Don't buy a Core kite before you read this!

[Toby]

Maybe the price is high for a line...but it is priceless that you can kite in 5 days again...

[ulukaya]

I have a 9 month old Core XR5 which I used like 15-20 sessions, and kept always dry in great condition. All of a sudden on 15 knots the bridle line breaks into 2.
When I contact the dealers as well as the rep in Florida, they invoice me for shipping from Germany and I have to wait at least 5 days to get the replacement part?

Is this a norm, every time some thing pops on my kite do I need to pay international shipping and wait a week to repair? (I know a kite repair guy could make a line same length and stitch it for me) But aren't at least the distributors suppose to keep spare parts? I'm pretty sure there are even consumer laws around it. You wouldn't buy any brand outside your country if you had to wait for an international shipping each time you need a part. Like when you want to replace a light of your Mercedes, do you ship it from Germany, I don't think so.

Apparently they haven't fixed a thing since viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2400299&p=1023797#p1023797

What they changed is they doubled the price of spare parts. As when I asked for this $17 bridle, the rep quickly suggested I change the E1 PF bridle for as low as $47.88. That's just a 60% increase from last year's price (29.90). Good luck to Core USA with this quick ripoff strategies.

In answer to your question, the answer is no, it's not the norm and yes distributors do carry backup stock just as the manufacturers should, but.. Until recently Bridles have not been an issue with Core and whatever it is about the set up with the XR5, (because we here in the UK have also had a couple of premature bridle failures, well not failure like yours, but undue wear which were quickly replaced.) that caused this will be quickly investigated. Core themselves were helpful and I imagine if there is an issue they will address it, it wouldn't be the first time that some far east supplier scalped the quality specs of an item like this.
However had you taken the issue straight to the internet in a deliberate attempt to destroy a companies reputation instead of contacting the head office to complain first, I'm sure I'd probably also have asked for the shipping costs. On a kite as young as the XR5 I'm quite sure you are as legally protected in your market as our customers are here in Europe, so frankly your suggestion of 'attitude' doesn't surprise me, but nonetheless two wrongs don't make a right, contact Core USA direct. They can't be held responsible for transit times between mainland Europe and the USA, hell our internal mail service here in the UK can take five days locally if the weekend is involved. The XR5 is a very good kite, there are lots and lots of happy users, if as you suggest we have bridle issues I'm sure we'll make sure there are spares, we all (Core distributers) carry spares particularly to known issues, but it's not BS when I say we seriously don't get that many problems, until now we have no bridle spares,never having needed them. I've been selling Core for four years now and have sold several hundred. I get depower rope wear problems with the Sensor bar occasionally, the odd blown valve, but until very recently not a single bridle failure, but I'm now duly aware and would have thanked you for a less public heads up.

Where do you store the kite? You don't have a rodent issue by any chance, nothing they like more than a good chew on a bridle line, just thinking aloud, even our worn bridles have not snapped.

I hope you get your carriage refunded, I'm sure it's an oversight.

(I meant Core USA when I said rep or distributor, not a 3rd party.)

- Maybe why the XR5 bridle setup is weak is a better topic. If it's already a known fact, they should already include spares with the original sale, or keep them in CORE USA and give you one as soon as a premature thing happens.
- I'd expect at least the distributors to have spare parts. If they don't, what's the point of having them?
- If you buy it from online Core store, you pay 35 Euro for shipping, if you ask CORE USA to do the order for you, you pay $29, but then wait him to manually enter the order for extra few days and get this attitude. (And I still don't know when they'll actually process the order and ship. The total wait time could be more than 10 days.)
- I always sit the kite dry in grass before I fold and keep it in a bike room with AC. No chance of rodents or corrosion.
- To sum up, next time I buy a kite, I'll evaluate brands with their distributors or customer service.

[foilholio]

$47.88 for some string? Are they selling you the whole roll or something?

[Faxie]

$47.88 for some string? Are they selling you the whole roll or something?

Maybe they're made from Tectanium

[madworld]

I am sure other brands are just as expensive for parts too.

[deniska]

I am sure other brands are just as expensive for parts too.

It's not that parts are super expensive.. most of the bridles are around $15-20 for a set of 2 (which is ok, I guess)
But it sucks that you get hit with $40 (35EUR) shipping fees on an order of $15.. Keep in mind that this is for a couple of weightless shoelaces.. and local dealers should not dare to include $30 shipping for local orders within states.. that's just nuts.. put that string in the envelope and stick a $50cent stamp on it!!!

[grigorib]

Congratulations to Flysurfer direct parts sales.

US rep for Flysurfer is the worst! Doesn't back squat. Bought a 15M Boost 2 & will never buy another FS because of him. I met & got to know a couple of engineers @ FS and wanted to support them but after my bad experience - no way.

Which one you have in mind?

[grigorib]

Core had structural quality issues - bars snapping in two, exploding struts/bladders. Not fun when gear posed as premium has problems as silly as that.
However if you contact manufacturer they should be helpful - it’s in their own interest. I’ve had great experience with Flysurfer USA, MacKite (Cabrinha) and Best so far when I needed help. Those guys are not after squeezeing last buck from you if you purchase from them and need help. They make their money selling you gear and they want you to be back for more. Not sure if the op had bad luck with a rep or what, but I wish it all ends well and he’s riding again.

For a bridle to snap it could be caused by a stuck pulley or damage by line...weird.

[CaptainCore]

- Maybe why the XR5 bridle setup is weak is a better topic. If it's already a known fact,

Well that's the point I was trying to make, it's not a known fact, if it were there would already be some sort of communication, as I said it wouldn't be the first time something like this happened (Anyone remember Code red bridles from Slingshot, rushed out to correct dodgy bridles supplied from the factory?)

We have not had a total bridle failure in the four years I've been on the scene, we've just had two incidents of wear which were spotted by the rider and the dealer requested and replaced them f.o.c. .both sand beaches and high usage kites.

After work tonite I'm going to take a look at a light wind XR5 to see if I can spot any weaknesses.

[ulukaya]

I am sure other brands are just as expensive for parts too.

It's not that parts are super expensive.. most of the bridles are around $15-20 for a set of 2 (which is ok, I guess)
But it sucks that you get hit with $40 (35EUR) shipping fees on an order of $15.. Keep in mind that this is for a couple of weightless shoelaces.. and local dealers should not dare to include $30 shipping for local orders within states.. that's just nuts.. put that string in the envelope and stick a $50cent stamp on it!!!

Yeah this is the real "pain" point. Since I even given them to length, they can even keep that dynemaa material at stock and cut to whatever size you need. 35EUR shipping fee is not my fault. They should have that spare part in US already. Or if they are running low, they should order a bunch to their site, then ship me only the one I need. I'm not asking for a complicated engineered car part, it's a "shoe lace" I could've just have a local guy cut me that too, but after paying over $1k to a kite, I rather have their own service to handle it.