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Hanks Electrical Supplies

Hanks Electrical Supplies 

Frequently Asked Questions


 


Shipping F.A.Q.

How long will it take to get my order...

    Hanks Electrical Supply processes all internet transactions upon the same or next business day of you placing your order. (holidays and weekends excluded). In most cases UPS ground service gets to the East coast in 5-8 business days. Most Western states in 3-5 business days. Due to the delay in order placement and receipt/processing some expedited orders may take 1 extra day. Example, if you place your order on Monday Afternoon, we'll get it Tuesday, process it and depending on if it gets forwarded to a manufacturer it will either ship or get delayed one extra day for additional processing. If you are in urgent need of something we suggest you call in (949-646-7777 7am-5pm M-F PST) your order for quicker response.  Although we maintain a large inventory and variety, it may be necessary to ship your order form the manufacturer at times. In most cases this will actually get you, your parts quicker.     

Can I get tracking info....

    Yes, however you must request it. Tracking info isn't always available to us immediately and therefore will be supplied to you on request only.  

How are shipping rates calculated:

        Most items shipped from our warehouse are sent UPS. The rates are calculated automatically from current UPS rates, based on the weight(s) and your location in relation to ours. Occasionally larger orders require multiple packages and would therefore have an increased rate than what you might have been quoted. In any event that a rate or price is different than your original invoice we will notify you via email for approval before invoicing. In order to eliminate handling and packaging charges we recycle a good amount of packaging, therefore we only charge the estimated UPS rates.

Do you ship to Canada?

    We have had several customers complain about extra taxes, duties and brokerage charges when shipping to Canada. Currently we are only shipping UPS standard to Canada. Hanks Electrical Supply only extends UPS shipping rates to it's customers. Any additional duties, taxes, or brokerage fee's are imposed by the Canadian Government and beyond our control.
An official response from UPS to these concerns was as follows:
“All products shipped across international borders may be subject
to additional brokerage fees, as well as any duties or taxes
assessed by the importing country. These fees are generally
based on the following conditions:
1. Value of the merchandise
2. Description of the merchandise
3. In which country the items were manufactured
4. In which country the items were shipped
UPS has no control over the import fees assessed by the importing
countries. For details, please contact the UPS International
Customer Service Center toll free within the U.S. at 1-800-782-7892, 24 hours a day.
As defined by Canadian law, unless the item(s) shipped are classified
as a Courier Remission Shipment (generally a shipment whose value
is less than $20CAD), brokerage fees may be assessed for Standard/Ground
shipments and are to be paid by the consignee."


We would like to continue serving our Canadian customers, however we want you to know before we ship your order you may be subject to additional cost upon receipt of your order. At this time we have no way to estimate these charges or circumvent these charges. We have had certain Canadian customers request there purchases ship to U.S. addresses or UPS shipping centers in the States and would encourage this as an avenue to avoid these problems.

Do you ship to other countries?

   Currently we do not ship outside the USA or Canada. Under special circumstances we can help get orders to people outside these areas. Please contact us for more info. sales@hankselectric.com

Damaged Packages:

   If you've received an order that is obviously damaged, simply refuse the shipment. This is the easiest and least time consuming way to get another order to you. Please contact us ASAP to get another shipment out to you. If you have accepted the order, please inspect the items carefully. Do not install any items that may appear damaged. Contact us immediately for instructions on return and re-ordering.      

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Special Orders

    If you need to order something we don't have listed on our site or stock please contact us. We have nearly 70,000 unique stock line items and have access to just about every manufacturer. Our Special order page is typically reserved for items previously quoted to you and you will be charged according to your quote, including any shipping or taxes. If it's something you've ordered in the past or are curious about you can use it for that as well, we will contact you via email to quote and/or clarify your order. Please note that some special orders may not be returnable and many have considerable re-stocking fee's (35%-50%) These will typically be made clear to you before your order is processed. Hanks Electrical Supply only charges the manufacturers published re-stocking fee's. Return shipping is at the customers expense.   

Please also review our Return Policy below.

