New from Starmix: Adaptor plate to mount T-Loc/Clas. Systainer or L-Boxx to Vac

[worldburger]

I've had some dealings with Starmix in the past and have a contact that I'm in the midst of corresponding with. (It's his turn to respond.) I'd planned to add updates to this thread when I had them and will still do so. On that note, I also contacted two retailers requesting quotes but haven't heard back from either. Which reminds me that I need to send each of them round-two. I will definitely include your willingness to join-in on shipping. Selling two of everything rather than just one should be more persuasive. Stand by....

Thanks

FYI, I imagine there's a few others who would be on board with this. I am fairly certain I know at minimum 2 more. 

 

[TinyShop]

Excellent news. I just let on as much in the second round of emails to the previously-alluded-to spare parts suppliers. I'm also in the process of locating U.K. spare parts suppliers and making the same request of them (much easier with the language barrier). I'll post what I hear back.

Update: I've emailed about a dozen Starmix suppliers/retailers in the U.K. as well as sent followup emails to a Dutch retailer and a German retailer. I've also sent another message to my Starmix contact in Germany. My hope for the delay in his response is that he's trying to figure out a way to help me (us) out but only time will tell on that front. At this point, I should order a container's worth and set up shop to supply all the Metabo, Mafell, Hitachi, CS Unitec, etc. i-Pulse owners on this side of the pond! I wonder how many of us their are? That's potentially a lot of wasted plastic. Again, wouldn't it be so much easier if the sys-dock would just be made available worldwide now? Arrghhh.

More as I get it.

 

[TinyShop]

OK, I heard back overnight from my contact at Starmix as well as several of the many retailers I contacted.

In regards to Starmix, there is no chance of any of us getting ahold of even a prototype of the forthcoming OEM sys-dock. I offered us up as a test group but they didn't bite. The two part numbers (for the lid and the rails) were confirmed as being correct though I'm not sure why this confirmation was offered as I didn't ask for it. There was also no response to my question about whether Starmix could supply us directly with the spare parts (as opposed to us having to track down a willing retailer). I will follow up on that (again). My contact also warned me that installing these spare parts would be "at my risk" and that doing so would void the warranty.

All but one of the retailers who responded were sorry to say that they couldn't get these parts. The one that did respond, though, forwarded a quote that produced an automatic sitting response. Get this, including economy shipping, for each of the lid and rails combinations, they want £190 (or US$248.71 at today's exchange rate). That's £95 for the parts and £95 for the shipping. After that, the math breaks down a bit. If we want to ship two full sets together at the same time the total price increases to £420 (US$550.03 or US$275/each). This isn't even close to what the parts sell for elsewhere.

I don't know about anyone else but for me this offer is a total non-starter.

That being said, I've personally found that shipping costs from the U.K. is often so out of whack with other locales (like Germany, the Netherlands and France, for instance) that I still have some hope that I can locate a more reasonable offer. It may even make sense to group the rails together as one shipment and then ship the lids separately - the latter's size is a big part of the problem. That said, if they nest together (not sure if they do) I can't understand why the cost would be so obscene (even knowing what I know about U.K. shipping costs). So, stand by on that front too.

Other than that, I'm of course open to any ideas for other workarounds. As it currently stands, I might be installing that Karcher sys-dock after all.

 

[TinyShop]

Quick update:  The U.K. seller that's been responsive regrouped and has amended their offer. While it's certainly an improvement, it's not nearly enough in my estimation. The first offer assumed TNT as the shipping agent. Going instead with UPS (and the new parts price he arrived at after he'd had time to reflect on what his competitors in the Netherlands and Germany are charging), he returned with a total for two complete sets with shipping of £315 (or $412.23 a.k.a. $206.12 per person).  That's  for one complete set of parts (a lid and two rails) and the remainder being the second set of parts (£112.50) and shipping (£90). Both the parts price and the shipping price still seem high (though the latter is at  least approaching what I'm familiar with, though still have double), especially when compared to the offers on display publicly elsewhere. 

 

[TinyShop]

Just wanted to post an update. After multiple attempts to reach out to the Dutch and German retailers which show these spare parts as available on their respective websites, I finally heard back from both. In both cases, neither was able to help owing to neither of them being willing/able to ship to the United States. I also heard back from all of the other retailers (one French, one Spanish, a couple of German and British eBay sellers) and in every case, each of them stated that they did not have access to the parts. And, now, my contact at Starmix has stopped replying to my multiple attempts which ask him if he'd be willing and/or able to sell us the parts directly. At this point, I'm at a loss as to what to do next. I'm thinking that it will take a FOG member located in Germany or the Netherlands who is willing to act as an intermediary.

In the meantime, with my patience exhausted, I came up with an interim solution solution using a Karcher sys-dock. You can read all about those efforts elsewhere on the forum. 

 

[six-point socket II]

If you need someone in Germany ... I'm right here. Just let me know.

Kind regards,
Oliver

 

[TinyShop]

If you need someone in Germany ... I'm right here. Just let me know.

Kind regards,
Oliver

My apologes [member=61712]six-point socket II[/member] - I missed your generous offer until just now. I've actually been perfectly happy with my own solution which has held up remarkably well (I prefer the "in-line" versus transverse orientation afforded by my solution too). When mine fails (if is ever fails) I'll pick up the real thing. So, at present, I don't have the need for your assistance. But thanks anyways!

However, getting back to the reason I'm revisiting this thread...

The Starmix "UNIFIX" has been available for a few months now:

Anyone in N.A. who wants one just has to spend a little time sniffing around online until they are able to find a Euro retailer (amongst the growing number of online retailers stocking this part) who is willing to ship across the pond. Where there's a will there's a way. Or, you could just hit up Oliver.

[Note - as of this writing, this adapter plate is not available via eBay.de, ebay.co.uk, amazon.de, amazon,fr., amazon.es or amazon.co.uk.]