lmgtfy.com/?q=Gst+import+duties

Sounds like it's best to separate bar and kite as that will keep it below the threshold.

Oh and if you buy on ebay from lets say the States - the price they (ebay) quote in AUD as part of the auction and then the price Paypal CHARGE when you go to pay for the item is VASTLY DIFFERENT !! C*%$ts - I thought ebay and paypal were bed buddies ?? - seems not

So given the above advice be very careful of the $1000 limit because it will be very easy to get burnt given the low Aussie $$$ at the moment - my purchase came in just under the $1000 limit but became expensive enough with the paypal crap ......

What sizes did you get, and how much each?

Remember the old saying "There is no harm in asking"

We will always do our best to get close to or match an overseas price (including freight if quoted, and GST obviously) on a new kite/board of the same make/model. So the customer can get local service, backup and warranty on their gear. If the deal is outrageously cheap then we tell them to go for it :)

Always check with your local shop first before sending your hard earned overseas, you might be surprised.

Floater said...
What sizes did you get, and how much each?

Got the 13m elements and 9m nitro4. Service has been incredible.

Kitepower Australia said..
Remember the old saying "There is no harm in asking"

We will always do our best to get close to or match an overseas price (including freight if quoted, and GST obviously) on a new kite/board of the same make/model. So the customer can get local service, backup and warranty on their gear. If the deal is outrageously cheap then we tell them to go for it :)

Always check with your local shop first before sending your hard earned overseas, you might be surprised.

Hi KP,

Thasks for the pointer. I'm glad you guys are open to negotiate.

i definitely prefer to buy local, so it's great to see local shops trying to make it work.

cheers!

cauncy said..

Kitepower Australia said...
Remember the old saying "There is no harm in asking"

We will always do our best to get close to or match an overseas price (including freight if quoted, and GST obviously) on a new kite/board of the same make/model. So the customer can get local service, backup and warranty on their gear. If the deal is outrageously cheap then we tell them to go for it :)

Always check with your local shop first before sending your hard earned overseas, you might be surprised.

This I don't get, we should be surprised that overseas prices arnt more exspensive,the freight , Aussie dollar at the moment, we've everything in our favour, so why is it were still a long way off, your shop quoted a local $3150 for a 7, 10, 2014 switchblade inc bar and lines, he got them for just under$2300, from os inc delivery and gst import , no pump though

Have you looked into the cost of running a kite shop in the UK or USA? compared to Australia?

I'm sure if we lowered overheads, like the Australian minimum wage, to something on par with the USA then it would help bring down the overall rrp.

Our import duties and customs costs are also high compared to other countries.

The instances of SWITCH is also different. They choose to sell direct, so essentially cut out the store.
I don't have any issue with what they do, but if every brand did it we would have no bricks and mortar stores, which means no local grassroots industry.

Go talk to your store, get a relationship happening and i bet they'll look after you.

I'm not complaining when I get a new kite that retails for just under $2500 for $1400 delivered complete and although it's last Year's model.. It Leaves alot of room for me to pay my rent.. Not someone's who I don't even know.. Although I get some funny looks?

junglist said..
LOL

Kite shops are like Qantas: Cry blue bloody murder when their costs go up (Aussie dollar / cost of fuel) and rant on about passing costs to consumers but then refuse to pass on any savings when the situation reverses.

For the past five years we have seen an amazing exchange rate against the US Dollar but did we see kite prices in Aus reflect this? Did we hell.

You seem to be making the assumption the shops set the prices.

Actually you did see the result of the strong AUD. Production costs were going up 5-10% a year in China etc. The strong AUD just negated these higher costs and kept prices level here.

Local shops are important though because they are often the main providers of local lessons.

We need lessons to be available locally to help prevent accidents, spots being banned etc. Pretty important really.

BrisKites said..

junglist said..
LOL

Kite shops are like Qantas: Cry blue bloody murder when their costs go up (Aussie dollar / cost of fuel) and rant on about passing costs to consumers but then refuse to pass on any savings when the situation reverses.

For the past five years we have seen an amazing exchange rate against the US Dollar but did we see kite prices in Aus reflect this? Did we hell.

You seem to be making the assumption the shops set the prices.

Actually you did see the result of the strong AUD. Production costs were going up 5-10% a year in China etc. The strong AUD just negated these higher costs and kept prices level here.

So who pocketed the difference then? Are you saying that (shock horror) our favourite brands are ripping us off? I can't see how kites can jump from $1.2K to a (reported above) $2.5K in five years with 5% increases a year.

Not that I really care as more expensive kites = less people on the beach kiting which (if you ever read the Vic Forum) appears to be no bad thing.

Hucksley said..

Ragzilla said..
support your local stores!!
surely I'm not the only one out there who believes in paying a bit more for gear, so that our local stores and kiting community can grow. I'm on a tight budget like the next guy, but every time you buy your stuff on ebay etc , your local store struggles to pay the bills. i just can understand why people are buying from OS. did Greta Menardo show you her tits or something?

