Does Solid Signal ship overseas?

It’s a big, bright, wonderful world. The United States is just a part of it. Of course, Solid Signal does most of its business in the US, as you would expect. We ship a little bit to Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. If you order from our web site, though, you’ll find we won’t let you specify a foreign address for delivery.

Is that the end of it?

Luckily if you do want to buy from us, there’s another way to get what you want. We do ship some equipment all over the globe. Not all of it, but some. It depends on whether or not we can. There’s a maze of laws and rules that come into play when you ship electronic equipment, and we have to abide by all of them. If we’re not sure how to abide by local laws, we usually won’t ship there.

When it comes to satellite equipment, most of it can’t be shipped outside the US for two reasons. First of all if it has a DIRECTV or DISH logo on it, part of the dealer agreement says we won’t ship it overseas. That’s part of the agreement we sign, and part of why we confirm a little bit more information if you live fairly close to the border. Second, all electronic equipment has to be approved for use in the country where it’s used. That means FCC approval for the US, CE approval for Europe, and local agency approval in every other country. Getting your equipment approved in every different country costs money and there would be no reason for DIRECTV or DISH to do it.

In fact, you’ll find that practically nothing with a plug, a battery, or a computer chip can be shipped overseas for that very reason. Chances are it’s not approved to go to that location anyway. There are exceptions. If the device has a CE logo on it, it can be shipped to companies in the European Union. That is, unless there’s a contract preventing it such as there is with DIRECTV and DISH.

What about stuff that isn’t electronic in nature?

With tools and accessories, things without any electronic parts, we can usually ship anywhere in the world if you’re willing to pay for the shipping. We don’t let you do it on our web site because our systems don’t automatically calculate international shipping. However, you can call us at 888-233-7563 and we’ll get you a quote for what you need.

If you have a special need, we’re here to help. A lot of our customers have yachts that sail around the world and need equipment shipped everywhere. We do everything we can to accommodate those requests. It’s all about excellent customer service for us, no matter where in the world you are!

Real customer service means finding solutions

Of course, we’re going to try everything possible (and legal) to help you get what you need. If there’s a way to do it for you, we will. That’s what real customer service means to us. If you have a special need of any kind, call us and let us try to make it happen for you. Call 888-233-7563 during East Coast business hours. You’ll get a real expert on the phone in our Michigan headquarters. If it’s after hours, fill out the form below. We’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

About the Author

Stuart Sweet
Stuart Sweet is the editor-in-chief of The Solid Signal Blog and a "master plumber" at Signal Group, LLC. He is the author of over 10,000 articles and longform tutorials including many posted here. Reach him by clicking on "Contact the Editor" at the bottom of this page.