We are Kevin & Sara a husband and wife team building and offering items for vintage computers and retro consoles. Here is a little about us...
My name is Kevin, and my first exposure to electronics was through my father back around 1980 when he was taking electronics classes in college. His 8085 breadboard computer was mesmerizing. After that, no electronic component in the house was safe from disassembly! We moved through a Vic-20 and then a Commodore 64 where I began to write code for the first time. When I was 15 I got my first XT clone. I began working for one of my cousins who wrote dBXL & Clipper applications for small businesses. My job was building XT & 286 clones, and setting up Novell 1.x / ArcNet networks. Off and on, I built clone PCs and sold them in the newspaper. By 17, the guy I was buying parts from offered me a job. We built 100s of PCs a week sometimes! I started a programming degree (but never completed) when I was 18, but by 19, I was working the helpdesk for Johnson & Johnson Medical. I later moved to the Server Ops team and started working on LanManager and the then new Windows NT 3.1. After a few more years, I moved to Microsoft and stayed there until 2013, when we decided to work for ourselves. I held several roles within Microsoft, but my primary specialty was networking and TCP/IP services. Throughout my life, my first love of electronics never lost hold and I started working with Atmel microcontrollers around 2000. I started writing code in assembly, and later moved to Arduino when it started blossoming. I’ve built various electronic boards starting when I was 12 for the Commodore up to much more complex boards today. I still have a lot to learn, and I hope this store will push me to come up with even better products to help others with our same passion.
My name is Sara and I am co-owner, wife and mother around these parts. My first encounter with computers was way back in my high school computer class. It was an Apple and I mostly remember the drawing program we used and how it was much different than using an actual paint brush. My first PC exposure was also back in high school and it was a Packard Bell which I mostly used to create spreadsheets so I could make schedules for work. Since then I have used many different programs that range from database development for office processes to graphics programs to assist me in web development. I would consider myself a power user more than a full on “computer nerd”, although it is nice when people mistaken me for one. Since we started selling assembled boards on eBay, my help has been needed in order to get products ready and listed for sale. This has given me the chance to do a little surface mounting myself and I have to admit, I really enjoy the detail it takes to complete them successfully. That along with packaging and helping our customers is probably my favorite part of our business. If you purchase from our site or even from our eBay store it is more than likely that I will be the one preparing your item for shipment. I take customer service very seriously, I may be a bit old school that way.
General
We package and ship every business day. All packages will be dropped off with the carrier by 12:00pm CST each business day. Any orders after that time will be dropped the following business day. There could be times when we are on vacation, on these occasions we will post a notice to the store. You can still order, but your shipment will be delayed until we return.
We will ship according to the shipping address you provide at checkout, please notify us of any address change before your order is processed to avoid package loss. If your package is shipped to the incorrect address, we cannot be held responsible and no refund will be issued.
Although we do not offer FedEx at checkout at this time, we may use it when shipping heavier packages. This is a cost effective and reliable service that we have used many times. FedEx SmartPost or FedEx Ground or Home Delivery will be used depending on the size and weight of the package. If we do ship via this method we will contact you to discuss options and get your approval before moving forward.
Shipping Times
Domestic:
First Class Package will arrive in approximately 2-3 business days
Parcel Select Ground will arrive in approximately 2-9 business days
Priority Mail will arrive in approximately 1-3 business days
Priority Mail Express will arrive in approximately 1 business day
FedEx SmartPost will arrive in approximately 2-8 business days
FedEx Ground or FedEx Home Delivery will arrive in approximately 1-5 business days
International:
First-Class Mail International 14 to 90 Business Days**
Priority Mail International will arrive in approximately 6-10 Business Days**
Priority Mail Express International will arrive in approximately 3-5 Business Days
If you have a shipment that’s late and you have checked your tracking only to see that it seems to be stuck en route, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Our local post office is very reliable and provides excellent customer service. We will make a call and see what we can do to get your package moving again.
Sometimes there will be delays due to natural disasters or other uncontrollable events. Click the following links to check on alerts from the applicable carrier:
USPS Alerts and Service Disruptions: http://about.usps.com/news/service-alerts/welcome.htm
FedEx Alerts: http://www.fedex.com/us/servicealerts/
More International Details
**PLEASE NOTE: In our experience shipping internationally, via eBay, we have learned that shipping time can greatly vary. First Class can tend to be faster than stated above depending on your country, however, we have also seen packages take up to 90 days. While it is rare it does happen, and some countries more than others. Customs has been known to hold packages for indefinite lengths of time on both the domestic and international sides. International First Class and Priority packages cannot be tracked reliably at every step along the way. This is just the way these services are setup at USPS. If you require reliable and detailed tracking please choose Priority Mail Express at checkout.
**Also note that orders shipped via USPS First Class and Priority Mail International are not guaranteed and do not qualify for a refund if they are lost in transit. Please read more about our returns policy HERE for more details about returns in general.
Customs, Duties and Taxes
All international packages will be marked as “merchandise” on the required customs forms. International customers are responsible for any applicable duty or taxes that may be related to the delivery of their purchases. If these charges apply to you they will likely be charged to you at pick up your package from the carrier.
You should expect to pay any amount charged by the government in your respective country. This includes, and is not limited to, duties, taxes and any extra fees charged by the courier company. We will not be held responsible for any extra charges once the original package has been shipped. If the customer refuses to pay these extra charges, the return shipping and any additional fees will not be paid or reimbursed by TexElec.
No country selected, please select your country to see shipping options.