Clipper- Is there any other way to dump with the Classic

[TomW]

I had a similar issue with "not available until.." with an E-panel I ordered from a U.S. distributor. Some story about an aluminum shortage for manufacturing them. Not sure if it was misinformation, incompetence or what but one word to Ryan and the lead time was reduced to days from "unknown".

As far as dealers go, I have not had very good luck with them doing anything beyond middle man the parts and collect a fee. I understand not all dealers are poor but I know of a couple that are horrible.

Perhaps a solution is a factory outlet, bare bones distribution point?

I see the reason for Midnite having dealers but when it impacts customer satisfaction they may be losing customers because of it?

Just my opinion.

Tom

[nigel]

Id like to make a point here in that Midnite through this forum clearly is committed to final end user customer care !
To which we see and  live through the good  and problems and development of there entire product range. To which I say the end consumer including my self we are very fortunate if not spoilt for such facilities and we do all feel part of a family.

I am a stockists of Midnite Solar Equipment in Europe and have being for the last five years. Recently a new member of Midnite products was established not a million miles away from me, but also a distributor for other items that I want to sell . I visited the new MNS stockist and took a selection of MNS goods that he didnt stock . In short we had a good meeting I now sell some of his products and he hopefully will stock more in the  range of MN.

Im basically an end retailer in Europe (a few but growing installer accounts)  and a local installer , plus I import direct from Manufactures outside the EU. I would love to go direct to each and every manufacturer for my equipment and cut out the distributor wouldn't we all, but it doesn't work that way, I buy from distributors who handle technical assistance warranty issues and returns. Those problems are the distributors not mine ! However as an importer with Midnite those initial responsibilities are mine and as such I also stock warranty parts and supplies for this purpose. I cant expect a client to return faulty goods across the pond so I deal with it. I do have the luxury of the forum for great technical assistance and referral  also ! Plus direct factory assistance.

If as an installer I have a faulty product from my Outback Distributor, I return it to him and he fixes or replaces under warranty. He is not just simply shifting boxes he has responsibilities to undertake on behalf of the manufacturer. He is also my first port of call for technical assistance. Also he holds the stock as do retailers, as do I , Im a very very small fish in a big sea and I have over $35,000 of MNS stockl alone, imagine if Midnite had to have those stock levels multiplied by all its retailers  distributors and installers.

If my distributor isnt up to scratch competent  helpful and willing then I have and will do in the future contact the manufacturer complain and ask for a competent distributor.

As Tom said there are good and bad distributors,installers retailers and if there are not up up to scratch and you dont know of another the Im sure the manufacturer will  find you one.

Also being a  Midnite Solar stockist in Europe I sometimes get inquiries from large  EU Manufactures of Re equipment in fields Im not completely comfortable with or volumes beyond what I choose  to handle  or a lot of tech support and development is required to which I can refer them to the guys at Midnite. As long as it stays within the family and a new manufacturer starts using MN gear Im good with that.

Sometimes I may spend many  hours over many days replying  to  a single client regarding a MN product to sell a combiner box a disconnect box or a CC a breaker or a SPD or maybe all or them, you can not  expect a Manufacturer to do this, thats why we have manufacturers , distributors, installers , retailers. Each has a role to pay and in that lot we have mostly the good but sometimes the bad and the ugly ! 

The fact that we have this forum which makes us  all feel part of it,  is the exception not the rule !

Happy New Year to Everyone 
   







   

[boB]

Happy new year, Nigel and all !!

Of course, it will be 2013 for Nigel before it will be for us.  (let us know if the world happens to end over there first)

We are very happy to have all of you on this forum...

This is a good place to be !

boB

[dgd]

Id like to make a point here in that Midnite through this forum clearly is committed to final end user customer care !
To which we see and  live through the good  and problems and development of there entire product range. To which I say the end consumer including my self we are very fortunate if not spoilt for such facilities and we do all feel part of a family.

Kudos noted and agreed with 

.. to  a single client regarding a MN product to sell a combiner box a disconnect box or a CC a breaker or a SPD or maybe all or them, you can not  expect a Manufacturer to do this, thats why we have manufacturers , distributors, installers , retailers. Each has a role to pay and in that lot we have mostly the good but sometimes the bad and the ugly !

This was my main point in an earllier post that the manufacturer is actually providing direct support, as you noted in your first paragraph, via
this excellent forum. So that function is no longer with the distributors and retailers. As for installers the costs of consultancy/advice etc  is a component of the installation cost.
IMHO its grossly unfair for end users who do not need or want dealer or distributor support (which often does not exist anyway) to have to pay inflated prices to provide margins for them when they are just box shifters.

Look at the first message in this topic thread. Even boB couldn't jusify that price except to say stuff and metalwork was expensive.  Not that expensive methinks 

The fact that we have this forum which makes us  all feel part of it,  is the exception not the rule !

Au conntraire.  Google solar suport forums

Happy New Year to Everyone 

ditto..

dgd

[boB]

The fact that we have this forum which makes us  all feel part of it,  is the exception not the rule !

Au conntraire.  Google solar suport forums

You mean the usenet group,   alt.solar.photovoltaic   ??

I haven't been on that group in years.  We'll see if it still has some decent activity.

boB

[boB]

Look at the first message in this topic thread. Even boB couldn't jusify that price except to say stuff and metalwork was expensive.  Not that expensive methinks 

The main problem with high pricing overseas is mainly from shipping costs.  If we ship more, say, on pallets, and it just
takes space on a ship, it costs much less than shipping individual products.

The price for MidNite products  cannot be any less expensive at the moment if we expect to stay in business.

As for Clippers, there is quite a bit more to it than meets the eye.  Sure, some people can put together some
parts and make them work, sort of...  But trying to make them work with many different turbines and be
reliable also adds to the cost.

We really do try to make products as affordable as possible.  Some are way less expensive that the competition,
like PV combiners, and some stuff isn't cheap because it is more complicated.

I invite any of you to come by our shop and I will give you a good tour and try to show you what is involved
in producing our products.  Whenever you are in the Seattle area, come on by !

boB

[dgd]

boB,

I don't disagree with  anything you say above.

I understand the distributor's view on economy of scale concerning shipping. This is why my dealer says 'indent only' and I have to wait until mid March 2013 to get my Clipper ordered early December 2012.
As an end user of your products I would have preferred to buy from Midnite directly via an online internet store and pay immediately with Paypal.
I have no problems paying USPS, DHL  or Fedex shipping costs and looking after duties/taxes on arrival
That way I would have been a happy customer in posession of a Clipper by mid December 2012.

I have to be patient and wait until March, no matter how disagreeable the wait is..

dgd

[dbcollen]

Quite a few mfgrs will sell directly to the customer, they get around the whole competition with the distributor thing by charging full list price.

[Halfcrazy]

My experience has shown that retailers like Northern Arizona wind and sun or the AltE Store will gladly ship out of the country. In reality on a Clipper it would likely ship from MidNite as I do not suspect to many stock them.

Ryan