Selling kits is a part of my hobby, and it gives me a huge kick when a 14-year-old child assembles an electronic kit and becomes hungry for more electronic or radio knowledge. I sell these kits at (more or less) cost price, and I sell probably 10 to 20 kits a year, occasionally more.
My policy is simple:
I do not add money for handling, and I can NOT afford to give away money to third parties, such as Svenskakassaservice (the post office that do not sell stamps). For the average person this means that you send me money and I will send you a kit.
If you cannot pay me then I cannot give you a kit. It is as simple as that.
If you can pay me for kits using www.paypal.com then yes we can do business.
If you can send me cash then yes we can do business.
If you can put cash in my hand then yes we can do business.
I do not use svenskakassaservice - it costs too much. One man paid them SEK90 to send me 50:- money order, but they also want another 40:- service charge from me out of my share!
I do not use giro. The annual charge for the account is more than I sell in kits. I do not have a postoffice giro account.
I do not give any private banking account details out. Not if you are a Swede, or even a Nigerian Princess! Also w.e.f. 01 Jan 2010 I will have no Swedish bank account. Banking in England is free, and I get 4.6% interest. In Sweden I have to pay SEK600 a year to have an account with a card.
FYI - With a UK VISA card + MasterCard I can pay my Swedish bills and live on the cards for a month. This means my wages stays in my UK bank account for the whole month, then I pay the credit card company at the end of the month, when my next wage comes in. I always have a months wages in my bank, the bank pay me interest, and I have no charges at all :-). Compare that with your Swedish banking system ;-).
I am not really all that interested in receiving Swedish crowns - they just cost extra to use, exchange, or send anywhere. There are no reasonably priced component suppliers here in Sweden. Take for example the 22pf trimmer used in my TDA7000 project, http://www.elfa.se charge SEK29 (+ 25% tax) = SEK37 (US$7.5).
Very best regards from Harry Lythall - SM0VPO