This is so true for electronic sign controllers. One of our customers, we will call him XYZ signs, has been seduced by the lower cost offered by an importer for DMX512 dimmer modules. He needed 35 of those in a sign with PC controlled animation. The difference in price between our modules and the imported ones was a total of $735.00.
XYZ owner who took the cheaper route ended up calling us after wasting a few days on trying to make the sign function correctly. The US importer could not provide any troubleshooting support beyond the instructions that came with the units. The man was devastated!
The traitor, after so many years of enjoying our superb technical support, he sold us for a fist full of dollars! I took the call. He acknowledged that these products are not stand alone and do need to be interconnected and wired to lights in different environments. He said that he never felt as alone as when he was trying to figure out what was wrong with the controls. He apologetically proclaimed how much he missed our prompt and adequate assistance. He ended up reordering the 35 dimmer modules from us.
I could only forgive him because he knew what he did wrong and, probably, after spending a couple of thousands on trying to make things work, he had learned his lesson.
Support US manufacturers, not only because it is a patriotic thing to do, but also because it makes fiscal sense. Keep buying the imports and soon enough you will not find a shoulder to cry on.
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