Local dealer

Bula from Fiji!

Long time listener first time caller

I love to read all the great content this forum has to offer.

My question if this. And I want lots of different responses from all over the world expressly from the US and Ausie guys.

I am about to pull the trigger on a TI, I finally convinced the wife it's a good fit for us. Since our boat is wrecked (long story don't ask) we need something to get us back out on the waters of Fiji for some fun reef safaris snorkeling and fishing. Put in the tramped and bring along the little one and the dog.

But my dilemma is this. I live in Fiji. There is a Hobie Dealer here by the name of Tradewinds but their asking price for a brand new TI is $17600fjd that's $8312usd or $11148aud. Well above any reasonable price for a TI. At this price I cannot begin to bring myself to buy one. Let alone this is my first kayak of any-kind. Don't get me wrong I love to kayak I grew up on canoes in the lakes and rivers of SD and MN. I don't have any safety gear or transportation so I am starting from scratch. I need everything. So initial cost is a big factor in my decision making process.

I've been in contact with a AUS dealer to get the asking price of a new TI. And the AUS price is a shocking $7990aud. That is well below the US going price of $6500usd. So I did more digging around. The 18'6" dimension of the TI only leaves me with one option of shipping that is sea freight. The sea freight from AUS to Fiji is $650aud less the AUS gst plus the Fiji import taxes put me about $9022aud or $14244fjd or $6728usd. It's about the same for me to buy in AUS ship to Fiji by sea freight and pay the import tax than the street price in the US.

As an American I am shocked at the numbers but I've checked it's three times. I'm buying it in AUS and shipping it here.

But I run into a serious problem down the road. I read a lot of threads on this forum about warranty issues and fixes needing to be done by the dealer or the hull being sent to the dealer for repairs. I cannot ship my boat to AUS every time I need warranty work done. The Hobie website clearly states warranty work must be done by the dealer who sold the kayak or by another dealer if the buyer moves or is on vacation when the break occurs.

So my question to this body of likeminded Hobie kayaker-souls is thus:

WHAT DO I DO?






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Sorry do not reply to this post. I accidentally posted this same question twice by accident. Stupid tapatalk didn't give me any notice about the delay in posting the thread so I assumed it didn't post. So I cot on the computer to re post the same question. Little did I know that now both posts are here. Moderator please delete this post so no confusion.

For comments please read and post on:
TI in Fiji
viewtopic.php?t=57112


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I would go by Tradewinds and get their take on if they would service your boat if purchased elsewhere. I would be suprised if they say no. I always assumed Hobie covers the dealers cost to perform warranty work. Could be wrong.

_________________
Greg

2016 AI - Spinn & Jib

“Out of sight of land the sailor feels safe. It is the beach that worries him.”
– Charles G. Davis