Does anyone know how much would it be the duty to import (buy online) a kite from overseas ?
Seen the Switch and other good offers online, but can't really calculate if it's worth if without knowing how much customs/etc will hit me with.
Any experiences ?
anything over $1000AUD will get hit with import duties.
see this site to estimate the duty you will be charged based on the item and purchase price www.homeaffairs.gov.au/
this is the bit you want to refer to:
"Consignments valued over AUD 1000 will be assessed for Customs duty and taxes. Duty rates vary from 0% to 10%, however most goods attract a 5% rate of import duty and 10% Goods and Services Tax (GST). The import duty would be paid on Customs Value (actual price paid for the goods)GST of 10% is calculated as follows:- Actual pricepaid for the goodsPlus dutyPlus the cost of freight and insurance"
So if your kite is $1500 plus postage of $100 (ie $1600 total) - you would likely be hit with 5% import duty of the base price, plus 10% GST of the total price.
you would be charged 5%*1500 = $75 plus 10%*$1600 = $160
so that increases the cost of the kite from $1600 to $1835.
Steve.
Sounds like it's best to separate bar and kite as that will keep it below the threshold.
Oh and if you buy on ebay from lets say the States - the price they (ebay) quote in AUD as part of the auction and then the price Paypal CHARGE when you go to pay for the item is VASTLY DIFFERENT !! C*%$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 ......
I just ordered two kites from switch (same order). They are actually very helpful in this department. They split the order into two separate orders after you finish the payment, etc so you don't pay the tax. Yet another reason to Love switch :)
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.
Select to expand quoteKitepower 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
Select to expand quoteFloater said...
What sizes did you get, and how much each?
Got the 13m elements and 9m nitro4. Service has been incredible.
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?
Select to expand quoteKitepower 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!
Select to expand quoteevila said..
Does anyone know how much would it be the duty to import (buy online) a kite from overseas ?
Seen the Switch and other good offers online, but can't really calculate if it's worth if without knowing how much customs/etc will hit me with.
Any experiences ?
Hi
2 of my kites and 2 boards are from King of water sports.
Arrived no problem in 7 days.
duty declared was done on senders end and sent as less than $1000 so no duty.
I have previously spoken to customs about import duty and was told unless they see you are
import regularly importing a kite with a board like I did with a $990 total import cost is no problem.
try KINGOFWATER SPOTS in UK.
Our $ isn't as good now though but what helps is they end of season sales fall on our start of season.
I almost did this again for new carbine 10mtr with bar for $1400 AUS but locals AUS guys came down to
that so I bought local.
If $ comes good again Ill be going OS again for my buys.
Warranty ,well how many times have you had a faulty kite or board???
For sure try Kitepower in sydney,found the sydney guys really good,but only sydney!!!
Forget china,went down that path years ago and thats a whole new story.
Select to expand quotecauncy 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.
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.
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?
Select to expand quotesurfguy said..evila said..
Does anyone know how much would it be the duty to import (buy online) a kite from overseas ?
Seen the Switch and other good offers online, but can't really calculate if it's worth if without knowing how much customs/etc will hit me with.
Any experiences ?
Hi
2 of my kites and 2 boards are from King of water sports.
Arrived no problem in 7 days.
duty declared was done on senders end and sent as less than $1000 so no duty.
I have previously spoken to customs about import duty and was told unless they see you are
import regularly importing a kite with a board like I did with a $990 total import cost is no problem.
try KINGOFWATER SPOTS in UK.
Our $ isn't as good now though but what helps is they end of season sales fall on our start of season.
I almost did this again for new carbine 10mtr with bar for $1400 AUS but locals AUS guys came down to
that so I bought local.
If $ comes good again Ill be going OS again for my buys.
Warranty ,well how many times have you had a faulty kite or board???
For sure try Kitepower in sydney,found the sydney guys really good,but only sydney!!!
Forget china,went down that path years ago and thats a whole new story.
I once bought a kite off this guy in UK, got hit with hundreds in customs charges. He ended up partially refunding some of it because I raised a paypal dispute, but I didn't end up much better off than say if I had squeezed a shop dealer. You need to be careful as at the end of the day you need to pay it. I don't think he is much cheaper anyway after you take exchange rates into account?
