VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

What is the general opinion about purchasing gear from say e bay or other used sites? Any sucess / failure / or flat out never again stories? Some online deals look great. but are these usualy wolf in sheeps clothing?
Let it be know I'M not oposed to brand new shiny gear. My bank account however is. And seing that as a beginer there is a good chance my stuff is going to get the snot kicked out of it I would rather not do that to something new and nice. (you dont see many L's or N's on a brand new corvette.)

I'd avoid buying any gear sight-unseen. You can put a good used kit together, more or less local to you, by using the buy/sell on this site, the coastalbc classifieds, usedvictoria, etc. That way you can personally inspect what you're buying, and if you're buying from someone in the local wind community it's inconceivable you'd get shafted.

The only exception i'd consider is used gear from the shops in the Gorge, such as the Gorge Surf Shop (my personal favourite), Windance and Big Winds.

Trav most of the stuff that I've seen on eBay is antedeluvian. Really good deals of newer equipment could well be ex-school/rental equipment from the tropics that is, or shortly will be, UV crisped.

Yes to the buy-sell here and to used gear from the Gorge shops. THe Gorge also has some huge swap meet sales too a few times a year, but you have to get there early for decent stuff, if you get there late (as I did the one time I made it to one) most of the stuff probably came from eBay - see above

Be carefull from buying you cant inspect yourself even if it comes from the Gorge.

Example: Someone (that didnt have much money) bought a kite from Windance in end of June 2009, their website had very good information for their used gear, the kite were "graded" A+ / A / B+/ B / C+ / C with a description of the conditions for each grade.

Once the kite arrived, it was missing a tube from a strut to main bladder, so could not even fly the kite!!! I guess they forget to mention this in their grading system? Grade Z- : You cant fly the kite!

It took a little bit more than a month for that piece to arrive.
Inspection and grading my @#$ !!!

Goodbye month of July and beggigng of august for this beggineer. What if he took holidays and book lessons during that period in the hope to kiteafterwards?

Don't buy gear you can't inspect, dont take the risk even if a shop as a "good reputation".

I would buy local use if I were you.

Really good deal on North Evo quiver...!
But you'll have to wait until I get back from Mexico. 🌵

I bought a set of sails from Kanaha Kai on Maui, I delt with Bart over the phone. 3 used sails, one brand new for $1200. Shipping wasn't bad either but I can't remember the figure off the top of my head. The sails were from his rental quiver but I am very happy with them.

Hi,


Just bought a used 2009/10 Goya Guru 4.2M on ebay for $160US + $40 shipping. Sail just arrived and when I rolled it out in the basement it looks mint. Now it may explode when I rig it, but I think there are good deals to be had if you are careful and ask questions before buying.

I agree with Joostio that the guys at Kanaha Kai are straight shooters when it comes to their gear that barely got used by their rental fleet.

Another option is buying 1 year old new stuff at discount prices (my specialty!) I recently bought 2010 and 2011 Goya sails direct from Avon Sailhouse for really decent prices (ie better than Windance.)

Keith

Pricing stuff thru Ebay or buying at US stores is of course not considering shipping and also HST, US$$ exchange and PayPal fees, import duties and brokerage. If you were to pay all those things as required the amazing deals turn out to be not so amazing. I tried to buy stuff via Ebay too. If the crisped monofilm or a sail or mast that didn't look ANYTHING like the picture in the ad didn't kill the deal......the shipping, fees, exchange, brokerage or pickup always killed it.
For most of us not going past a shipping depot on the way back home from Mt Baker and being able to slip the sail in with our ski gear, the advertised costs of Ebay compared to local shops is like comparing apples with oranges. People always compare Canadian "all in" prices to the "bare bone" offered price in the US.

-$200 Ebay including shipping might include:

-$9.40 PayPal US $ exchange
-$6.10 PayPal fee
-$25.86 HST

-Import duty around 0-19% depending on the mood of the customs guy
-Brokerage min. $20, probably with UPS more like $89 OR
-take a trip across the border $$ and depot fee $4-5
-how about the: "gee, we sent it, didn't you get it??" or the "we had two of those, the A shape one sold before we got your order, you got the B- shape, it's still a good deal or you send it back, but you pay the shipping then", or "oh, that shipment, that was too big for our truck so we left it in Bellingham, you can pick it up there.....tomorrow cuz we just closed that one, it shuts at 2:30"...All true stories!!!
-Time to sit around the computer/phone to find the item used/available (I suppose lots of people's time is worth not much to them...) and 1-2+hrs time picking it up, gas, mirror shades attitude officers, border line up, rubber glove cavity search, etc. all have a value.

