(Bethlehem, PA) Arai Helmets wants to update our customers involved in our voluntary program to repair helmets that experienced a loosening of the flexible black trim strip around the helmet’s lower perimeter: The Arai “Pre-Paid Return” offer for these helmets only expires on September 29, 2006. “The UPS Stores®” will no longer pack and ship helmets at no charge after 09/29/06. Helmets shipped on or after October 2, 2006 would revert to the normal warranty program procedures. “We’re issuing this update because some of the riders affected may have thought that simply registering their helmets by September 29th was sufficient. But the helmets must be shipped to us for the trim-strip repair by the 29th in order to get the free shipping,” said Brian M. Weston, Director of Operations. He added again that Arai has also extended “our standard five-year warranty for Lower Trim Strip related issues by an additional two years to give all affected customers time to respond and be covered. We want to accommodate everybody and make all our customers happy. Our first priority is to get the strips re-fastened and returned as quickly as possible, and to allow the extra warranty time for everyone to respond.” Weston reiterated that the loosening was traced to a limited number of helmets in a production run some time ago, and has since been corrected. For full details, affected consumers should log onto ~http://www.araiamericas.com/qcs_query_tech.html~ to register helmets for repair and begin the process. This address is for Lower Trim Strip repairs only. All other warranty inquiries must use the normal warranty channels.