Just in the FWIW category:
Just checked shipping costs from Missouri to South Yorkshire via US Priority Mail.
Carburetor rebuilding kit - approximately $60.
Carburetor - approximately $160.00
This is WITHOUT adult signature. Adding the requirement of an adult signature would add a few dollars.
Again, even if a customer is OK with these costs, what about time?
In May of 2020, we shipped a carburetor kit to Canada. 11 weeks later, the customer called that he had not received it. Post Office tracer. Post Office could not determine what happened (USPS fault, Canadian Customs fault, Canadian Post Office fault). They continued to look for it for 6 months, never found it, and since the case was unresolved, WOULD NOT PAY, even though it was sent priority and insured! We did get an email from the Post Office every week for 6 months telling us they were still looking.
Sent second kit at our expense (both kit and postage). Took about 6 weeks.
I understand a customer wanting a part, but I am not going to fight this fight. Eating a repair kit PLUS international postage kind of removes the profit from the sale. Cheaper to NOT make the sale, and leave the parts on the shelf. Definitely not the customer's fault, but just not really a economically feasible sale.
Fortunately this time, it was only a repair kit. The previous time it was two restored carburetors. USPS and Canadian Customs both pointed fingers at the other, and we ate the carburetors.
And Chris, this is exactly why I gave you exact part numbers. Still trying to help, just not willing to lose money to do so.
Jon.
