Buzz Kites (Lee) said..

Richoa said..

bjw said..
So what's the problem with big companies owning kite brands?

It doesn't appear to make them more expensive, they aren't that much more expensive than 15 years ago, the quality does seem better.

So what's the problem?

The problem with big companies is they have to have levels of management to

manage quality control
Brand management
employ designers and technicians with qualifications or reputations on delivered inovation
planning and strategic production strategies
Employ Pro team riders to do how to videos
set up global distribution network and support to protect brand reputation
R&D to maintain or increase market share
invest money in sport to promote involvement
multiple models from niche specific kites to allrounders
etc

All this fat makes them so much dearer and all these top line people just sitting doing meetings

It makes them so much dearer and crappy product out comes.

for instance I bought a big brand kite for $1200 13m 2017 model new and in process of buying 10m 2018 same brand for $1350

so $2550 dollars with a extended 6 month warranty from manufacturer

Hang on a minute I could of got a Buzz circa 2012, 12 and 10.5 for $2468. Yes big companies are ****e!
Do Buzz use Australian sailmakers, don't think so?
Do BuZZ employ any Australians as a primary income, not sure but don't think so?
Do BuZZ employ anyone as a primary income, or plan to in the future beyond current batch of blue kites. Not sure but dont think so?
Do BuZZ have offering of multiple styles of kite or R & D projects, not sure don't think so?
Do Buzz put money back into Australian or global community to promote the sport, not sure but don't think so?

I like it that you claim to know so much about the future and current position of Buzz kites! Kinda seems like you know more than me and I run the company. :)As for buying big name kites for those prices... a quick check of any shops web-site (see random pics below) will tell anyone that you've apparently got yourself a very good deal - well done. Our standard prices of $1234 are almost half the advertised price of a comparable big brand kite. And then we have a bar and lines for $447 which is comparable for $670+ for a brand you might support. I know some people prefer to support companies big companies, but hey, there's a big difference between doing that, and trying to knock someone with your BS. You want me to employ more Australians? Then why would you try to knock me down when I've only just started? I started this business with the best interests of kiters and this country at heart. I'd love to make it into something that can employ a lot of Australians! With people like you around, ready to try to knock it down, that might take longer...will you be happy then? Nope, you will probably be lined up outside Centrelink complaining that there are no jobs in Australia and blaming everyone else.

Employing Australians.... Who gives a ****.

also, those kites are made in Asia like the rest. Stop the bs mate.

ecauseRichoa said..

Buzz Kites (Lee) said..

Richoa said..

bjw said..
So what's the problem with big companies owning kite brands?

It doesn't appear to make them more expensive, they aren't that much more expensive than 15 years ago, the quality does seem better.

So what's the problem?

The problem with big companies is they have to have levels of management to

manage quality control
Brand management
employ designers and technicians with qualifications or reputations on delivered inovation
planning and strategic production strategies
Employ Pro team riders to do how to videos
set up global distribution network and support to protect brand reputation
R&D to maintain or increase market share
invest money in sport to promote involvement
multiple models from niche specific kites to allrounders
etc

All this fat makes them so much dearer and all these top line people just sitting doing meetings

It makes them so much dearer and crappy product out comes.

for instance I bought a big brand kite for $1200 13m 2017 model new and in process of buying 10m 2018 same brand for $1350

so $2550 dollars with a extended 6 month warranty from manufacturer

Hang on a minute I could of got a Buzz circa 2012, 12 and 10.5 for $2468. Yes big companies are ****e!
Do Buzz use Australian sailmakers, don't think so?
Do BuZZ employ any Australians as a primary income, not sure but don't think so?
Do BuZZ employ anyone as a primary income, or plan to in the future beyond current batch of blue kites. Not sure but dont think so?
Do BuZZ have offering of multiple styles of kite or R & D projects, not sure don't think so?
Do Buzz put money back into Australian or global community to promote the sport, not sure but don't think so?