I would have thought a company like switch, offering world class quality kites, at cheap prices, delivered to your door within a few days, with cheap spares, lifetime warranties, and fantastic support is doing more for the sport than anything else has in a long time. It has helped hundred if not thousands of people access an utherwise unavailable market. They deserve a pat on the back if anything. I am a realist...People may not like the new methods of business that are popping up around the world, but its a new world we live in people, so get used to it....

Everyone struggles to pay the bills, so why should the consumer have to spend more money on essentially the same product now that we have a global store available on our desktop? I would simply be helping the store owner pay his bills, whilst depleting my ability to pay my bills even further! This is the same argument Harvey Norman made pleading poor because people were getting much cheaper products online than from his rip off merchant stores.

People are always going to want the best product for the best price, in their price range. People are time strickened these days. Most people don't want to shop around excessively then have to haggle with a shop owner to get a decent price. Its simply not worth the time it takes, especially considering you KNOW someone like switch has fantastic prices to start with. If someone like switch is going to offer a fantastic price from the start, with no need to haggle, etc, its an obvious choice! Maybe shop owners should look at adjusting their profit margins to a more competitive model. Remember, your the customer, its your choice, so make the best choice for you, not for who your buying from :>

Happy riding.

From recent Hucksley posts:

Monday: "Hi all, done a few lessons with the boys at zu, and looking to buy some gear of my own"
Tuesday: "I just ordered two kites from switch"
Thursday: "switch are <fan boy>, <fan boy>, <fan boy>..."

In three days you've gone from newbie to buying overseas and now sharing valuable insights on how the Aussie kiting industry sucks.

You're a 100% newbie - you wouldn't even be able to tell an awesome kite from a crap kite.

How about you steady on and get some experience under your belt before telling us all that we're all idiots for buying quality kites from local shops.

Hi Guys,

People who rag on shops most likely have no relationship with one. The few dollars you MAY save on buying online are not worth missing out on the stuff us shops do for our customers. I'm the first to admit, the service amongst shops differs, so worth seeking out a good one.

We need good margins to stay in business, not to get rich. There have been many shops start and fail, many are for sale (including mine), and many just earn a wage for the long hours.

As I type this, we are offering another FREE service. We are doing a 2 hour kite and bladder repair workshop. It's now 8:05pm and we'll wont be done until almost 9pm tonight. This weekend I am going to Ledge to Lancelin to sponsor a SUP racing event where I am giving away thousands of dollars in prizes and being away from my store where I am needed. We are also supplying 10 inflatable race SUPS for one division of racing (We have to buy these boards and paddles).

This morning I did my regular twice a week FREE SUP technique and fitness class before work at Hillarys. We do demo days for kite and also SUP every two weeks. These take an enormous amount of time and effort and often to no avail if the conditions aren't any good and are usually run on our days off.

We are paying to go to Kitestock to demo gear. We are also doing FREE clinics over the weekend for the punters and will be giving away big value prizes at KS.

We lent out a light wind kite for FREE to a customer for a race this weekend, we loaned a demo wave SUP after lunch and spent two hours with a fussy customer as he tried on every harness in the shop several times. I have loaned a customer a SUP to train on weeks before he intends to purchase it 2nd hand for a loss on my part.

Shops are an integral part of the sport and what helped get it to where it is today. As Steve has said, most shops will try to match prices from OS. I also understand saving a dollar, but what service are you not enjoying from a local shop?

These are a small list of things we do and yes we do it to try and make money and sometimes it's appreciated and sometimes it's abused. We appreciate the support we get for the community and will hopefully always be here (support and economy permitting).

Support your local shop and we'll support you, if you ignore us, we may go away

DM

cauncy said..

Kitepower Australia said...
Remember the old saying "There is no harm in asking"

We will always do our best to get close to or match an overseas price (including freight if quoted, and GST obviously) on a new kite/board of the same make/model. So the customer can get local service, backup and warranty on their gear. If the deal is outrageously cheap then we tell them to go for it :)

Always check with your local shop first before sending your hard earned overseas, you might be surprised.

This I don't get, we should be surprised that overseas prices arnt more exspensive,the freight , Aussie dollar at the moment, we've everything in our favour, so why is it were still a long way off, your shop quoted a local $3150 for a 7, 10, 2014 switchblade inc bar and lines, he got them for just under$2300, from os inc delivery and gst import , no pump though

Close to ignoring this but here we go.

RRP on 2014 7m and 10m switchblade complete - $4650

We quoted over 30% off? Thats nothing to sneeze at.

He got them for $2300 including delivery and GST, no pumps though.

Did you miss the part where we said "If the deal is outrageously cheap then we tell them to go for it :) " If your mate actually got that deal, then well done because the shop selling them made absolutely no money unless they fell off the back of a truck...