I just imported some stuff from the states for my bike and a friends. While I made some decent savings on my stuff, it was the part I got for my friend that blew me away. Honda want to charge over $600 for the seat cover for a 2009 CBR1000RR. That's $600+ for a piece of plastic smaller than the cover of a magazine. Yes it comes painted and with decals. However I bought the same part for him from America for US$164 (NZ$210), add on shipping, customs and GST it still came out at being under half price.
Seriously. It's a fucking joke. I know it's not the dealers who set the price (thanks Blue Wing) but $600 for a fucking piece of plastic? After this experience (took less than 2wks to get here right on xmas time) I know I'll be looking overseas first. Sure I'll still look at NZ suppliers, but I won't be wasting any time if I find a similar situation to what I've just experienced.
So yes Robert Taylor and other staunch supporters of buying locally, I'd love to keep my money in NZ, keeping NZ'ers in jobs, keeping the NZ economy ticking along, but if it stays like this the only NZ companies I'll be supporting will be couriers.
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