BrotherULT-2003D

Reply to
minniehaha
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Hello. i am interested in buying a brother ULT-2003D at Ebay from a person in the UK i am in Canada and my question is .. are all the machines and design programs the same ... for the UK as they are for Canada and the U.S.

from watching this news group i belive they are...people from the us are downloading files from the US. but i just want to make sure.... TYIA Don.

Reply to
DoninToronto

Yes the power supply is different. You will need a converter to run on Canadian system. Why not look at the Crafty Stitcher or Marvelous Marv, or All Brands. These are all in the US and have very good prices. Shipping would be very expensive and risky from the UK. I have a couple of Pfaff machines inherited from an Aunt in Yorkshire. I brought them home with me last time I was there and had to have the motors changed out. As I do my own work it was not difficult, and they are simple mechanical machines. With an computerized embroidery machine the whole process is very complicated, or you can use a converter plug but I would not completely trust that either. Where are you located in Canada, there are some excellent dealers here.

Reply to
Hanna's Mom

First of all, why would you buy one from the UK when you don't live there? The power supply is different, you will have NO warranty, and you won't save any money. You will have to pay shipping and duties plus the Canadian sales taxes.

Machines in Canada are usually cheaper than the US. Most are selling the ULT 2003D with software for around the $4000.00 CAN mark. Some less. Buy in Canada and you will have a warranty plus the added bonus of lessons and classes.

JMO

Reply to
Sewnut

Why would anyone buy a sewing machine from ebay. How can you try it out to see if it is working and what you wanted!!! Liz

Reply to
Elizabeth Hall

I have purchased many machines from e-bay. Vintage, Antique and brand new. I do however research the machine and unless it is a very rare machine would not purchase outside North America. Many machines are successfully purchased via e-bay.

Reply to
Hanna's Mom

I have bought 3 machines on Ebay, did the research and knew what I wanted. Each of them is a pleasure using, and the money I saved on all 3 off retail, I could buy another machine in the $400-500 range.

Reply to
Warrior_13

I'll second that. No dealers I trust in my area; no one selling the machine I'd decided I wanted, after much research.

You can bet that my heart was in my throat when I won the bid! (Brother PC

8500, so it was a _major_ purchase for me; I can't afford to throw that kind of money away!) But I'd researched not only the machine; I'd researched the vendor. Everything came in mint condition, and I love the machine. I wanted it primarily because I wanted to digitize my own designs, but it not only embroiders, it sews like a dream.

Always check the eBay feedback. Specifically, for a purchase of that size, see if you can find comments on how things were handled when all didn't go well. The sellers on eBay have reputations to protect, and buyers aren't shy about registering dissatisfaction.

Reply to
Judy

With companies that discount their machines to the big-box retailers, (sometimes so the big box can sell at less than the dealers' wholesale cost) and permit their machines to be sold over the internet, it's no wonder good local dealers become hard to find. Many of them have to offer their machines at low prices because the value of the machine has been destroyed. This doesn't leave them with enough profit margin to properly train staff and/or themselves. Thus, they follow the lead of the big boxes and just push the machines out the door, and forget about after-sale service.

Many of the people who buy machines from the big boxes or on the internet expect the royal treatment when they visit the local dealer for free information and help. They become upset when the dealer focuses his/her attention on the true customer who has bought a machine from the dealer, and suggests the person pay to enroll in classes.

Some may say it's easy to get help and advice through other avenues, such as this newsgroup. But, when you get 5 different suggestions from

5 different people, how do you determine if any of them is correct?

gwh

Reply to
w.d.hines

I decided to purchase from the local dealer so that I could get that local help. Well, I purchased the machine and got NO support when I ran into many problems. I should have saved the money and bought over ebay. To solve my problems, we bought another expensive machine Janome 300 from another local dealer. BYW: I am willing to sell my Brother 300s and PE-Design 5.0.

I hope I get better support this time around from the Janome dealer.

