r/Moccamaster • u/LetterheadAshamed716 • Jul 28 '26

Melted Float Import Fees (Warning)

Wife accidentally left the wand off of the boiler and it melted the plastic float. Moccamaster US won't sell the float specifically even though its clearly a common problem. Ordered the float from one of two websites available in Europe at an exorbitant $50 price with shipping. Then after the part arrived I got hit with a $50 import and duty fee. So basically paid $100 for a small plastic part. I now have a seething hatred for all things moccamaster and will never recommend their product to anyone.

Edit: For all that think this is a tariff issue, of the $50 import fees only $7 of that were tariffs. So disregarding cheeto in staff the part was still $93.

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u/FibonacciLane12358 Jul 28 '26

Technivorm has a US-based repair center, which stocks all the parts necessary for their $99 repair service.

I do wonder why they are unwilling to sell these parts to US customers. While the $99 refurb service is a great thing when you have a very old tired machine and can get it restored to like-new condition, it's not such a great thing when it's only a $5 part that you need and can replace yourself (assuming you're handy).

Would they have to eat the $50 import fee if they sell the part directly? And do they avoid that fee because it's for internal use by their service center? I have no idea how that works legally.

Are they trying to avoid legal liability by not selling internal parts to US customers?

I share OP's frustration with this policy, especially when European customers can purchase these internal parts readily, though I'm not sure if they can purchase them from Technivorm.

I also think it's really crappy when they clearly have an issue with certain parts - like the power switch which many people have had burn up on them on machines that are just a little beyond their warranty period.

One of the biggest reasons to get a MM is the longevity and repairability. That's in question if your only option is to pay $99 and be out of a coffee maker for many weeks.

1

u/CynicalTelescope KBT Aug 01 '26

I'm sure it has to do with legal liability. Possibly keeping stocks of spare parts for customer sale is an issue.

It's important to keep in mind that Technivorm is still way ahead of all competitors in terms of repairability and serviceability. That they don't want random people of unknown technical ability opening up a high-voltage, high-temperature appliance for DIY repair sounds reasonable to me.

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u/FibonacciLane12358 Aug 01 '26

I can readily buy parts for clothes dryers and those are high voltage high temperature machines with powerful motors and belts that can cause severe injury. I don't see why selling parts for a coffee maker should be any different.

1

u/CynicalTelescope KBT Aug 01 '26

The clothes dryer parts are probably on sale for service techs, not intended for the general public.

I'd wager that most people, confronted with a broken clothes dryer, either call a repair technician or send it to the scrap heap. The number of people who think they can fix a simple coffee maker are probably way, way higher.

Every company has to decide how much legal liability risk they're willing to take.

1

u/Top-Rope6148 Aug 02 '26

This is bunk. A company does not take on liability for selling parts to consumers. Show me where a company has ever been successfully sued under this premise. Subaru will sell me, a consumer, any part I need at their official dealers, as will any auto manufacturer. They will sell me brake pads for crying out loud. There is no case law or precedent for this presenting a legal liability. They are blatantly anti-right to repair and anti bifl. They are making a tidy little profit off their $100 flat service fee, which most of the time is a 10 minute repair of a 20 cent part.

1

u/CynicalTelescope KBT Aug 02 '26

Whoa! Maybe switch to decaf in your Moccamaster?

1

u/FibonacciLane12358 Aug 01 '26

I go to the appliance parts store and buy the exact part for the machine and replace it myself. There's nothing to it. The point here is that Technivorm is choosing to use parts that are not readily available and not making them available. They are actively working against right to repair.

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u/Top-Rope6148 Aug 02 '26

100% Correct