or you can get really really cheap kites not through an "Authorized dealer" and save big time. not fakes either

Last time I went to a well known dealer I asked for a North 5th Element line set, how much and if he can order it in.
He didn't have a 5 line set but had 4 lines (different brand) and reckoned since the 4 line cost 200 the 5 lines would cost 250. ..I can see the logic behind it but it doesn’t make sense.

The time before, same dealer, I asked for info on Vegas and Tribal ‘cos I needed a new kite. He kept going on how good the Switchblade is and I should consider changing to bow kites and he didn’t go at all into trying to give me advice on either kite I asked for.

I finally got my new kite and a new bar with lines from e-bay.

JP, please explain; why exactly should I go to an Authorised Dealer?

Hey Jev.



Got the same thing from the same dealer Ill bet, "why you riding Cs when bridle kites are so much better" then he dragged me over trying to sell me a link.

I just prefer C's........... hope thats Ok!

With the same store I get the feeling there is a bunch of guys who come in all the time and do get looked after. Then there's the rest of us who subsidise them.

Took the words right off my keyboard poor relative!
That's what I get at my local shop, smiles, service,
hassel free "WARRANTY" and support. They put up with my
crap to, sometimes over a beer or two.

I am glad to see this thread finally going the right direction. The reason I posted this was to ensure you all get the best Service and support available for your purchase, nothing to do with price or making anyone richer. This issue came up because I have recently had to deal with an issue were a customer has lost very valuable water time because of a minor issue which would have taken care of in minutes, because his kite wasn't purchased through an authorized dealer. I believe he has had hassles now for more than a few weeks, he has finally gone to an authorized dealer and the problem is solved, and he will be back on the water.

I thought this would be an informative thread more so for the newbies, buying your first kite. Just because the kite is genuine doesn't mean you are going to easily get the full support that brand has to offer. It is always better to buy through a authorized store, they have regular contact with the distributors and often have goods sent out to them 2 or 3 times a week. Replacement and service parts are normally readily available with in a few days.

Sometimes a few extra bucks is worth the piece of mind!

Please note that this is not a brand specific issue, in the interest of all consumers, please think about your purchase a bit deaper than the actual kite, would you buy a new car from the corner store down the road to save some $$$?

BTW, sometimes your local store is an authorized dealer, worth checking!

Regards,

JB

I do agree with most of the comments here, but sometimes the ‘Authorized Dealer’ isn’t a competent dealer, actually in many cases. My point was that the large store I went too could not provide me with simple North parts and quite honestly couldn’t be asked to order it in. Instead he tried to sell me other brands, with the motto “that’s what we have, take it or leave it”. Maybe it’s because I haven’t bought my kites at his store, but that’s because I have lived in three different countries over the past years. They may not be interested in getting new customers …..fair enough.

The ones of you that actually do get good service in their local store, keep supporting it and I don’t see a reason why you wouldn’t. For the rest of us, thank god for the choices on the Web.

quote:

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Originally posted by jev7337

I do agree with most of the comments here, but sometimes the ‘Authorized Dealer’ isn’t a competent dealer, actually in many cases. My point was that the large store I went too could not provide me with simple North parts and quite honestly couldn’t be asked to order it in. Instead he tried to sell me other brands, with the motto “that’s what we have, take it or leave it”. Maybe it’s because I haven’t bought my kites at his store, but that’s because I have lived in three different countries over the past years. They may not be interested in getting new customers …..fair enough.

The ones of you that actually do get good service in their local store, keep supporting it and I don’t see a reason why you wouldn’t. For the rest of us, thank god for the choices on the Web.

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Its a sad reality that you will find this reaction from most shops around the world. Authorized reseller doesn't always mean good service or that you won't get ripped off. At my last location, there was an authorized reseller renowned for ripping people off (non-Australian location) and it was a simple fact that nobody would ever buy from him twice unless it was something they really needed and couldn't get elsewhere. He sold people whatever he had in stock rather than what they wanted and most of them only found out later they had just been bent over and shafted.

I asked one retailer (a site sponsor here) about boards which could handle bindings and I was given a list of what they had in stock, all of which were not suitable for bindings, but they said they would be perfect for bindings...I won't deal with them again because of that. Shops also have to realise that a lost sale now is better than no sale in future. I spoke to another shop and the arrogant euro assistant working there gave me some crappy comment that warranted me not returning there either. Retailers out there have to realize that if people don't deal with them, they may be reasons behind it.

Yup, I know of many people who have been injured because of him. If it wasn't for the fact that he was smart enough to get buyers to sign waivers for injuries, someone would have sued him already. I know of a couple of people who almost considered contacting the manufacturer he was supplying for but they suspected the volume of sales he was doing would discourage them from taking it away and he would just find another brand.

We once had to save someone who launched a 14m kite in 30 knots at sterkies because of him. He gave them a video to learn from and told them to go there and learn. Thank god the guy launched unhooked.

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Originally posted by unclechops

very pretty words to lure the unsmart punter but when was the last time that you went into a shop and paid full retail price for stuff you didn't know you needed or wanted buy experienced kiters . The difference between you and us is at least 100% + mark up
i guess by the warranty issues you seem to have, you have never sold second hand gear ? i may not know your shop but i have in my 6 years in the sport , seen any retail outlet warranty secondhand gear as it nearly all is on consignment .( its there signs that say BUYER BE WARE)
wouldn't it be better to support the local seller who's gear is 1-2 seasons old as that helps unsponsered kiters update the gear with out the hugh cost of new gear , which in turns helps these buyer purchase new gear which is the point of this topic .
The trade in factor or consignment that i see as a issuse , trade in will get you about 30% of market value of you treasured gear and consignment will loose you 22% upwards of your sale price.
so i guess with all these good deals you get from authorized dealers i will stick to the( buy and sell ) or mates and know that i am getting a great deal evey time with out having to spend a million before they remember you name.

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Couldn't agree more. Kite I have 'loved the most' bought secound hand from buy and sell. The kite I 'couldn't wait to get rid of' was from an authorised dealer. I think you can get sold a dud anywhere.
Surely a genuine warranty or defect in a kite should be addressed by the kite company no matter where you bought the kite. That said, some dealers go out of their way to fix issues that are outside the warranty boundaries.

Ok i work in a local store i teach and coach all the guys who come to our shop and support us, I also spend my money helping building sliders and kickers which the shop also helps with.
Now I have people who are asking for the same advice and want to use our kickers and sliders, and buy cheap kites off the net not supporting us and erroding our business. Do i treat them the same as my customers? should they be able to hit the gear my regular customers have helped to pay for?
Ps we sell second hand gear and look after the guys if they have problems with it. It's our way of making sure our customers come back. good advice and service all the way throught, right gear for the right need.