Reply to
2old2care

I hope you do, too. Sewing machine dealers are like car dealers in some ways. Some are prepared to offer service in the form of instruction and advice, etc. Others just want to sell as many machines as they can to as many different customers as they can.

You can check out dealers, before buying, by window-shopping and asking a lot of questions and asking to try the machines. You can learn a lot from the reaction you get. You can also check with friends for their assessment of the dealer in question.

gwh

Reply to
w.d.hines

Well I must take offence to that statement. I am a dealer of sorts, mostly parts and lessons. Worked for Pfaff for many years now do independent sales. The price at which I can purchase the machines leaves a great deal of profit. Considering that most dealers purchase at half retail, with the more machines purchased the less paid, it is a lucrative business when done right. I never refuse to teach anybody or service any machine nor do I turn people away because they did not do the initial machine purchase from me. I was taught by Pfaff to make the machine fit the needs of the buyer and not to 'over sell'. I try to get the best machine for the person and usually do about 20% over cost. The arguments that dealers go out of business due to low profit is false, and have been for 40 years. Training and such are offered by most machine companies at little or no cost to the dealer and his staff, Pfaff never charged and usually send reps to do the training in the stores if the dealer requested it. Most refused as it would take time that could be used selling. Sewing Machine dealers are indeed like used car salesmen, and not to be entirely trusted, yup even that guy you have been dealing with for 30 years. They will say anything to make a sale. Because of the global market there is not much difference in machines these days with the traditionally lower end Japanese ones now becoming the machines of choice due to their superior electronics and computerization. All parts and pieces to make the various makes & models are made in a handful of factories in Asia and shipped to assembly plants in countries where the Machine Company resides. To bear the label "Made in ?" a machine need only have 10% parts produced in the labeled country. This could be the housing, the wiring really nothing important. On the other hand, have big box stores lowered the value of any other of their products on the open market, clothes, furniture etc, probably not. Is a car tire dealership going out of business because the big box stores have destroyed the value of the tires by offering lower prices? Why are sewing machines treated in such a different light----because the majority of the buying demographics are women and they tend to believe that a dealer is a 'God' who would never, ever lie to them. Bullocks, they have done it for years and this is the last really exploitative thing that is done to women. When Viking took over Pfaff the head of Sales Canada told us to never let that customer leave the store without a purchase even if it was not what the customer wanted. Then they would come back and get what they wanted when dissatisfied with their purchase. Also is a Husband happened to show up take him aside and off to throw in the " Extended Warranty" Mr, ONeil said that Husbands love that kind of thing and it would promote the sale of a higher priced machine than what the Wife wanted. When asked what the "Extended Warranty" was worth he state about $4.00 for the photocopying as it was like most of those warranties and never covered anything that was known to go wrong and there were so many restrictions that it was virtually useless. But the Husbands love them and when told it was "worth $400" they always go for it. I still refer customers to dealers of specific machines in my area, but advise them to do their homework, by checking prices everywhere, internet, private sales, and other stores. When we get to be canny consumers then the dealers will not be able to use these types of tactics on us. Research is our best weapon, just look at what has happened in the car sales industry. People will drive hours to save $ and the dealerships are noticing. It can and will become the same with Sewing Machine sales which I think are outrageously priced and need to be more realistic. By the way the Janome 300 is flying off the shelves and the other companies are noticing.

Reply to
Hanna's Mom

I was a little appaulled when I read this. I am forwarding this to VSM. I have been dealing with them since 1993 and have never ever heard either Mr. Schell or Mr. O'Neil say such things!! The policy has always been to keep the customer happy. In ten years of dealer meetings, service training and dealing with Mrs. Schell, I have never ever heard such B.S. I have never even heard of VSM having an extended warranty!! For what?

You sell Pfaff out of your home in Ontario, right?

Reply to
Hiacynthia

The small dealers push their product out the door not ready for the consumer and then make up their profits with "warranty repairs" for the first year.

Reply to
Gymmie Bob

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