:: Windmill Trading

Computers · Parts · Wireless Networking · Electronic Gadgets & Gizmos · Free Tech Support & Advice

Windmill Trading...
... the background

Windmill Trading is a small, online electronics retailing company located in the Pacific Northwest of the USA, with customers all over the US, Canada and Europe.

Started in 1999, by me, Richard Kuipers, selling exclusively on eBay, I now sell directly to new customers through referrals and to return customers alike. After 11 years there's an active client list of over 30,000 customers, with many of them return customers.

One customer recently called Windmill Trading an “electronics boutique”, others simply call it one of the very few online companies that provide very REAL customer service in a very PERSONAL way.

In any case, when you do business here, it’s fast and it’s personal. No waiting for days until your item arrives, wondering if it was actually shipped in the first place. You receive an email when you place an order, when you pay, and when it’s shipped. And when you have a question you can simply call my toll-free and I will pick up the phone. It's that easy. No endless phone menus or automated attendants.

Customers don’t have account numbers. They have names.
Communication is near-instantaneous.
Orders are processed the same day as paid for.

In short: a company you can trust and will be proud to refer others to.

You’ll find the product selection is very limited compared to other stores. There’s a reason for that. With a smaller number of products better service can be delivered than when trying to be yet another Best Buy or Circuit City. Check back often, you’ll find that the selection changes frequently. And even if you do not see what you’re looking for, send an email to ask for a quote. As a specialized reseller for many brands, prices are often better than you’ll find at CompUSA, Best Buy and many other much larger stores. Most people assume that big stores automatically have better pricing. Those stores like you to think that. Check around, though, and you’ll find that’s often not the case at all!

Free Tech Support

Windmill Trading is unlike most other online stores. It's more like a neighborhood store where you can drop in for a chat, you get to know the proprietor and can ask questions. Imagine trying to contact Circuit City, BestBuy or Amazon.com if you have a technical problem. For one, they don't employ folks who know what they are selling (for the most part), and secondly... they simply don't have the time!
Not so at Windmill Trading. Every product that's for sale, comes with free technical support. What's more... you can even ask questions about products you did NOT buy here and are having problems with. No guarantee that I can fix your problem, but with nearly 30 years experience in the computer industry (I've managed multi-million dollar corporate IT departments with more than 4,000 users supported by 31 technicians spanning 15 Western states) you will get an informed opinion and suggestions you can actually use. And not the same canned answer like "clear your browser temp files" to every question you pose!

Payment Methods Accepted

Credit Cards: I accept all major credit and debit cards (including AmEx and Discover) through my merchant account. Google Checkout is the preferred payment processor because they are safer and easier to use than PayPal. At the Google Checkout site, you can safely and securely use your credit card, just like at any other major site. Google will ask you for your email address and will ask you to create a password so you can check on the progress of your order. Once the payment process is complete, Google sends me an email and I can ship your item. Google Checkout is easier and safer than PayPal. Watch a short video about the Google Checkout to learn more. (opens in a new browser window)
If you're uncomfortable about using your credit card number online, I can also take orders by phone so that your credit number is not stored in any online systems, including mine.

PayPal is another payment method, although not as secure as Google Checkout.

If you don’t have a credit card or do have one but don’t want to use one online, you can pay cash for your purchase with PaidByCash. You will receive a virtual MasterCard code for the amount you have paid cash at a neighborhood store close to where you live (more than 60,000 outlets nationwide!). Then you enter that number in the Credit Card field during checkout to buy safely and securely. Click here to learn more.
Money Orders: Please send your payment to:
Windmill Trading
333 Factory Ave N
Renton, WA 980957
Personal Checks: accepted from established customers only and are subject to a 7-day clearing period.

Shipping

Most items are shipped with USPS Parcel Post, 1st Class or Priority Mail. Express is available on request. Shipping to Canada and Europe is usually International Priority Mail, although some items may be shipped Int'l FedEx Ground. Buyer is always responsible for any customs fees.
You'll find that some items can only be shipped Priority. That's because with the retail blister pack or box they're too big or heavy to be shipped First Class.
Insurance is optional on all items, and is only 95 cents for most items. Insurance on high dollar items like monitors, laptops and desktops is included in the shipping charge.
In case of shopping cart errors with regard to shipping charges, I reserve the right to send an amended invoice. Likewise, on request, I will refund any over-payment if there is an error in the shipping calculation. There is a flat $1 handling charge in every shipping charge which covers packing materials and T&L.
SPECIAL NOTE FOR FOREIGN BUYERS (except Canada)
Please contact me about shipping of an item to your country. With the way USPS has priced foreign shipments, it's nearly impossible to have the correct charge for every single item to every single country. I will quote you a shipping charge upfront and email an invoice if you want to go ahead and make the purchase. Sometimes paying with a credit card from a foreign country is difficult and in those cases I also accept Western Union or bank wire transfers. Contact me to find out how that exactly works.

Returns

All items have a 30-day no-questions-asked return period. Should you wish to return an item, please contact me first for an RMA form. Item will need to be returned in new condition, with all materials you received, including manuals, literature, cables, dust-covers, etc.
S&H costs either way are not refundable.

Associations

eCTMA
I'm a proud accredited member of the eCommerce Merchants Trade Association. eCommerce Merchants is a trade association that was founded in 2005 by a group of online retailers who realized that by working together they could enjoy the premium services and discounted pricing normally only available to very large companies. The idea was a tremendous success and today thousands of companies rely on eCommerce Merchants by providing best-practices advice and solutions from dozens of the Internet's leading companies.

Accredited Five Star eCMTA Merchant
TrustPlus
One of the many rating and reputation-tracking systems out there, TrustPlus is unique in that it aggregates a vendor's reputation from various sources and allows buyers to leave comments directly on the TrustPlus site, NOT just on eBay, Amazon or elsewhere. That way the vendor's reputation is much more public than with other tracking services.

So... what's with the name?

Q:
Where does the name come from?
Do you live in a windmill?
A:
No, I do not live in a windmill, although that does sound enticing. I actually grew up around windmills in Holland and have always been fascinated by them. High-tech engineering in wood, iron and cloth since the Middle Ages! Who needs computers?!