To our valued Bernina customers:

It is my unfortunate duty to inform you that after the ’09 holidays we will no longer be carrying Bernina products in our store.

As you may know, we have been an authorized Bernina dealer since 2002, and have promoted their machines in earnest based on the long-standing reputation of their company.  Over the past few years, however, I have become increasingly concerned about the number of consumer complaints and issues our customers have had with Bernina, and the growing differences between their standards and practices and ours.  In spite of this, I resisted the idea of discontinuing them due to the adverse effect it would have on our existing customers.  Regrettably, Bernina has made this decision for us, and we have no choice but to comply.  We have been the proverbial ‘squeaky wheel’ when it comes to issues which we feel strongly impact our customers, and that may not have helped our standing with Bernina, but we always did what we felt was right.

As of 12/13/09 we will no longer be able to provide Bernina warranty support for those who need it.  In the event of a major machine failure we will no longer be able to get the computer boards or parts required. 

We will, however, take care of as many mechanical and/or smaller issues as we can, in the interest of serving our customers.

We will, of course, continue to provide warranty service for Janome and Brother sewing and embroidery machines, as well as general repairs for ALL brands.  We will continue to give all of our customers the benefit of our exhaustive knowledge of sewing machines.  Most importantly, we will continue the mission we started long ago, to provide our customers with the most reliable machines on the market.

As the story goes, over 50 years ago when my dad was the top salesman for a door-to-door sewing machine company, he found out that there was a better quality machine they could be selling which only cost a few dollars more.  When he couldn’t convince his bosses that it was in their best interest to sell a better product, he left and went out on his own.  With little more than determination, he started the company which still bears the name he created, Universal.  I am most definitely his son.

I am and always will be the guy who tells the sewing machine companies ‘that hook design doesn’t look like it will hold up’, or ‘that part shouldn’t be made of plastic’, or ‘no, I can’t in good conscience carry that model’.  That may not make me the most popular guy with some manufacturers, but it’s exactly what makes me the guy you should buy your next sewing machine from.

Happy Holidays

Ron Abraham

pres., Universal Sewing Center