 


   

Sales & Returns F.A.Q.

How can I order/pay for my items?

    Hanks Electrical Supplies accepts Master Card, Visa, American Express, and Discover. You can also choose UPS C.O.D. for an additional fee. If you have an established charge account with Hanks Electric simply choose that option and enter a purchase order number or job/project name. Be sure to also select the appropriate shipping method.  

I ordered and/or received the wrong parts...

    If for whatever reason your parts are wrong, please leave them in their original packaging and return them to us here at Hanks Electric. If you return your parts to the manufacturer they will not know what to do with them and we will be unable to credit you for them. If the error was on the customers part we will do our best to get you out the correct parts A.S.A.P. to do this we may have to charge you for the parts we send and credit you when we receive your incorrect parts and they comply to our return policy (see below). If you are not in a hurry we can wait to receive your parts before we send out the replacement order (they still must comply with our return policy, below). If the error was on your part you will have to pay return shipping. For errors on our part we will ship out A.S.A.P. under the same circumstances as above however we will issue a UPS call tag to pick up the parts in error.

I only received part of my order...

    Occasionally due to limited stock or your proximity to the manufacturer we may ship your order from different times and/or locations. This is an effort to get the parts to you as soon as possible. If we forward your order to ship from the manufacturer they may ship by any carrier they choose and may also split you order into multiple shipments, due to back order, special order or similar situations. If you are uncertain what happened or is happening with your order please contact us at any time. sales@hankselectric.com We will do our best to get back to you within 24 hours (weekends/holidays excluded).

I ordered too many parts...

    As many construction projects go, things change, counts change, etc.. Please feel free to order extra parts so you have them to get the job done the first time. Hanks Electrics return policy is structured for that reason. We will take back any un-installed, originally packaged part that meet our return policy conditions (see below), special orders however, may have a 35%-50% re-stocking fee, certain items are not returnable. Any items with re-stocking fees will be listed as "special order" on that particular item. Non-returnable items are those that are custom made, cut to length (wire, ropelight, specialty lighting, etc...) or otherwise installation specific. You will be made aware before processing of your order of any such items, for your final approval and review.

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Items not found on our website...

Currently Hanks Electrical Supply Maintains stock on more items and manufacturers that are able to be appropriately represented in our "Online Store". If you don't see it we probably do have it or can get it for you. Please contact us for your needs. sales@hankselectric.com 

Our "Online Store" only reflects our most popular items. Please see our Links page to see some of the other manufactures we offer. 

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Guaranties & Warranties...

   Hanks electrical supplies does not imply or extend anything more than the manufacturers warranty. Each manufacturer is different, please inquire before ordering if this is a concern. Typically most items have a one year warranty. Hanks will not guaranty any manufacturer or product compatibility, this is also an issue to take up with the manufactures in question.

Any warranty issues are manufacturer specific and therefore have different policies. Hanks will do what we can to assist you with these matters however it is ultimately up to the manufacturer. Hanks will not be responsible for any "down time" for any reason, be it warranty, repair, or otherwise.

Due to local code enforcement differences we can only suggest along the guidelines of the N.E.C.. We suggest you contact your local inspector or electrical utility before doing anything in question. Hanks always recommends having a licensed electrical contractor due your installations.  

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Technical Support...      

   Most of our staff have been trained in many different areas from lighting control to motor control, A/V installations, home automation, lighting applications, etc...

For most frequently asked technical questions please visit "Technical Help" page or "how thing work" page.

We are here to help you get the right parts for your job, please feel free to ask any question you need answered. If we can't help you we will try to refer you to the people / manufacturer that can.   email info@hankselectric.com

Lutron Technical Support

Leviton Technical Support

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Privacy Policy...

Hanks Electrical Supplies does not share or sale any of it's customers information. We only collect the information we need to get you your parts or correspond with you about your order. If you have asked to be on our mailing list, we might get around to putting one together one day to inform you of new products, code changes, or safety issues.

