W4FT on Amateur Radio

So I was thinking about opening a store a few years ago, and I acquired a bunch of parts and accessories along the way. Unfortunately for the Ham Radio world (but probably fortunately for me) the economy crashed and took my plans with it before I got very far.  So now, I have all this stuff!  Yeah, I kept some choice items for myself – a lifetime supply of copper antenna wire and connectors, some filters and clocks, and enough antennas to make my car look like a porcupine! But now, it’s time to sell the rest. Please read the rest of this page to understand how this works and all of those pesky terms and conditions.

Got a question?  Email me:   w4ft”@”w4ft.com  (remember to remove the quotes.)

I’m just a Ham, not a Dealer!
Folks, I’m just a ham, not a dealer. I don’t have check guarantee services, or anything else that a dealer or a store has available.  No relationship with manufacturers, no warranties, nothing.  Because of this, I have to take the normal precautions that have become common in this day of eBay and online selling. So, please understand that it isn’t that I want to be a pain in the backside, I just have to have reasonable policies. I do everything above board and expect you will too.

Payment:
I accept the following payment methods:

• USPS money orders
• checks with callsigns
  (address on check must match address in FCC database, include driver’s license number) 
• Paypal
• C.O.D. – you pay the extra fee.
• For any other form of payment, please email for approval first.

Once payment has cleared, I will ship promptly. Usually, that’s as short as the next day for Paypal to confirm or as much as 10 to 15 days for the bank to process a check.  If you’re really nervous, I’ll do C.O.D, provided you are willing to pay the extra fees.  Oh, don’t even think about third party checks, cash back schemes, ”send your bank account info and I’ll do a direct deposit.”    My mom didn’t raise any idiots!     

Shipping:
I can ship via most carriers, but US Post Office Priority Mail seems to be a favorite.  Costs are reasonable, usually actual cost plus a couple bucks for materials and expenses
(in most cases to cover packaging and other expenses like gas to the post office.)  Large or heavy items may cost a bit more, but I’ll let you know.

Insurance:
Insurance is optional, but highly recommended for higher priced items. Shipping is at your risk. 

International Sales:
I am willing to sell internationally, but you are responsible for all duty, tariffs, and fees. I will report the amount paid for the item and fill out the right paperwork.  But please, don’t ask me to report a lesser value.  It’s just not worth jail time to me to save you a couple bucks in duty fees. Hey, that international trade training from my former employer is good for something!  Email me with your location and how you intend to pay for this. 

There are some caveats. I do check the State Department’s NO SHIP list for people and countries that are personna-non-grata.  Finally, I don’t export any restricted technology.  Yes, some of this stuff could meet that category, particularly software. You’d be surprised! So if you’re on a terrorist watch list, don’t even bother to email. I have friends in low places and I just might share. <evil grin>

All Items are sold “AS-IS”
Although most items are still new in the box, I have to sell them “as-is”, so no guarantees.  It isn’t possible to test many items, the warranties have run out and I have no way to return an item to the manufacturer. If something has a problem or an issue and I know about it, I will let you know before you say you want it.

If you’re concerned about an item, email me and ask.  If possible, I will try to test it, or tell you why I can’t.  If you get something and there’s a problem, let me know. Maybe there’s something I can do. 

The good news is that I have sold items for the last 5 years and have never had a complaint – well, only one.  In fact, everyone has been very happy with their new treasures.  There has only been one request for a return (see software).

Software:
All software purchases are absolutely sold AS-IS. Most of the software is at least a few years old, perhaps DOS based.  People have had success running these on various versions of Windows, but with DOS software, you have to tweak the memory and emulator settings for the session to get it to run correctly.  Because of this, you assume responsibility to make sure that you have an operating system that will run the software and you have the skill to make these tweaks. The only thing I will do with software is this: If the media is bad and I have another, I’ll email a copy.

Why?  Some time ago, I sold a copy of a DOS-based software package to a ham at a hamfest.  At the next hamfest, he showed up with it, saying that it wouldn’t run.  Turned out that he just didn’t know how to tweak Windows 2000 to run a DOS based program.  If you know what you’re doing, you shouldn’t have any problem.  If you are computer-ignorant and don’t have anyone to help you, please don’t buy the software. (This message has been brought to you by an actual computer consultant. )

Finally!
Wow, you read all this so far?  I’m impressed!  If you don’t understand anything, need clarification, want to ask about something, just want to chat, or after all this, still want to buy something, then just email me at the email address at the top of the page.

73,
W4FT

12/31/2009