OK, so you find the Arteb headlights (or taillights) interesting.
How do you get a pair?
I maintain a list, FIFO, of people who contact me. To reach me, PM works and email works ([email protected]). Send me a note, tell me what you want and we'll start a dialog.
Here's what happens thereafter:
Carlos ships shortly after he receives product. However, he only launches one shipment a day, and he waits at least one day in-between shipments. ALSO, we only ship to residential addresses. We had a problem once, that's why we do it this way; that's all I'm saying.
I start at the top of my FIFO list. I will request payment the DAY BEFORE Carlos ships; I don't like sitting on people's money. PayPal, Venmo or other means is fine. If payment is delayed, we'll delay shipment, day for day. After receipt of payment, I forward the recipient's information to Carlos.
The following day Carlos launches the shipment with the carrier and he promptly emails me a shipping receipt w/ tracking number. I then email that information to the recipient along with instructions for how to track the package in BOTH Brazil and the US / destination country.
Carlos only ships via Correios; they are the national carrier in Brazil (much like USPS) and the least-cost option. They carry the package from Carlos (Jacobina) to São Paulo, run it through Customs there and (for US shipments) put it on a plane to Miami; in Miami, it goes through US customs and then onto a plane to a USPS depot near the recipient. USPS carries it on the ground from there.
In almost all cases we ship "EXPRESS" to the US, which costs about US$5 more but shaves the transit time and minimizes anxiety IMHO. Typical time from Carlos posting, to arrival at the recipient's doorstep, is 9-10 days, but we've seen it as low as 7 and as long as 14. Shipping "ECONOMY" take almost exactly twice as long, 14-21 days.
Shipments to Europe are a bit more expensive and "ECONOMY" may be used to shave some cost. Transit times to Europe are virtually the same as to the US for each grade of service, and the shipment's routing is similar... Jacobina -> São Paulo -> Customs -> airplane to destination country's port of entry -> Customs -> national carrier -> recipient's doorstep.
During each shipment's transit I will be tracking it myself and I may email relevant comments to the recipient.
We've done this now for a couple of years for members of GMT400 and a few non-members, and generally it's been fun!
Folks, I do this just for the bragging rights and nothing more. Carlos does the groundwork. He handles the interface to the suppliers. He receives, repackages and re-ships. It's because of him that we've been able to offer these at all, let alone for such a low price (at one time we needed ~$430 a pair; those were dark days).
So that's the story
Oh, in case you were wondering, I became acquainted with Carlos in 2019 when I was trying to acquire two pairs of Arteb headlights for myself. Then around Jan 2021 I saw enough interest brewing on GMT400 that I contacted Carlos and we set up this conduit so that other members might have them. The rest is history.
How do you get a pair?
I maintain a list, FIFO, of people who contact me. To reach me, PM works and email works ([email protected]). Send me a note, tell me what you want and we'll start a dialog.
Here's what happens thereafter:
Carlos ships shortly after he receives product. However, he only launches one shipment a day, and he waits at least one day in-between shipments. ALSO, we only ship to residential addresses. We had a problem once, that's why we do it this way; that's all I'm saying.
I start at the top of my FIFO list. I will request payment the DAY BEFORE Carlos ships; I don't like sitting on people's money. PayPal, Venmo or other means is fine. If payment is delayed, we'll delay shipment, day for day. After receipt of payment, I forward the recipient's information to Carlos.
The following day Carlos launches the shipment with the carrier and he promptly emails me a shipping receipt w/ tracking number. I then email that information to the recipient along with instructions for how to track the package in BOTH Brazil and the US / destination country.
Carlos only ships via Correios; they are the national carrier in Brazil (much like USPS) and the least-cost option. They carry the package from Carlos (Jacobina) to São Paulo, run it through Customs there and (for US shipments) put it on a plane to Miami; in Miami, it goes through US customs and then onto a plane to a USPS depot near the recipient. USPS carries it on the ground from there.
In almost all cases we ship "EXPRESS" to the US, which costs about US$5 more but shaves the transit time and minimizes anxiety IMHO. Typical time from Carlos posting, to arrival at the recipient's doorstep, is 9-10 days, but we've seen it as low as 7 and as long as 14. Shipping "ECONOMY" take almost exactly twice as long, 14-21 days.
Shipments to Europe are a bit more expensive and "ECONOMY" may be used to shave some cost. Transit times to Europe are virtually the same as to the US for each grade of service, and the shipment's routing is similar... Jacobina -> São Paulo -> Customs -> airplane to destination country's port of entry -> Customs -> national carrier -> recipient's doorstep.
During each shipment's transit I will be tracking it myself and I may email relevant comments to the recipient.
We've done this now for a couple of years for members of GMT400 and a few non-members, and generally it's been fun!
Folks, I do this just for the bragging rights and nothing more. Carlos does the groundwork. He handles the interface to the suppliers. He receives, repackages and re-ships. It's because of him that we've been able to offer these at all, let alone for such a low price (at one time we needed ~$430 a pair; those were dark days).So that's the story
Oh, in case you were wondering, I became acquainted with Carlos in 2019 when I was trying to acquire two pairs of Arteb headlights for myself. Then around Jan 2021 I saw enough interest brewing on GMT400 that I contacted Carlos and we set up this conduit so that other members might have them. The rest is history.
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