Help HLJ Help Japan

I’m sure I don’t need to tell our customers about the horrific scope of the devastation, both human and property, that Japan suffered during the March 11 earthquake and tsunami disaster. And as we’ve explained on our pages, we at HobbyLink Japan were fortunate enough to have barely been scratched by the catastrophe.

At times like this, those who can help must assist those who need help. And that includes HobbyLink Japan. So for the next two weeks (through March 31), we are going to donate a portion of our sales to the Japanese Red Cross.

In order to pitch in and help out, all you need to do is buy something from us. Here’s how it works:

* We’re raising our prices on every item in our catalog by 2%. That’s right, raising prices*.

* This 2% difference will then be donated to the Japanese Red Cross. That’s how our customers will help.

* We will then match these funds and donate the same amount as well. That’s how HLJ will help.

So, in effect, HLJ will donate 4% of its total sales for the next two weeks. And we’re asking our customers to contribute 50% of that amount.

We haven’t given our customers any choice about contributing in the way we’ve structured this fund-raising drive. If you buy from us, you’re going to be paying 2% extra over the next two weeks (you’ll only pay the prices shown when you place your order; nothing will be added later). We fully understand that may actually drive some customers away. But we also believe that the vast majority of our customers want to help as badly as we do, and we think this is a great, simple way for them to pitch in.

Of course, we also encourage everyone to make direct, personal donations to the relief agencies here, too. But make sure to avoid scams! A couple of sites to consider are:

* Japanese Red Cross

* PayPal donations

Thank you so much for your support and understanding in this time of crisis.

And as always, thank you for all of your business with HLJ!