My kite gear list for this year includes an MBS pro 90 landboard and a PL Twister II 7.7m

I looked around at a couple of American kite stores and was amazed how much cheaper things are!

The MBS pro 90 costs about $550 in USA and the equivilant of $775 in the UK!

The Twister is about $450 in the States and $530 in the UK.

I don't even want to know how much you guys would pay for the Naish Cult and Control gear I just paid the equivilant of $1900 for...

If someone wants to ship me kites and mark them as "gifts" on the packaging so i don't have to pay insane UK import taxes then i will be happy to give my money to your economy instead of mine.

Even kites made in the UK are cheaper in the states - a flexifoil rage 4.7 with handles is about $30 cheaper. No wonder flexifoil are not popular in America - you have to pay almost as much as we do!

I don't make a lot of money and have to save really hard for my kites and go without a lot so its really frustrating to know how badly UK kiters are being ripped off.

Just remember, you'd (likely) end up paying shipping twice. Once for the gear to get to the person helping you and once for it to get to you. Unless you can find someone who can walk into a kite store... Wish I could do that.

I have found myself shipping to Australia due to the weak US Dollar. $30 shipping was still a bargain for the customer, it seems.

I cannot mark "gift" on customs forms since all the guys at the Post office know me as commercial, but theoretically I can quote prices at wholesale value on customs to reduce the sting.

i would be more than willing to be the middle man for you. enough people have extended themselves to me on this forum and it is time to pay it forward. feel free to u2u me if you ever are in need of help. i will give you my shipping address to see if it is worth your time....:roll:

He just wants to take the kite out for a spin before he sends it off!! :bouncy:

Haha, just joking...

Quote:

Originally posted by InvertedForce He just wants to take the kite out for a spin before he sends it off!! :bouncy: Haha, just joking...

you saw right through me..:roll:

Gee cheezy, that was my idea exactly!

Aw dude ... kite-line.com had buy 2 sizes of Cults and a bar for $1400 with free shipping a few months back ...

I prefer getting all my stuff from the US these days thanks to the weak US$ / strong JPY :D paying $70 for shipping is much better than paying almost 100% more to get the same kit here - if I can get it at all. No used arcs here either
Had to pay imports duties on my 12m Synergy - US$20 or 3% of the listed value and that's only cos the seller listed the full price - jeez thanks dude
You get nailed by that hard in the UK too, I've heard ... my biker buddies trying to get parts into the country get creamed

Praise the lord for PKF, the great wheelers and dealers here - great kit in great condition for great prices!

... man I owe so many people a round ...

hey dudes you lot are lucky with postal charges, on this side of the pond we het stung regularly,
one quote i had for a kite from germany was40 euros to OZ

Quote:

Originally posted by nocando hey dudes you lot are lucky with postal charges, on this side of the pond we het stung regularly, one quote i had for a kite from germany was40 euros to OZ

dude that's a great price for shipping a kite!

BTW www.kite-line.com are still doing the 2 for $1400-ish on the Cults ... I think the 2 x Helix price is just under $1600 ...

not really to dear for a small foil

Guess you'll never buy stuff from overseas then US$40 from the US is the least you'll pay if the seller is nice enough to use USPS. Dunno about Europe but the UK and Canada is worse.

Do you over the pond guys even get a break on flexi gear?

when AUD was at 90 cents plus to the USD I bought a few HQ kites and still saved heaps postage was not too bad

It's about 95 US cents to the 100 yen now - lowest it's ever been ... I'm having a field day - and I don't worry about postage

Most US kite stores as well a lot of other online vendors offer free or reduced shipping after your order total reaches a certain amount if sipping to the contiguous 48 states. With most kites you easily hit the amount for free shipping. So if you can find someone to send as gifts you would only pay shipping once from the US to wherever.

what about "used" (once) kites bought "second hand" from a nice forum member here? would i still have to pay taxes (i am from germany) ????

someone knows about that?

Why? You looking to get someone to mail you some "used" kites?

thinking about getting a charger.. best price for the 15 sqm i can get in germany is 710 euro (984 dollar): http://www.surfdepotkiel.de/charger.htm
so if i can get one inklusive shipping for about 850 dollar or lower i would bear the hassle and waiting ... whats the current price for 15 charger in usa?

p.s. edited my previous post because it was missing question marks after "have to pay taxes"

KO or RTF? Nevermind. Doesn't look like it matters. It'd cost way more than that either way.

kite only !

Going to be over a thousand here.

yea - but isnt that strange? with an exchange rate of

1 U.S. dollar = 0.721188519 Euros

the charger should be nearly 30% cheaper!! whats wrong? seems it is fairly overpriced in usa ?

Price equivalents aren't sometimes. Shrug :dunno:.

what a pitty. the charger seems to be preeettty cool ! here is a new, great video showing the obviously highly improved lowend (snowkiting, 15sqm charger, 6-8 knots)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vw9G52HCPxo

fullHD video !

Quote:

Originally posted by herc what about "used" (once) kites bought "second hand" from a nice forum member here? would i still have to pay taxes (i am from germany) ???? someone knows about that?

Individuals can mark items as gifts on customs and you avoid duty taxes, normally. Shops have to put some commercial value to the items (even if not full price) or they run the risk of trouble with the postal inspectors.

Currency markets are so volatile now, as Maven suggests. Flexi has real trouble now setting prices since they are on the Pound and not Euro. Between the Euro, Pound Sterling and Dollar you cannot keep any constants.

Hey you guys on the big side of the pond should seriously have a look at sites over here, for new and second hand gear, i picked up an RRD type3 8 meter for $200 AUD in very good condition. Especially those in UK with strong GBP.

The site is
www.seabreeze.com.au
look in buy and sell section