I've been a customer of AES for years. Spent THOUSANDS with them,
usually buying at least a couple of different rigs a year.

Just got a call from one of the fellas there. I just returned a little
2/6/70cm HT in which I couldn't see the little keypad very
well....among other technical problems with the HT. Only had it a
couple of days. I requested the substitution of another HT and a 2
meter beam...resulting in them receiving $100 additional.

The gentleman was very polite, but said because there was some type of
wear on the beltclip (and I certainly didn't see any. But there could
have been since I did use the clip.), they couldn't resell the device
as new...so they would have to charge me a 15% re-stocking fee. ($39)

As a ham businessman myself, I KNOW the cost of doing business. But I
know I wouldn't go as far as to possibly alienate a customer in long
standing. In fact, I have several customers in long standing and have
had to "bite the bullet" on a couple of returns from them....just
because I DID NOT want to alienate them from doing further business
with me. I felt the greater need to keep these people as customers.

I'm not really mad. I understand both points. There probably isn't a
big profit margin in this gear. But would you risk loosing further
business from a long time customer? Or would you write it off??? (And
we all know, that's exactly what you can do with damaged
merchandise...write it off.)

What's your opinion???

73, Bill - WA8MEA
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