Water Cooler > General OpenPOWER Discussion

European logistics / delivery, warranty returns, etc

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pocock:

--- Quote from: odalman on November 09, 2020, 12:42:05 pm ---I found noting about sound in your blog post.

--- End quote ---

I'm using a USB sound device, Creative X-Fi HD.  It is working fine using the optical connection to an amplifier and using a Rode microphone for input.

ClassicHasClass:
Yes, I'm just using a regular USB sound dongle. The WX7100 Raptor sells can be coerced into providing audio but there was too much system bus noise bleeding through for me.

Borley:

--- Quote from: mparnaudeau on November 09, 2020, 06:42:26 am ---@vikings.thum My first choice would be a BlackBird but ... will they be available in a near future?

--- End quote ---

You can place orders without having to pay immediately. I don't know if there is any kind of time limit, but I'd imagine one can order now and then pay once they have become available again.

vikings.thum:

--- Quote from: ClassicHasClass on November 04, 2020, 10:56:58 pm ---Excellent! Will that extend to RMAs as well?

--- End quote ---
Yep, this is the E.U. where consumers have substantial rights. It's the law that we have to offer the legal two year warranty for consumers and it's impossible to exclude it. AFAIK this is very different compared to e.g. the U.S. where implied warranties don't exist B2C or are on a voluntary basis (c.f. RCS). Furthermore we have an agreement with RCS that their two year manufacturer warranty is valid for items bought at the Vikings Store (just in case we can't help etc.).


--- Quote from: mparnaudeau on November 09, 2020, 06:42:26 am ---@vikings.thum My first choice would be a BlackBird but ... will they be available in a near future?

--- End quote ---
As soon as RCS has them in stock again we'll add Blackbirds, too. I don't know when this will be. Our new shop is taking shape though and will soon be online with RCS items (TALOS II and TALOS II Lite) in it. We underestimated the complexity of the new shop software... :/


--- Quote from: Borley on November 15, 2020, 04:50:23 pm ---You can place orders without having to pay immediately. I don't know if there is any kind of time limit, but I'd imagine one can order now and then pay once they have become available again.

--- End quote ---
It's generally correct that you can order backordered items at Vikings, though an order should be paid within a couple of days or it's cancelled automatically (B2C), no matter whether that item is available or backordered. This way we're able to guarantee delivery as soon as such an item would become available. We could handle pre-orders differently in order to gauge interest, but we already know that there is high demand for RCS's products. :)


--- Quote from: pocock on May 11, 2020, 09:19:52 am ---There are a few comments about this topic in other threads (search for Europe to find them) but I thought it is worth having its own thread.

To summarize the problems:

- delivery from the US means longer delay, higher shipping costs and uncertain administrative charges at customs clearance
- if a product has to be returned under warranty, there are extra taxes in each direction, on top of the extra shipping cost and delay
- if a product being returned is completely dead on arrival or subsequently failed beyond repair, it is a horrendous waste of money to pay more taxes for a round-trip through customs
- overall, the type of person who buys this product is probably an experienced user who is aware of all these risks and may be deterred from purchasing
- most EU countries have a single market and there is a possibility the UK will participate in the single market after Brexit.
- Switzerland is not in the single market but some logistics companies have been very effective at setting up customs-bonded warehouses near the border and they can deliver into either the EU or Swiss markets without extra burden.  Example: Basel (CH) airport is actually on French territory, in the EU.
- a lot of the developers on related projects are in the European countries.  Looking at the Raptor wiki, the Firefox and Tor issues are on the front page, both of these groups have a lot of people in Europe.

--- End quote ---
This pretty much nails it regarding why a local seller (and a single market for that matter) is important. I'd also add that having a person you can speak to in your local language, who doesn't live in a time zone 10h away from you and who has a similar cultural background will be appreciated by some. E.g. in Germany and even more so in Switzerland: if you don't do work in a precise and quick manner, most people would just fire you and look elsewhere.
I believe having a more local source for RCS products will improve the overall situation and trust in their products. That's what I'm aiming for at least.

pocock:

--- Quote from: vikings.thum on November 16, 2020, 11:54:48 am ---E.g. in Germany and even more so in Switzerland: if you don't do work in a precise and quick manner, most people would just fire you and look elsewhere.

--- End quote ---

Sadly, this often means IT consultants offering Microsoft or Google based solutions that they can deliver quickly.  I heard reports that at least one financial institution in the German speaking side of Switzerland is now using Google Translate API to convert customer inquiries from other languages.

NVIDIA and Apple have both had recent product launch delays.  Unfortunately there is no sign they will be fired any time soon.  Will be watching closely to see if AMD Radeon RX 6800 (XT) is on time this week.  Which GPU did you decide to offer?  I posted some updates about my preparations for Big Navi on Linux.  If the drivers work and if they are reliable then I feel this card is a good match for the Talos II (& Lite) capabilities.

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