If you are not comfortable sharing your credit card info over the internet please give us a call (949-646-7777 7am-5pm M-F PST) so we can suggest other payment options.

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Volume Pricing...

If you have a large job or many small jobs please contact us so we can quote or suggest ways to save you money. sales@hankselectric.com

If you would like to establish a repeat customer charge account our terms are 2% Net 10. Please contact us for a account application. Our Application process is only as quick as your credit references response time. 

If you are an OEM we would like to work with you and the manufacturer in question to get special parts/quantities quotes.

Please keep in mind quotes may take up to 48 hours to process. Possibly more depending on the manufacturer.

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Price Matching...

Hanks Electric would like to earn your business. If you've found a lower normally advertised price on something, from another reputable source, we would like to do what we can to meet or beat their pricing. Sometimes we can or sometimes we can't. If for no other reason than to let you know what to look out for please contact us, if you're uncertain of a "too good to be true deal".

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Return Policy... 

Hanks Electrical Supply will accept for full or partial credit or exchange returned items that are:

  1. Not installed in any fashion. ( no twisted up wires, scuffed or stripped screws, no knockouts removed, etc... If you've installed it, it's obvious to us, we've seen it all, don't even try it unless you want to pay to have it shipped back to you!)

  2. In the original manufactures packaging. Sealed if applicable (Just like you received it, including the instructions, wire nuts, screws, etc... if you just couldn't wait and ripped open the packaging to shreds, lost the instruction, needed the wire nuts for something else, simply get out the scotch tape, duct tape or masking tape, piece it back together, gift wrap it and give it to a friend for Christmas. Consider it early Christmas shopping, because we can't sell it as new and our manufactures won't take it back either)

  3. In normal stocking quantities. (If you needed a Thousand Almond 3-way stacked switches, we can have them UPS'd next day to you, but when you receive them and realized you really wanted Ivory don't expect us to take them back without a re-stocking charge. If you are uncertain please request a color sample or more information)

  4. Not Defective. Items claimed to be defective will be assessed by us upon return. Please notify us of your situation before returning "supposedly defective" merchandise. If your item(s) are found to be in working order no credit or exchange will be issued and you will be contacted to pay shipping charges for return freight. True manufacture defective items will be exchanged at no additional cost to you, unless you need to expedite freight. (90% of our "defective" returns work fine. If you can't figure out how to wire it, you should have read earlier in the F.A.Q. about how Hanks recommends having a licensed electrical contractor do your installation. this would have saved you from reading this. If you can't figure out you're 3 or 4 way switching you should really stop blaming the switch or dimmer and visit the How stuff works page and maybe invest in a wire tracer. If you've tried to hook up two 3 way dimmers together and found it doesn't quite work right, see note 2. You now have another Christmas gift and you also need to visit our online store and purchase a 3way switch to make it work. If you bought a bunch of Lutron Maestro, Spacer, RadioRa or other accessory or remote dimmers to try and save a few bucks, you didn't fully read the product description and now have gifts for all your friends and family that are useless to them as well, Lutron accessory or remote dimmers and electronic switches require their respective "master" dimmer to dim or switch. And if your smoke detector starts chirping you probably need a new battery, if one needs it and there are multiple units wired together you might as well replace them all, after all they are there for your safety, if they are making a slightly louder and more obnoxious noise get out of your house, it's on fire. If you bought a Intermatic SS7C and have it switching on and off 3 times an hour, or just can't stop touching it and turning it on your self you might want to buy some rechargeable batteries or look into the G.E./Grasselin unit for a couple bucks more or just buy a bunch of batteries. If you've found out a regular dimmer will control you low voltage lighting, congratulations!, now bookmark our website so when your transformer fails we can sell you a new light fixture. If any of the above situations have happened to you or your having some other problem you can't understand please contact us so we can help explain it to you. We'd rather you be frustrated and well informed than frustrated and broke because you keep ordering the wrong part.)

  5. Non-electronic. Due to the delicate nature of electronic equipment none of which are returnable and will be noted in the description of the part before ordering. This includes but is not limited to Test Equipment.

