TI in Fiji

Bula from Fiji,

Long time listener, first time caller.

I enjoy reading the content this forum has to offer. I bring forth a question.

I finally convinced my wife that a TI is a perfect fit for our needs. After loosing our boat to a reef (long story don't ask) we need to get back out on the water and enjoy the beautiful blue waters of Fiji. We enjoy snorkeling and fishing off the many reefs Fiji has to offer. plus the fantastic 90degree weather year round we would never have to put the TI up for winter storage.

So I used the Hobie find a dealer search and found that Fiji actually has a dealer. Tradewinds LTD. I contacted Tradewinds to get an idea how much it would be knowing the price of a TI in the US. $17600FJD thats $8312USD in todays exchange rate, or $11145AUD. I cannot afford a TI at this price. I am also a first time kayaker, so I need all the safety equipment to sail open ocean near fiji. That is a hard pill to swallow.

I contacted a AUS dealer to find the price in Australia, they will sell me today a brand-new 2015/16 TI for $7990AUD. I am shocked at the price differences So I decided I'll buy in Australia and ship to Fiji

I contacted a Sea Freight Forwarder to get a quote to ship to Fiji from Australia, and the price is not as bad as I thought $650AUD. Less the AUS GST plus shipping plus the import taxes into fiji puts me right around the US price. total cost to me $7990 less GST plus $650 shipping plus import Taxes into Fiji = $6750 USD $14292FJD or $9053AUD. I'm breaking the bank but at least the cost is more or less the same.

All is good in the world, till I have a warranty issue. Hobie clearly states on their website all warranty work must be done at the dealer of purchase unless the buyer moves or is traveling at the time. I am neither, I live and work in Fiji. I cannot in my good conscious lie about this. I've been in contact with the dealer in Aus and they agree I should buy from a local dealer, now that won't stop them from selling me a TI and helping me box it up and put it on a truck to the shipyard for me. But I cannot afford to ship parts and repairs or the hull back and forth to Australia. and I don't think the local dealer here in Fiji will be much help to me knowing I didn't buy from him.

So my question is this. What do I do???

I cannot afford to buy from the Fiji dealer I fear they are price gouging and I cannot afford it. Also you'd think that there is a dealer in Fiji there should be tons of HobieCats around the islands sailing clubs and the like. to be honest I've maybe seen three Cats on the main Island of Viti Levu and I've lived here going on two years. Most people in Fiji cannot afford Hobie let alone a dealer that is gouging the price. I understand the cost of doing business from a tiny Island nation like Fiji. I'd be willing to pay 10% above market rate to the local dealer here if his price was reasonable but its not we are talking over27% over the US market and almost 40% the Aus price.

In your opinion how much warranty work is done and should I pay gouged price to guarantee my warranty work to be done by the Local Dealer.

Ryan

I cannot answer your question, but, here is what I know.

Hobie Islands are either "demo" boats or "non-demo" boats. The demo boats are about 10% or more cheaper and do not come with a warranty from Hobie. The word "demo" is stamped into the plastic of the demo boat. As far as I know, the non-demo boats are all under warranty no matter who you buy it from. For me, the most important thing about the warranty is in case of a cracked hull situation. Hobie will replace the hull...
Most dealers here in the USA have "demo" boats they use for test drives and they are willing to sell. Might be the same situation in Australia.

I wouldn't worry about purchasing the boat from an AU dealer and having warranty work done by your local Fiji dealer. Hobie just wants you to use an authorized Hobie dealer for warranty claims and work. I'm sure if you purchased some accessories from your local dealer and struck up a relationship with them, then they would not mind working with you at all.

_________________
2015 Hobie Tandem Island Hibiscus
"Third Normal Form"

• Trampolines
• Hobie cover
• Davis Spar Fly
• Kayakbob's Sprayskirts
• Spine Board Hakas

Thanks, noted hjdca and Ti_Tom


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I just wanted to chime in here, because hjdca gave incorrect information regarding the DEMO boats. They still come with a warranty, the only difference is it's a one year vs two year warranty, and there is a small area of the boat stamped "DEMO." I think the difference in warranty time is because they are typically sold at the end of the first season; so by the time you buy it, a year has already passed. I purchased my boat this way and have had only minor issues that I was able to take care of myself. They are great fun and worth every penny!