Select to expand quotejunglist 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.
Select to expand quoteRagzilla 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.
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.
Select to expand quotebene313 said..
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.
You have never kited StKilda or Altona have you? 
Select to expand quoteBrisKites 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.
Select to expand quotebene313 said..
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.
No doubt this is a good point, however its up to the business to stay in business....hence the whole point of well...business. Its not a charity right?
Dont get me wrong. I would happily buy from my local store, but they must be and remain competitive in the global market. The world is an incredibly small place now :)
Select to expand quoteHucksley 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.
just to add...local stores have allowed me to ride and try many kites, from multiple brands over the years to narrow in on the 'right' kite and the right 'feel' (and board, same story). They have allowed me to quickly change kites when I realise I've got it wrong before I'd lose too much. I've developed good friendships with these guys as well. I know it's hard to put a price and quantify this but these are distinguishable features that switch don't offer.
But they do offer extremely good prices, well built and I agree a fantastic online store (and help...yes I've had conversations with them to) etc. infact I ran the V2 switch bar with my north kites last year as it is essentially based on a 2010-2012 north bar, so I rate it. I wanted to open up the dice canopy with a low Y and alas they did this with the 2015 kite, plus drop the overall Y height on the bar...so there you go....
But kiting started from its grass roots to what we see now, you take that away and in the end I feel we will all be worse for it.
That being said, if I found something like the nitro superior to what I'm riding now, then I would buy from them. I tried the nitro 3, it had potential but didn't come close in the end. The longer you kite the more fussy you get though. Think the nitro, element, combat etc would be fine for a lot of riders.
their are pros and cons, switch adds to the mix Of consumer options. But to rubbish the retail industry who have played a massive part in the development of the sport (and yes lessons etc) is really naive.
It is not one or the other, and neither is superior or better...just another consumer option...and I feel if you take one side or the other, you are being juvenile in your thinking.
Don't throw out the baby with the bath water, that's all I'm saying I suppose.
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
Agree DM.
I’m the biggest online shopper around but 90% of my kiting gear has come from my local simply because of the service. I’ve now lost count of the number of times they have got me on the water when I would have been going home mid-session or even before a session.
Hose on my pump split (pretty sure from being kinked over all the time) –he says “give me that and you grab one out of the school bag” – off I go, when I come in 3 hrs later he comes over with a replacement pump hose for me. How much? – “you’re right see you next week”
Pump up my 3 Year old kite and the center strut goes bang. I take it over all sh!tty. He hands me a loaner and says he’ll have it ready in a week, hang on to the loaner kite, there’s wind tomorrow. cost me $48.
A fellow kiter somehow manages to put his finger through the canopy when landing my old kite – 3 inch tear. I take it in; he says come back in 30 mins. I go back and it’s got a nice sewn patch – “no charge” he says.
Line snapped 30min into a session. He sees it happen, brings a bar out of the school kit down to the beach so I can keep riding and takes mine away. It was ready the next day with new lines for the same price it would cost me to source lines online with no p!ssing about.
I started with a waist harness, 12 months later, after a couple of back twinges, I went in and asked if a seat harness would be better for back pain. I bought a new seat harness – he gave me what I originally paid for the waist as a trade and an apology for not checking my history before setting me up originally – WTF!!
I'm currently after a 2nd bar so I can have 2 sets of different length lines ready to go - thought I might shop for a lightly or unused 2nd hand bar in buy/sell section. Contacted 2 sellers recently and they want more for their near new bar/lines then I can get (exact same) one new from the local with whom I have a good relationship with - which for the record is not much more than what Switch want for their new Bar (which I can't have a look at before I buy).
I could go on and I haven’t started on all the gear I’ve trialled.
Yeah – local shops are just a waste of space...
Select to expand quotecauncy 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...
I couldn't agree more with the last three replies. Our local kite store provides competitive pricing on a range of gear, helpful advice, loan equipment and try days to help you make informed choices on new equipment, lessons, travel and much more. More than happy to spend my money at and support my local store knowing that any problems (only ever had a couple of minor issues over a range of boards, kites and other gear) are sorted quickly and without fuss.
They are also there 7 days in our time zone if you need something - no online store does that!
