International Shipping, Voltage, Warranty for Gjika Products
Our International Policies
Happily, Gjika Amplification products are growing in popularity internationally, and we always strive to provide the best possible service to all customers, both domestic (USA) and international. However, due to the costliness and intricate nature of shipping internationally, and particularly overseas, combined with VAT issues, we have these policies:
Shipping, declared value, & insurance:
International clients may arrange their own shipping from Escondido CA 92029 to their destination, and pay the shipper directly, or they may pay us to ship using our FedEx account with full replacement value declared. The box size for the amp head with Gainmaster is 40" x 14" x 14" and the weight is approximately 50 lbs. The FedEx shipping costs to France, UK, Norway, or other European countries for 10^n amps have been between $500 - $750 per amplifier head & Gainmaster, and shipping rates for speaker cabinets have run between $750 - $990, NOT INCLUDING VAT charges that you may have to pay. If you have your own shipper account, which is relatively easy to set up, you can definitely find cheaper rates, with other carriers, but we do not recommend other carriers - and you may fill out all the paperwork however you desire. All our products are securely packed with foam-injected padding, and as of yet, we have had no issues with shipping damaged to any destination. If any damage should occur, repair or replacement costs are covered by the shipper's insurance, not Gjika Amplification, to be clear. If you pay us to ship, it's by FedEx, and insured for full replacement value, including shipping costs. If this is a problem for you, then you can opt to arrange your own shipping, but once the product leaves our facility, whatever arrangement you have with your shipper is your insurance, so we recommend vetting your carrier thoroughly before having them ship your products. Damage to the product once they leave here is not our responsibility.
Finding less costly shipping:
We are very happy that our products are in demand in other countries, and will work with our international clients to obtain our products, but cannot research and price out shipping for multiple shippers to save shipping costs. There are many shippers, many countries, and we don't have the resources to devote to finding the cheapest shipper, and then worry if it's going to get there safely. FedEx is definitely not cheap, but it provides real-time tracking, and full insurance. UPS is slightly less expensive. DHL is more expensive. USPS does not provide tracking, and the cab boxes are too big to ship using USPS. These are our findings on using various shippers, and we do not use small-name shippers, but if you want to do that, you may, as long as you understand that if your product is lost or damaged, that your only recourse is through your shipper. If we find a better shipper for international shipping, we will add it to our list, but so far, we have to stick with what we know works, and protect your purchase as we are best able to, and so far, that is FedEx.
International Warranty Policy:
Your products are shipped out having been thoroughly tested for weeks, and broken in. When your product arrives, unpack and test it promptly, to preserve your shipping insurance coverage. If you have an issue after testing it, contact us immediately by telephone, text, or email, and if you do not get a response within 24 hours, contact us again, using another method.
If your amp malfunctions, we will do everything we can to walk you through troubleshooting, and in the extremely unlikely case of a manufacturer's defect (if a part fails), we fix it for free, including parts, but we do NOT PAY SHIPPING COSTS BACK AND FORTH to any customers, domestic or international. Most problems with amps are tube problems. If you take your amplifier to another amp tech without notifying us prior to doing so, be informed that this may void your warranty. We will work with your amp tech to troubleshoot any problems, but you need to inform us PRIOR to the amp being opened up and altered in any way or you risk voiding your warranty.
If your tubes fail within 30 days of being received, we will ship out replacement tubes, after receiving the failed tubes back from you, and we will pay shipping for the tubes to you but not shipping for failed tubes back from you.
VOLTAGE REQUIREMENTS FOR INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS
Step-down Box vs. Variac:
International Customers should also be forewarned, as you probably already know, the voltages coming out of your wall sockets differ from the USA voltages, and furthermore, your voltages and cord ends tend to vary from country to country. These voltages tend to vary from between 220V to 250V. The 10^n amp is built to run on 120V. You will have to provide a step-down voltage box, lower your voltage to around 120V. Bob feels that a Variac is the ultimate device to achieve this, and feels that even in the USA, a Variac should be used to ensure the proper 120V to the amp. This being said, you will find that a European 240V Variac can be a bit costly, and also, with a European 240V Variac, you would have to address what kind of cord end is on that device for your wall socket in your country. The other problem with a Variac is that since you are using it to step the voltage down, if you are not experienced with this kind of device (Variac), you can possibly flip the switch on with your full wall voltage going to the amp, and this could be a big problem. So if you are not skilled with the use of a Variac, then Bob recommends a good quality step-down transformer, such as the LiteFuze LT-1500 or the higher wattage ones if you intend to use it for more than just the amp and Gainmaster, but the 1500 is more than enough power for even a pair of 10^n amps. You will usually find a company's device rated below 1500W would not be called the "heavy-duty" model, and also, these lower wattage models, while being sufficient to run the amp, usually only work at 220/110V, while the 1500W and higher models tend to have a 250-220V input to a 110-120V output, and the price difference is insignificant. Amazon sells the LT-2000 for $89USD at the time of this writing. The 1500 and up versions have multiple input style connecting cords, so they will work no matter what wall socket you have, and also the 1500 and up will automatically compensate for your voltage from 220v-250V. This thing is like having the power company in a box to run all your gear that runs on 120V. The trade-off here, depending on your wall voltage is that you may only get 110V-115V to the amp, if your incoming voltage is 220-230V. The amp will run fine at this voltage, but if you chose to use a variac, you could always get the optimal exact 120V. So again, with the step-down box, you cannot really make a mistake, whereas with the Variac, you can destroy things if you don't have the experience in using a Variac.
We do NOT custom-wire these amps for other voltages, and we appreciate your understanding that it is up to you to provide the proper voltage to these finely-tuned, super-high-end products, and as always, we strive to provide you the support you need to get the ultimate performance from your 10^n amp(s) and Gainmaster(s).
