Buying Skates online?

[kiwiskater]

Does anyone have experience with buying low level skates online? I'm looking for some Risports (think its RF4) that have been fitted at our rink shop but I have seen them at an online retailer through ebay who is based in the UK. Assuming import costs etc work out then we could get them a good $100 cheaper than we get here.

Never bought through ebay, can anyone suggest if this is a good idea or not worth the fuss?

[irenar5]

I think as long as you know that those skates will fit you,  it is fine buying them online.   I would make sure and read all the information- sometimes there is something about the boot that makes it less expensive.  Some companies have "seconds" in boots, which means that there might be cosmetic flaws, which makes the boots less expensive, but does not affect performance.

If you expect not needing  adjustments to the boot (such as stretching or punching out a spot), then definitely save the money! Otherwise, every adjustment can have a fee in the shop.  Also, most skate shops do not charge for blade mounting if you buy the boots from them, but would charge you if you did not. 

[kiwiskater]

Thanks. Yes we have thought about the fact if we bought them online that it would cost us at our local shop to get adjustments but the crazy thing was the pair he tried on (they are 4 my brother) fitted no problems (well without being able to take them out on the ice).

The boots & blades are supposed to come as a mounted set because we are talking low level skates (been skating a year)

[aussieskater]

If you're sure they're the right size, go for it but check out the seller first.  Check seller feedback if ebay; or google the seller to look for "issues" or "problems" if not an ebay seller/shop.

Good luck!  I've bought online for all my kids' skates so far without any issues (touch wood), but both were low level skaters who fitted into stock boots.

[kiwiskater]

Thanks for the tip! This guy has 100% positive feedback. We found that while the ebay site doesn't list shipping to New Zealand their main website does...

It says the blades need to be sharpened but even figuring that into the cost we should make a good saving - especially as they sell them in black which he would prefer

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RISPORT-RF4-SKATES-BLACK-ALL-SIZES-FREE-UK-DELIVERY-/150464041078?pt=UK_SportingGoods_IceSkates_RL&var=&hash=item68c69876a0

[AgnesNitt]

Just consider though, if you do it the 'cheap way' by using your local shop to fit, then buying the skates elsewhere, the shop may not be there the next time you want to get new boots and need another fit.

Skate shops make their money off of selling boots. If you don't buy the boots at the shop the fitter isn't responsible for fixes etc. Paying that extra $100 goes into heat molding, blade adjustments, and even returning the boots if they're defective. Buying them online you get none of that.

[kiwiskater]

Good advice! I hadn't though about the defects part, had considered the other bits though!

[AgnesNitt]

I mention this bec. my skate fitter has parents doing what you're planning, they buy someplace else then come to him to fix the problems. He does it free for customers that buy their skates through him, but he's been charging a small fee for people who come to him for a fix. Combined with a loss of half his access to ice it's killing his business. 

I suspect that he'll close up shop and just run sharpening out of his house eventually. This won't affect adults, we already know our size. It'll affect kids. There are long term consequences for being cheap. Don't discount that.

[kiwiskater]

Valid point but I honestly believe the shop price gouges us because we are a captive market, there is no competition. I bought my skates from them a year ago, I honestly never found them any good when I has issues with my skates - they might have done something if there was a major problem, but small problems like my brand new blades developing rust more recently & chrome peeling they ignore.

They don't offer a professional service like your fitter - just the run of the mill hockey skaters mainly who have no idea how to fit boots much beyond trying them on - its like going to the supermarket, they might be able to help you a little but overall they don't have much to offer in the way of service. I had a guy try to sell me a pair of Riedell's which I now know would be far too narrow, he reckoned that baking & stretching them was the way to make them fit, not as a tune up to the fit.

If I figure they sell these boots for 115 pounds + shipping of 65 pounds - comes in at just under NZ$360 - they retail here for NZ $500 something...so I figure there is a bit of room in here to allow for issues costing us extra but what holds me back is - is the potential saving more then the potential risk?

[Jennymd]

I'm guessing New Zealand would be much like here in Australia - we get ripped off big time because skating is not very big here.

I bought my first pair of skates (stock size) online from the US and saved a lot of money! I got measured for my size in the particular model I wanted, then bought them from www.discountskatewear.com and had them shipped to Australia.

If you know the exact size you need for the brand and model that you want, then I would highly recommend it! Discount Skatewear has great prices, I've also heard from friends that Kinzie's Closet is also great, but haven't shopped there myself.

For my first pair, I got Jackson Freestyle boot only, with the better Mirage blade (this was back when the Jackson Freestyle set came with the Mark IV blade instead of Mirage, which the Jackson Competitor came with at the time), paid a bit extra for labour to have the blades mounted and sharpened, also bought a couple of basic accessories like blade guards and soakers, and paid $50 postage for all of it to be shipped to Australia.