I'd say now you are around $300 (or a whole lot more if you got the rubber glove treatment) + RISK for a used three year old sail that, with any more use at all, has little resale value. Even new sails lose between $30-50 value each year.

If you are going to buy used/new in the States, wait til the summer when you actually go down there, have a look at it, get the $750 import exemptions and go at it. Then picking up a $160 '09 barely used sail driving thru Hood River IS a good deal.

Our friend TRAV is a learning kiter, BTW.

KUS wrote:For most of us not going past a shipping depot on the way back home from Mt Baker and being able to slip the sail in with our ski gear,.

Hey Kus,

I have a seasons ski pass to Baker.....been 15 days so far.....I would not want to risk the seasons pass by smuggling a sail in with my ski gear. The border is a big enough hassle these days without getting caught doing that.

I think you are correct (and wise) to point out all the potential costs....but they are not always like that.

I find if you show up at the Cdn border, with a valid receipt in your hand and the item sitting in your front seat with you....and it is around $200 - $400 they often just waive you through. Especially around Xmas time if you say it is a gift for your wife!

And if anything it is only the 12% HST they do charge. The Cdn border have only added duty to me once when a diligent border guard actually looked at the item and it was not made in the US or Canada. The other 40 times I have brought stuff through they have only asked me where it was made one other time, I said "beats me" and they just added the HST.

So not breaking any laws.....still an efficient way to shop for some.

PS - the $160 sail was shipped to Canada....no import duty, PayPal fees, HST, brokerage fees, pick-up fees, gas, RISK etc. I'm not disagreeing with the pitfalls of buying online. Just saying....it's not always as bad as you say....it could be....but most times you don't get hit with all the extra costs. But it does take some time and research.

PS PS - when you coming over to ski? Very tasty beers served in Mt Baker's White Salmon lodge apre ski? And if the beer is in your stomach when you cross the border no duty or HST!

K

There is a local alternative to the shipping depots in Point Roberts and the like.
Seawings is located at the Victoria Airport (You have your stuff shipped to their office in Blaine, they truck it up).
To pick up your stuff they give you a slip, you walk it over to the customs office at the airport, pay duties (if they charge you any), walk back and get your goods.
They charge ~$20 for the first 5 lb and then ~$0.50 for every pound over that.
I've dealt with them a ton of times and they're awesome to deal with, and using them you can take advantage of free shipping offers for the US (or sellers that ship US only), in addition to sometimes it works out cheaper having it shipped to them than having it shipped straight up (that was the case with my motorcycle leathers)

KC7777 wrote:

KUS wrote:For most of us not going past a shipping depot on the way back home from Mt Baker and being able to slip the sail in with our ski gear,.

I think you are correct (and wise) to point out all the potential costs....but they are not always like that.

I find if you show up at the Cdn border, with a valid receipt in your hand and the item sitting in your front seat with you....and it is around $200 - $400 they often just waive you through. Especially around Xmas time if you say it is a gift for your wife!

And if anything it is only the 12% HST they do charge. The Cdn border have only added duty to me once when a diligent border guard actually looked at the item and it was not made in the US or Canada. The other 40 times I have brought stuff through they have only asked me where it was made one other time, I said "beats me" and they just added the HST.

So not breaking any laws.....still an efficient way to shop for some.

PS - the $160 sail was shipped to Canada....no import duty, PayPal fees, HST, brokerage fees, pick-up fees, gas, RISK etc. I'm not disagreeing with the pitfalls of buying online. Just saying....it's not always as bad as you say....it could be....PS - when you coming over to ski? Very tasty beers served in the White Salmon lodge apre ski? And if the beer is in your stomach when you cross the border no duty or HST!
K

ok, you had said $160 and 40 shipping which I used as the example and.... totally and it makes sense for you there so close and heading over that way lots but with my luck they would ALWAYS charge me the HST AND the duty the one time I am in Abby and pick up something there And there was always SOMETHING that went sideways for me with Ebay purchases.

Yes, I plan to hit Baker and Manning, just need some snow! I keep watching the reports....(Was at Mt Wash after they got at least their 10cm over 2 days and tested the hip on the subsequent boiler plate, not a good result) The beer sounds awesome tho, might just make the trip for THAT

This is really great stuff to consider. I have only ever bought local online. I do prefer to support local , so I guess next time I'm out watching at Columbia with the fam I should just get the heck out of my shell and come say hi. Then when someone is upgrading there gear maybe I could get some hand me downs for a good price.

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