Purchasing a Laser Cutter
Our experience in purchasing a laser cutter from China through eBay was an experience that we will not forget. We did our research, looked at almost every laser cutter made here in the US and came to one conclusion, we didn't want to spend that much money on our first laser cutter. Sure they are local, relatively speaking, but the expense was just too high. So we then researched laser cutters from China. Interestingly found that while there are many Chinese laser cutters yet only a few are “original designs”. Meaning that even the Chinese companies are being copied by other Chinese companies. One company that had a good reputation was Redsail, it is one of the companies whose designs are copied the most. Redsail sells on eBay as cnccheap and is responsive when questions are asked, you only have to wait for their day to start given the time difference. So we went about purchasing a unit.
Getting ready for Purchasing
We did have questions from the start of the process; how did we order extra items like the rotary fixture, how long would the unit take to ship, how long would the unit take to arrive? The Redsail representative answered all our questions; add-ons and upgrades would be invoiced separately you simply add them into the order notes when the purchase is made, the unit is custom made depending on the add-ons and upgrades you purchase so it can take up to 14 business days to build and package for shipment, it can take up to 30 days for the unit to arrive at the harbor in the US depending on the shipping schedule (they all come by slow boat). We discovered later that we should have asked if there were any units already in the US that might meet our needs, find out if this is an option you can work with. We will cover why later.
Redsail asked us a few questions as well; do we have an import license, would the unit need to be shipped from the harbor, if so what company would be picking up the shipment? Now if you have an import license you life will be easy, because you will know the answers to those questions, if you don't they will help by directing you to a company they use. As for shipping from the harbor, we chose to pick it up ourselves as we are only 4 hours away from the harbor an adventure unto itself. We responded to Redsails questions and with all parties satisfied, we started the purchase.
Clicking Buy Now
Most people have heard of “buyer's remorse”, which is what makes clicking the button or signing the contract so difficult. We have been burned before on eBay and are still skeptical when it comes to buying, but our experience with Redsail made clicking the button much easier this time. Still, we were nervous as it was a lot of money and in days of instant gratification waiting is not the easiest thing to do. After the purchase, we received the promised invoice for the add-ons and upgrades, and paid for those as well. Then the real waiting began.
Why is it taking so long…
We waited and waited, it seemed like we waited forever and that was just the first day after the purchase. We had a long way to go. It took weeks for our crate to arrive in the Port of Los Angeles. If you are going to pick up your shipment directly from the port, you only have a few days before they start charging storage fees which can be quite steep. We were at the port the next day. If you choose to have the crate shipped, then it will pass through the port, including customs, and the transport company will pick it up.
Fees, fees, and more fees
We paid a number of fees getting the package through the process of shipping. We also paid additional port fees since we went to the port. Companies that move a lot through the ports can reduce some of these fees and pass on that savings to you, others do not and you will pay more to get that unit than you expected. So do your homework, ask the questions about the fees of the shipper, transport company, and customs. If you know the actual cost before you actually click the button. It is possible that you could avoid some of the fees if you find a unit that is already on continent. You might not get all the options you want or have to pay for some you didn’t know you want by ordering one already on the continent.
Finally, it is here
Fortunately we had access to a forklift to get the crate off of the truck. The crate was close to 700 lbs and was made well enough to protect the unit during transit. When we cracked the crate open we found that they had packed it very well. None of the individual packages were able to move during shipping, it was like looking at a well played Tetris game. We were a bit surprised to find that the unit framework was fully assembled in the crate. There were only a few bits to assemble to get the unit ready and install the laser tube. The unit was moved into the shop and we got to work putting it all into place.
What would we change
Actually, we are quite happy with the unit and our experience in its arrival. Retrieving it from the port was a bit trial-some. Since we had never been to this port before the port workers took their time getting the crate for us. Three hours of waiting was a bit much after wading through the two hour process of paperwork and fees. We would look for a unit that is already on continent. That isn’t always an option depending on the unit you are looking for. You will pay more up front, but it might be less than the alternative of paying for each fee.
Overall, we would and most likely will do this whole process again. We would like to thank Redsail for working with us on this purchase, we are very happy with the outcome!
If you have questions leave it in the comments area. We will be happy to answer any questions we can.
