False Economy
Here in the Caribbean, we have a deep-rooted belief that buying overseas is cheaper. Packing barrels and Miami shopping trips are very much integrated into our modern-day life. Freight forwarding, US addresses all part of our norm. However, this is not always a good idea.
Say, for instance, you need 60 Hunza path lights for your project, these aren't going to slip unnoticed into your carry-on, but someone tells you about a place where you can get them at a discount. 1-800-Cheap (a fictitious company). You order online, and they organise delivery to your freight forwarder at a cost. The forwarder then organises delivery to your island with a fee; your broker then organises customs clearance with another fee. You then pay the duty and arrange final delivery or collection.
This exercise has become a five-step process, with three sets of additional fees, plus duty and, in some instances, a foreign currency fee and a tax.
Imagine then, unknown to you, nine of these luminaires are damaged. You will not discover this until they arrive at your premises or on-site. How then do you determine if they left 1-800-Cheap defective or got destroyed in the first, second or third sets of transit? You have no recourse, and you are nine lamps short.
If they go direct to the site and the procurement team don't specialise in lighting, they may check them off as arrived, and you may not discover the damage until installation, causing stress to your team and pushing your handover date back. Someone has to absorb the cost of the defective lamps and spend time and a great deal of effort securing replacements because your warranty is not valid outside of the US.
However, if you do need Hunza path lights, Lightstar is a one-step process. Due to our buying power, we can offer you factory pricing and handle all of the logistics. You order 60 lamps; you get 60 working lamps with a fully valid warranty, aftercare and installation advice - saving you time, money, paperwork and headaches. Oh, and by the way, we also work out cheaper :)
This is because we deal directly with the manufacturer and are fully authorised agents, we can offer you the entire range, from in-ground and recessed, to ground and deck mount, to bollards, including the new Arch Wall Square.
