Tell it how it is bovka.

When a customer walks into one of our stores, we serve them, we don't make them feel bad about anything.
Sure in a perfect world everyone should buy local, but the worlds not perfect is it?

We always see these threads when the exchange rate improves, don't remember seeing one when the exchange rates take a dive though?
We agreed to the pricing of 90% of our stock for this season in June July and we actually pay for a lot of it in Euros too.

Some people will always shop around its human nature, personally I tend to shop where I get good service and reasonable prices. No-one in kites retal is driving around in porches and ferraris, we all work had for the $$ we eventually get to keep after paying all the overheads that help make our society what it is.
Local business buys from local business, employs local people, pays local taxes, and supports the local kite and general community, and the people in this thread who just want to make retailers look like greedy pigs suck balls LOL's.

And now its time for a reality check - A Naish AR3.5 9.0M was $1800 retail back in 1999, now you can buy bigger, far better kites for the same or less, so prices are actually coming down and value has gone through the roof.

How much has the price of all the raw materials increased by in 10 years?
How much have real labor costs risen - not just in China either - right through the distribution chain?
The last industry estimate was that there are approx 140,000 kites being produced worldwide, per year.
That number does not equate to volume in comparison to any other mass produced goods. Business profits can increase in a high volume market. Prices can reduce when there is massive sales volume and a large marketplace, but this is not the reality of the kiteboarding (or windsurfing) industries.
Kiteboarding is not the fastest growing sport in the world, it is actually one of the smallest growth sports.
I guess I should have added those and possibly even more facts to my previous post RayQ

well it arrived on my door , saved around $600 so i am happy . Although having said that after going up and talking to darren at his place a couple of weeks ago and the service i got just buying a simple travel bag i will be going to him for any future purchases

Don't let them get to ya Steve, Most of us would buy our gear from YOU regardless of a few dollars to be saved.

Most of us are smart enough to realise what good service is worth.

Buy local ppl!

Sure you can save a few dollars(and it would only be a few dollars), but I say support the good small businesses that are there when you need the little things(fast).

Imagine having to trust a PO box for all your gear?! God knows how many scammers are out there...

Local shop, Go in, see the gear(maybe test it even) and buy.... Simple.

just buy ur gear from seabreeze its heaps sick ay