New iStill Pre-Owned Program For Second-Hand Stills!

Introduction

We are introducing something new: iStill Pre-Owned! We see a growing demand for second-hand iStills and we want to help out. So … let’s find out what the iStill Pre-Owned Program is all about. For distilleries that want to purchase a second-hand iStill as well as for distilleries that want to sell an iStill.

The goal

For every customer that wants to buy an iStill, new or second-hand, we want that customer to be happy and satisfied with their purchase. For every customer that wants to sell an iStill the same holds true: they should be supported to make that experience a good one.

The current situation

Currently, people that purchase a second-hand iStill do not know what they get. Is the unit well-used, and was it taken care for and used professionally? Or is the unit worn-out by its previous owner? How are the seals? Does the agitator engine oil needs a change? Have the heaters been used properly? Did the iStill get all the available software updates? Are there any alarms registered for overheating or undercooling? Did the staff that used the iStill do so based on proper training and certification or not?

Questions like the ones above make that second-hand iStill purchasers might worry about what they actually purchase. What is the value of the unit? Are there any hidden costs, waiting around the corner? How reliable is the seller when additional maintenance or training is needed?

The iStill Pre-Owned Program

The iStill Pre-Owned Program aims to take care of those uncertainties. It helps the new owner of a second-hand iStill in making a better purchase decision. It helps the former owner of that second-hand unit to obtain a higher resale price as well as a transfer of his accountability to iStill.

Under the iStill Pre-Owned Program, you can send the unit you want to sell back to us. We bring the unit back to pristine condition and help you sell it to a new customer with warranty attached.

The procedure

Our freighter and forwarder Fladderak helps you transport your second-hand unit back to iStill, where we upgrade it to iStill Pre-Owned level.

You need to take care of crating and delivery to the harbor FOB. Fladderak and iStill take care of the rest. If you operate your distillery in the European Union, Fladderak can pick up the crated unit directly at your facility, and no customs clearance is needed. See underneath for the various steps and responsibilities:

What we do?

We bring the iStill back to pristine working order. In fact, we give the unit a full mid-life update:

• We fully disassemble and clean the unit;
• We strip it of its insulation;
• Column and boiler are pickled and insulated anew;
• New heaters (upgraded to the latest variety);
• New seals;
• New software;
• New agitator engine and/or agitator replacement;
• And more.

What’s in it for the new customer?

You can consider an iStill Pre-Owned as good as new. It leaves our factory at a discount in price, but not a discount in quality. Its new owner (under the condition of his staff getting training with us) even gets one year of free warranty, that can be upgraded to three years for a 10% surcharge on the purchase price.

If you are interested in a unit, we’ll help you with crating and shipping the iStill to your location. The full suite of iStill Services will also be made available to you: registration, education, support, and consultancy.

What’s in it for the old customer?

A higher resale price (about 50% more). A faster sale (usually within a month). No issues with the new owner. No questions from the new owner on how to operate the iStill. In short: an unburdening while maximizing your profit.

Your costs? You pay for Fladderak’s transport and – for non-EU customers – clearance. You pay us a EUR 500,- inspection, cleaning, and disassembly fee. Our team brings the unit up to iStill Pre-Owned specifications. We put the unit on display in our showroom (EUR 200,- per month). After selling the unit, you receive 60% of the sales price.

Example case

Let's say you have a full-options iStill 2000, that is 6 or 7 years old, that you want to sell. You might get EUR 25.000,- for it as is, if you try to sell it yourself. If you enter the iStill Pre-Owned Program instead, we will refurbish it to new-state, upgrade it where possible, and sell it probably for EUR 80.000,- to EUR 90.000,-. Say that the refurbishment costs EUR 10.000,-, this brings the net sales value to EUR 70.000,- to EUR 80.000,-. You get 60% of that, so EUR 42.000,- to EUR 48.000,-, which almost doubles your earnings.

How to participate?

Do you want to put your second-hand iStill in the iStill Pre-Owned Program? Please reach out to Adam@iStillmail.com! Do you want to purchase a Pre-Owned iStill? Reach out to Adam as well … or follow the iStill Blog for new additions to the iStill Pre-Owned Selection.