All up this cost around $360 including the shipping - to buy the same stuff locally it would've cost around $700!!

Unfortunately I had to buy my next pair (current ones) locally instead of online, as I needed to be measured for custom sized skates and wanted to make sure everything was right, etc.

[taka]

I think this is a shop based in the ice rink at Bracknell. If you want to have an idea of their reliability other than eBay feedback maybe try asking on the UK equivalent of this site ( www.skatingforum.co.uk ). There's probably a Bracknell skater or 2 on there who may have 1st hand knowledge! May be worth double checking that they have his size / colour in stock too before ordering even if their site says "all sizes"...

I ordered my skates over the phone (with lots of measurements) from www.everglides.co.uk as nowhere in Scotland had them in stock. Very good service and a very good reputation too around my rink. Looks like he doesn't have black adult sized RF4s listed but he may have some he hasn't listed yet - the skates I bought a couple of weeks ago weren't listed but he had them in stock. It may be worth checking how much his delivery to NZ is, as the prices on his website include UK courier delivery cost already. It may not actually cost you any more overall to get them shipped from him. (Presuming he can get them in easily / has them in already)

[kiwiskater]

excellent - thanks all I will investigate the suggestions

[Query]

Skate shops make their money off of selling boots.

Not all their money. A skilled high end sharpener with enough business and the right equipment can make about $200/hour.

But yes, they can make even more from selling high end figure skate boot/blade combinations. (This isn't exact, but assume 40%-50% of the price is profit on reasonably high end figure skates and blades.) So high end experts hesitate to spend much time on people who bring in boots and blades bought elsewhere.

In other words, if you buy elsewhere, especially after wasting the shop's time on the fit, don't casually assume you will get your expert pro shop's top end service if you have problems.

I'm sorry if that doesn't seem fair.

BTW, it isn't at all unusual for an expert fitter / technician to spend an hour or more fitting and adjusting a pair of boots and blades for someone. Nor is it unusual for boots or blades to be returned to manufacturers for various reasons.

But maybe not so long for low level boots, because they may stretch to fit your feet.

[kiwiskater]

In other words, if you buy elsewhere, especially after wasting the shop's time on the fit, don't casually assume you will get your expert pro shop's top end service if you have problems.

I'm sorry if that doesn't seem fair.

BTW, it isn't at all unusual for an expert fitter / technician to spend an hour or more fitting and adjusting a pair of boots and blades for someone.

As I said to Agnes, while you hold a valid opinion based on your experience you are basing it on a model that simply doesn't exist here. As I mentioned earlier our 'pro shop & boot fitters' are nothing more than a 'department store', skates on a shelf, you walk in ask to try what you think is your size, put them on - the odd one might ask questions but majority of the time they just leave you to it, having bought a pair myself I coached him through the fitting process as best as I could but that is as the best we can do.

This is not the US/Canada etc where figure skating is rampant and there are professional fitters & shops, consider that we are way across the other side of the world & we are very much a minority sport - all our gear is imported, as an individual consumer you pay a good 1/2 of the price of the actual value of the gear in shipping and there is a captive market - unless you are game enough to buy online or savvy enough to schedule a holiday overseas and get some skates while you are away then you are beholden to whatever they want to a) sell the products at and b) they don't have to offer great customer service just enough to get by on. I myself bought my boots from them (not online), had some issues with the blades - they simply refused to acknowledge the problem and there is nothing I can do about it - its not like I can look up a rep or the company & complain.

I'm sure Jenny can tell us that it might be a little better in Australia but I imagine not much better in terms of choice...

[aussieskater]

Jenny and I can both say things are a little better in Australia, but honestly not much better.  The skate shops sell one or at most 2 brands, don't keep even all standard sizes in stock - let alone all standard sizes in a single range - and charge an arm and both legs when compared to online shopping.  We can get most Risport and Jackson models here (many by special order only, which then takes months to ship here); Reidells and Teri's are a bit of a lucky dip; and it seems that other less-known brands (Edea, Wifa etc) are unavailable at any price.

Query, I do understand where you and AgnesNitt are coming from, but the business model in your mind is based on a market which does not exist in this part of the world.  If we had that market, I'd agree with you that supporting your local operator is good ethics and good business.  But the reality is we don't, and never will.

As kiwi says, we live in countries with very small populations and participate in a minority sport.  In absolute terms the target market is miniscule, so from a business perspective I can see why the skate "pros" operate the way they do.  The flip side is that we as consumers have alternatives to the skate "pros" now, and the skate "pros" need to understand that.  If they want our business, they cannot compete on price, so they will have to offer something other than price to bring us to the table.

