his carbs rebuilt. As a sole proprietor I can't afford to do this very often. And it has happened three more times already this year, and we're only into March! Add to this the trying, wearying experience of dealing with the U.S. Postal Service and Customs when shipping internationally, and I am coming near to doing no more international jobs.

I tell you this for just one reason. Old Hondas were made at a time when it was considered normal to be constantly maintaining them. They are high-maintenance, very fiddly. I value these machines very highly. But you have to understand what "high maintenance" means. When I get one of these almost 50-year old bikes into my shop it usually takes quite a lot of work -- fairly costly -- to make them run right, and that is very low mile bikes that appear pristine. Carburetors come AFTER cylinder compression, valve adjustment, and ignition system service, not before, and behind every one thing determined to need attention are three more you couldn't have anticipated. If they're not made right, a customer won't be happy if even the world-famous Byron Hines rebuilds the carburetors.

I love helping people and feel no qualms about spending more time talking with my customers than I believe any other individual in my business does. Unpaid time. It's okay. I think it works out in the end. Also, if you do have problems, I fully intend to help walk you through them. But I don't think it is too much to ask that a customer does what is necessary on his end also, and he starts by believing what I'm telling him.

USPS has been messed up for a long time. At present, shipping to Norway and Australia via USPS is completely off the table. The first because USPS seems to think anything going to Norway is contraband and delays the item indefinitely. The second because someone at Australia Post has labeled the US as quarantined and insists on returning every third mailing. I do however recommend and use USPS for international shipping, because they are a fraction of the cost of any of the private carriers and do not require the confusing paperwork that characterizes FedEx and DHL. But hope there is no snafu because they are famous for not owning up to problems, and in the case of international shipping simply refer you to US Customs, as if that organization even has a customer service department. (They don't.)


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