Selling Goods With Potential for Product Liability.

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EarthWindandFire
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Post by EarthWindandFire » Fri. May. 17, 2013 10:45 am

Recently I started thinking about importing products from overseas and selling them here in the states. My thought is to import a small 10' foot shipping container of Japanese made kerosene heaters and sell them to preppers and others who appreciate being off the grid and independent.

Sometime around 1990 the Japanese stopped selling kerosene heaters here due to the burden of liability against the oppressive civil system here which is in need of tort reform. The Japanese manufacturers still export kerosene heaters to Europe, the Middle East and elsewhere. Those who have bought and used kerosene heaters know very well that the Japanese make the highest quality kerosene heaters and nearly every Japanese home uses them for heat. To a person living in Japan, using a kerosene heater is as normal to them as using a microwave oven is to us.

Does anyone here see a market for premium kerosene heaters, much more advanced and better built than the korean and chinese clones being sold today at Home Depot and Lowes ?

 
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Richard S.
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Post by Richard S. » Fri. May. 17, 2013 10:47 am

Off topic but if you are ever looking for parts/wicks my Buddy might have them. He was big seller of those kero heaters back in the 90's and still has a ton of stuff.

 
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carlherrnstein
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Post by carlherrnstein » Fri. May. 17, 2013 10:53 am

I see a huge chance of getting screwed. If you were to somehow able to sell them legaly what would keep this jap company from piggiebacking on your work and selling through the major outlets?


 
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Post by franco b » Fri. May. 17, 2013 11:20 am

You're over 30 years too late. Your vision is the same as the founder of Kerosun had only he had it at the right time.

 
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EarthWindandFire
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Post by EarthWindandFire » Fri. May. 17, 2013 1:27 pm

Richard (franco b),

Living in the same town as William Litwin of Kero-Sun fame makes you acutely aware of the pitfalls of an over-active judicial system. It's been 30 years since Kero-Sun was declared bankrupt by Judge Robert Krechevsky.

http://www.nytimes.com/1983/12/02/business/kero-s ... uptcy.html

http://www.linkedin.com/in/williamlitwin

 
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Post by dcrane » Fri. May. 17, 2013 3:15 pm

product liability (or any liability for that matter) is only as much as you can afford to pay... the reason for llp's, corp's, trusts, etc... If you don't have any assets that can be taken then your liabilty is zero.


 
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Post by franco b » Fri. May. 17, 2013 3:40 pm

Between the Consumer Reports article and cheaper oil, plus competition from other makers, sales were killed. A nice piece of property which is now a nursing home.

 
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Post by Flyer5 » Sun. May. 19, 2013 8:13 pm

Product liability insurance on anything that has a flame source inside a home is expensive. It is also based on sales for most if not all ins companies. It is a large part of a companies overhead and cost.

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