/end rant.

Back on topic   - kiwi, what size is your brother looking for?

[kiwiskater]

/end rant.

Back on topic  - kiwi, what size is your brother looking for?

you are most welcome to rant he's looking for sz 7

[aussieskater]

Do the Risports come in width variations?  If so, which width are you seeking?

[kiwiskater]

not that I know of, but again who knows with the level of service we get LOL. Far as I know we are talking standard sz 7

http://www.risport.com/collection/leather/basic/rf4/

[taka]

Ohhh shoe size is another thing... Size 7 in NZ may not be size 7 wherever you import from... UK and US shoe sizes are different for example!

[kiwiskater]

good point we go buy '7' here but we still get boxes with 37 for example on them. Honestly at this rate we may just be better off at the shop, the price margin has fallen somewhat when we looked at this seriously a couple of months ago, the difference now comes out at about $90 without figuring in the cost of any tax.

But we are still waiting to hear back from the shop anyway because they have some seconds in stock and they were really trying to foist them on us, I wouldn't be surprised if they said take the seconds or nothing in this brand, I imagine it's not easy to get rid of them... We don't get high end skates here so we'll eventually have to buy online...

Anyway this it is a conversation worth continuing for the sake of others too - What are your tops tips people for buying online? What should the buyer consider?

[aussieskater]

Kiwi, don't accept the seconds!  Really, it seems that this "pro shop" is worse than useless for you, and not worth your custom or your money.  You've had no joy with redress on your own faulty skates, and now they're trying to offload more faulty product on you.  Could you maybe order them by mail/phone from another pro shop in another city in NZ, or are these sharks the only ones in the country (I know that might actually be the case)?

I had a quick look around and it seems that the skate price is not the killer, shipping from UK is.  Because Risport is a European brand, it seems that it's mostly UK shops which keep the brand?  What about mail order from Sydney - I know of a store here which keeps the Risports, and might be able to help?  At least shipping might be a bit cheaper than from the UK!

As far as online shopping goes, there are two important issues I can see:

(1)  You need to be sure of what you want, and that what you want matches what you are buying.  You can't try on first, and often returning something is a hassle and expensive, if it's possible at all.
(2)  You really need to check out the seller carefully.  That includes googling their name + "issues" or "problems" to see what comes up, not just checking out the ebay feedback, although that's very useful too.

[kiwiskater]

Kiwi, don't accept the seconds!  Really, it seems that this "pro shop" is worse than useless for you, and not worth your custom or your money.  You've had no joy with redress on your own faulty skates, and now they're trying to offload more faulty product on you.  Could you maybe order them by mail/phone from another pro shop in another city in NZ, or are these sharks the only ones in the country (I know that might actually be the case)?

I had a quick look around and it seems that the skate price is not the killer, shipping from UK is.  Because Risport is a European brand, it seems that it's mostly UK shops which keep the brand?  What about mail order from Sydney - I know of a store here which keeps the Risports, and might be able to help?  At least shipping might be a bit cheaper than from the UK!

These sharks are the NZ distributor! Their warehouse is right next door to my rink and they are the same people who run the shop inside the rink.

You are right - its not the skate price that's the killer - its getting them here! Do you know of an Australian place that we might source from?

[Jennymd]

These sharks are the NZ distributor!

That's crazy!!! We may still have limited brands/models/sizes and extremely inflated prices here in Aus, but at least we have ONE shop where they provide decent service for fitting and recommending a product for your level/needs. I don't know about other states in Aus, but in Sydney/NSW we pretty much only have one lady at Canterbury rink who knows what she's doing and does the job properly.

I can't understand why the sole distributor in your country would provide such horrible service!! They're driving away their own business and doing a disservice to the sport in NZ which is very sad.

From my experience of online shopping (with non-skating stuff as well), I've always found shipping from UK to this part of the world extremely expensive, beyond ridculous in some cases! Maybe getting it from the US would be better?

Kinzie's Closet sell the Risport RF4 for $303.99 US:
http://www.shop.kinziescloset.com/Risport-RF4-Figure-Skates-Mens-RisportmenRF4.htm
Shipping to NZ will be around $50, depending on the weight of the package, etc. So all up around $350 US.

If this horrible distributor is not even going to measure his feet or anything, there is a good size chart for Risport on their website too:
https://www.kinziescloset.com/Risport_Sizing_Charts.html

I had a look at one of the shops we have in Sydney and they sell it for $399, so you can buy it from the US with shipping total for less than the cost of just the skates in Aus.
https://www.skatersnetwork.com.au/p-575-rf4-super-light-figure-skate.aspx
I'm not sure whether they ship to NZ (there's nothing on their site about it, but they might do it).

