Yes, I understand all that - my point is that using a good US dealer(s) (even for non customers) could be win/win/win situation.
....We ask a customer to send the item by the cheapest method available in his country and refund $15 for the shipping when the product reaches the factory. We also pay for the return shipping.
As the cheapest shipping is usually the slowest one we usually try to send the new product when the defective one has been sent and do not wait until it comes to the factory....
So for example, if AT is willing to pay $15 postal cost to customers, AND willing to ship a new product even before receiving the defective one.... then:
1) Armytek - could pay dealer $15, and request dealer to release an inventory item immediately to customer and credit the dealers account with AT, or just add an additional product to dealers next shipment - no difference to AT.
2) Customer - gets defective product swapped in ~ 1 week, with a postal system he is comfortable with, and has recourse. I'd be happy to pay a dealer $15 for this as an "optional express service" too - it's no different than the Zebralight's out-of-warranty repair charge... except being ~2 months faster, which in my case is the difference between a repairable item, and a throw-away. (Case in point - my H51w just failed last week and will likely be trashed).
3) Dealer - gets $30 for this third party service, which I assume has to be more than competitive with its own margins on the product. Dealer can enjoy economies of scale on shipments back to China (ie, while it may cost $15 to ship one light back, perhaps it's only $25 to ship 5).
Finally, if AT is shipping replacements before receiving defective, then it will be taking the risk postal/customs losses (a recent example linked above), AND issuing new lights for immaterial problems like dirty contacts. Both risks would be greatly reduced with a US dealer interface.
Anyways... wishful thinking.