  6. Not Special Order or custom ordered products. All products marked "special order" on our website are just that. They are ordered specific for you and cannot be returned unless they meet the above criteria and you are willing to accept a 35%-50% re-stocking fee as well as pay shipping to get the products back to us here at Hanks Electric. Custom ordered products are non-returnable, this includes but is not limited to products such as wire and ropelight.      

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Return Instructions

  1. Make sure your items meet the above return policy criteria, if not contact us and we may have other options. sales@hankselectric.com
  2. Make and send a copy of your invoice so we know who to credit.
  3. Ship it back to us here at Hanks Electrical Supply
  4. When we receive your items and ensure they are re-sellable we will issue a credit to your account or credit card. if they fail to meet the return policy criteria you will be contacted with your options.
  5. Please, DO NOT, ship anything directly to the Manufacturer unless direct by us with an appropriate RGA or RMA number. 

Return Shipping Address:

Hanks Electrical Supply

1718 Placentia Ave. 

Costa Mesa, CA 92627

949-646-7777

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Lutron Related FAQ

Spacer VS. Spacer System
    Both Spacer and Spacer System operate like Maestro series dimmers. They look similar as well but include a small IR window.

    Spacer is more of a stand alone single circuit IR controlled dimmer. In other words it replaces one switch or dimmer and allows for remote hand held control of the dimmer within it's range and line of sight).

    Spacer System incorporates up to four circuits or separate switch legs to enable multiple Scenes or settings as well as preset master wall mount) and remote hand held) control. Similar to that of the Graphic Eye. To enable this to work all circuits are brought to one box and each Spacer System Dimmer has to be mounted in the same continuous box. Please refer to the de-rating information with the dimmer or in the FAQ's located below.
Please

Visit Lutron's Website to read more on Spacer and Spacer System.

Magnetic Low Voltage(MLV or LV) vs. Electronic Low Voltage(ELV)

    Basic differences in Lutron's dimmers are the fact that the MLV dimmers better protect Magnetic Transformers through circuitry designed to help eliminate DC voltages which only cause unnecessary heat in Magnetic Transformers. Most Incandescent dimmers will produce a small amount of DC voltage. ELV dimmers one up the MLV series by adding a neutral connection to more precisely control the dimming of more delicate Electronic low voltage transformers.
All of Lutron's Low Voltage Dimmers can accommodate incandescent and low voltage combined loads as long as the over all wattage is not exceeded and de-rating if necessary, is used. Some of you may have tried and found using regular incandescent dimmers to work in LV applications. However you are most likely reducing the operational life of the particular Transformer in question.

Please Read Lutron's Application Note number 19 on Lutron's website for more information. This page is available in PDF format only.

De-rating and Ganging of multiple dimmers.


   
Anytime any of the metal is removed or it is mounted along side other dimmers or devices producing heat you must DE-RATE the dimmers capacity. For example a standard 600 watt dimmer is only rated 500 watts if one of the sides (fins) is removed, 400 watts if both are removed.
It is normal for a dimmer to get warm. If you feel the heat is excessive, you should verify you are not exceeding the dimmers capacity and appropriately size your dimmers when you need to de-rate or gang them.

Please Visit Lutron's Website for more info on de-ratting and ganging

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Color Matching


    Although most manufacturers maintain similar colored products some have slight variations between manufacturers and sometimes even between products. We recommend using the same manufacturer for any item on our site where it may be applicable. Also note that some manufacturers offer matte (slight texture) and smooth glossy finishes for their devices (Switches, Outlets, etc...) and just call them White or Almond or whatever the color in questions is. Hanks Electric Supply stocks what we call (our most popular sellers) the standard  6 colors in a smooth glossy (Lev. GFI's excluded) finish - White, Almond, Ivory, Gray, Brown (dark), Black (Ebony).  Light almond and Lutron's 20 additional 'Satin Colors'. Please inquire or order an inexpensive wall plate as a color sample. 

Note: Due to your Monitor settings their may be variations in color from what you see on your monitor to the actual color. 

 

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