You could also try asking Margaret Scott at Canterbury Rink (the main "pro" shop in Aus), Aussieskater and I both get our custom order Jackson's from her and she is fantastic:
http://www.iskate.com.au/
Again not sure about postage to NZ though.

[isakswings]

As I said to Agnes, while you hold a valid opinion based on your experience you are basing it on a model that simply doesn't exist here. As I mentioned earlier our 'pro shop & boot fitters' are nothing more than a 'department store', skates on a shelf, you walk in ask to try what you think is your size, put them on - the odd one might ask questions but majority of the time they just leave you to it, having bought a pair myself I coached him through the fitting process as best as I could but that is as the best we can do.

This is not the US/Canada etc where figure skating is rampant and there are professional fitters & shops, consider that we are way across the other side of the world & we are very much a minority sport - all our gear is imported, as an individual consumer you pay a good 1/2 of the price of the actual value of the gear in shipping and there is a captive market - unless you are game enough to buy online or savvy enough to schedule a holiday overseas and get some skates while you are away then you are beholden to whatever they want to a) sell the products at and b) they don't have to offer great customer service just enough to get by on. I myself bought my boots from them (not online), had some issues with the blades - they simply refused to acknowledge the problem and there is nothing I can do about it - its not like I can look up a rep or the company & complain.

I'm sure Jenny can tell us that it might be a little better in Australia but I imagine not much better in terms of choice...

It's not easy to find pro-shops every where in the US either. Where we are, we don't have the option you have. We can find entry level hockey skates and Play it Again Sports carries(or used to!) Jackson figure skates. BUT there is no one to fit them at their store. My daughter's home rink offers fittings and can order skates, but we have to order based off of a picture and by looking at skates other skaters own. There are other fitters within an hour and one guy has Jackson skates in stock(works out of his home) and can fit a variety of skate brands, but beyond that, we have nothing local that comes close to a real pro shop. We do what you do. The fitter at the ice rink fits most of the skaters at the rink. The skaters either order from the rink or they order elsewhere. I actually prefer ordering from the rink since they give us a discount when we purchase from them. However, I have also purchased boots online thought ebay. Sometimes they offer a great deal I cannot pass up! Just thought I would explain that even in the US, it can be difficult to find equipment. I am sure it is easier then New Zealand but it is usually quite frustrating buying skates around here. It often requires sending the boots or blades back because they were not the correct size or right fit. The things we do for skating!

[kiwiskater]

That's crazy!!! We may still have limited brands/models/sizes and extremely inflated prices here in Aus, but at least we have ONE shop where they provide decent service for fitting and recommending a product for your level/needs. I don't know about other states in Aus, but in Sydney/NSW we pretty much only have one lady at Canterbury rink who knows what she's doing and does the job properly.

I can't understand why the sole distributor in your country would provide such horrible service!! They're driving away their own business and doing a disservice to the sport in NZ which is very sad.

From my experience of online shopping (with non-skating stuff as well), I've always found shipping from UK to this part of the world extremely expensive, beyond ridculous in some cases! Maybe getting it from the US would be better?

You could also try asking Margaret Scott at Canterbury Rink (the main "pro" shop in Aus), Aussieskater and I both get our custom order Jackson's from her and she is fantastic:
http://www.iskate.com.au/
Again not sure about postage to NZ though.

Thanks - when I looked around for wrist guards last year I found that the UK was generally because they have a more favourable exchange rate and shipping, but I wouldn't rule out the US if there was a chance they might have something. Thanks for the Auz lady's contact - I have family living across the ditch so it may be possible to jack up delivery to them & on to us.

It's not easy to find pro-shops every where in the US either. Where we are, we don't have the option you have. We can find entry level hockey skates and Play it Again Sports carries(or used to!) Jackson figure skates. BUT there is no one to fit them at their store. My daughter's home rink offers fittings and can order skates, but we have to order based off of a picture and by looking at skates other skaters own. There are other fitters within an hour and one guy has Jackson skates in stock(works out of his home) and can fit a variety of skate brands, but beyond that, we have nothing local that comes close to a real pro shop. We do what you do. The fitter at the ice rink fits most of the skaters at the rink. The skaters either order from the rink or they order elsewhere. I actually prefer ordering from the rink since they give us a discount when we purchase from them. However, I have also purchased boots online thought ebay. Sometimes they offer a great deal I cannot pass up! Just thought I would explain that even in the US, it can be difficult to find equipment. I am sure it is easier then New Zealand but it is usually quite frustrating buying skates around here. It often requires sending the boots or blades back because they were not the correct size or right fit. The things we do for skating!

What a shame! but at least you have the advantage of being able to travel to somewhere to access what you need, fingers crossed for you that they don't go anywhere (unless its closer to you...)