Also, here is an older link to a topic from Hobie speaking of the warranty: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=44141

When speaking to the Australia dealer I said I can wait till a used model 2015 comes available, but maybe a demo model is a better idea because of a warranty. Thanks Insomniac

Still waiting on a moderator or a Hobie Rep to comment on my warranty question.


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Firstly, I reckon you are making an excellent choice! I can't help believing that when Hobie called them Islands, they were thinking of places like Fiji and other places in the Pacific (I had the beautiful experience of working in New Caledonia some years ago, and it was hard to leave).

Secondly, I do not know the answer to your warranty issue, other than to say that
(a) Hobie's manufacturing quality control is pretty good
(b) Your Australian dealer should carry out a thorough pre-delivery inspection, rigging up everything and ensuring that all adjustments are correct and the Island is "ready-to-sail" (same as they would do for a customer picking it up). This should ensure that everything is to specification (and in the highly unlikely scenario where there is a problem, it can be fixed prior to shipping).

...all of the above should be part of the purchase price...

(c) The dealer can THEN box up your TI for shipping. I believe it is important that step (b) above is included, as Hobies are not delivered to the dealer in "ready-to-sail" condition, given that you will not be in a position to physically bring your TI back for warranty issues.
(d) Your dealer should be able to help you with minor issues via phone or email (just as they would do for local buyers)
(e) In the extremely unlikely event that you have a catastrophic hull failure, you would then be forced to use up a lot of your initial savings on shipping costs, but I would equate the chances of that happening with lightning strikes...

Now, assuming you have your new TI in hand (and predictably having an absolute ball), I would imagine it would not be too tough a task to support your Fiji dealer with minor purchases etc. You could also set up a local branch of the Hobie Island Club, which could also be an asset to the dealer by establishing a local Island user community.

I reckon the difference in cost is enough to buy from Oz (that is what I would do anyway).

Gpod luck!

_________________
Tony Stott
2012 Tandem Island "SIC EM" with Hobie spinnaker

[quote="
Now, assuming you have your new TI in hand (and predictably having an absolute ball), I would imagine it would not be too tough a task to support your Fiji dealer with minor purchases etc. You could also set up a local branch of the Hobie Island Club, which could also be an asset to the dealer by establishing a local Island user community.
[/quote]


I will make minor purchases from the local dealer like rod holders, spinnaker kit Lawrance ready kit and the like so I will give some business to them. I like your idea of starting a Hobie Island Club, but I fear I'd be a one man show for a while. The only TI Adventure is owned by the local dealer who keeps it at his island resort.


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I think Hobie needs to sort out what some of it's dealers are doing in Australasia. The only New Zealand Dealer who has a monopoly put there prices up 20% last year so they can have 25% percent discount sales at boat shows. The dealer is just taking the piss when you walk into the show room and see the prices compared to Australia.
http://www.nzwatershed.co.nz/product/hobie-mirage-tandem-island/

Enjoy the boat!

After owning a TI for one year, I can say that it's one of the most (possibly THE most) satisfying purchases that I have made. Exploring the Fijian islands in one should be magical.

I completely agree with you on price gouging. I spoke to the watershed and their prices are also high. And in the entire country of NZ there are only 9 Islands. With Fiji's high prices there is only one Island owned by non-other than the dealer himself, he keeps it at his island resort for the tourists to rent.

If Hobie wants to get a foot hold in the South Pacific the price Gouging needs to stop.


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I cannot wait, I agree that Fiji is a ideal location to adventure out with my TI. Unfortunately it will be a few months before I can financially afford to make this dream a reality. But every month is savings in the bank so I'll have it by the end of this year. So I'll be a proud owner of what ever Hobie plans to release this April.


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