I like it that you claim to know so much about the future and current position of Buzz kites! Kinda seems like you know more than me and I run the company. :)As for buying big name kites for those prices... a quick check of any shops web-site (see random pics below) will tell anyone that you've apparently got yourself a very good deal - well done. Our standard prices of $1234 are almost half the advertised price of a comparable big brand kite. And then we have a bar and lines for $447 which is comparable for $670+ for a brand you might support. I know some people prefer to support companies big companies, but hey, there's a big difference between doing that, and trying to knock someone with your BS. You want me to employ more Australians? Then why would you try to knock me down when I've only just started? I started this business with the best interests of kiters and this country at heart. I'd love to make it into something that can employ a lot of Australians! With people like you around, ready to try to knock it down, that might take longer...will you be happy then? Nope, you will probably be lined up outside Centrelink complaining that there are no jobs in Australia and blaming everyone else.

Poor response Lee, Anyone reading can clearly see what I wrote was questions and then said I wasn't sure but my perception is negative answer to all those questions. This was an opportunity for you to actually set the record straight on those points. But instead you brought out the don't knock me im a battler story. You come to the beach selling gear out of the back of your merc Mate!

But again below is the questions I asked and direct cut and copy from original minus my perception comment. If you can honestly answer yes to any of these questions then we can all start to think there's something genuine in the Aussie bleeder image you want to be tagged with.
Im not knocking you down, just challenging the sustainability and likely hood you will ever develop this kite to something more. Challenge is opportunity!
simple questions

Do Buzz use Australian sailmakers?
Do BuZZ employ any Australians as a primary income?
Do BuZZ employ anyone as a primary income, or plan to in the future beyond current batch of blue kites?
Do BuZZ have offering of multiple styles of kite or R & D projects?
Do Buzz put money back into Australian or global community to promote the sport?

PS if you don't know the answers to the questions, then says it all!

Maybe next time you want someone to answer your questions, don't start out with easily disprovable information about kite prices?Also, I'm not an Aussie battler! I've been fortunate to have done well in life. I've done this simply by helping other people. And what you are missing is this: I started this brand for the Aussies out there would want good quality gear at reasonable prices. If it doesn't work out then it's not really a big drama for me - just an experience. If people don't appreciate what I am doing, then I know I've tried to help them and they've rejected that help. That's o.k.

Since you persist, here's the answer to your questions:

As you are probably aware, there are no kite factories in Australia and no new brand is going to have the capital to start one up or think they could begin to compete in the market with our local labour prices. Our kites are made in a factory that makes kites for a range of different brands. They have been making kites since 1998 and they do a top quality job.No one is employed in this business as their primary income at this stage. It's a start-up in a seasonal market. As for the future, we might grow to the point where we need full-time staff - let's see.

We offer one style of kite that performs well in waves, jumps pretty well, is fun for free ride and is great for beginners. You see, it comes with two bridles which effectively makes it two kites in one. It's one of the most versatile kites around. Also, it's not a good plan to spread capital over too many SKUs because you end up running out of stock and then customers are disappointed. We have a new prototype kite in testing and feedback from one very experienced rider is that it's more stable and more responsive than an Ozone Edge and a North Rebel. But that's just one rider. It's still in very early testing so it won't hit the market for quite a while because we want to make sure it's going to be rock solid before releasing it. We have another one already in our back pocket. As mentioned before, we are committed to providing top performing gear.

Buzz has been instrumental in supporting schools teaching many people to kite over the last season. We helped organise the NSW freestyle champs, taught life savers how to rescue kiters in trouble, and supported a couple of kite chick weekends where quite a few women were encouraged to get into the sport or advance their skills. So yeah, we've done some things to promote the sport we all love. As far as I know, our customers are all very happy with the gear we have sold them.

I think you will find I'm a genuinely nice guy with good intentions, so make yourself known to me, and I'll shout you a beer.

After all this sh1t talking I would still never buy one.

Talking on an open forum does nothing but make people cringe. Personally I have found all above posts repulsive. We laugh about this thread whilst packing away our top end gear.

PS: your bar sucks.

eppo said..
Hey Lee, please don't take this the wrong way I'm trying to be constructive ... were you brought up in Australia?

just is ... You seem to be taking the observations, criticisms etc a little personal. You seem to be fighting against the "in your face, brazen, say it as you see it" cultural aspect of living here?

Am I way off the mark ?

And in this strange quagmire of weirdness we call Australia your best mate is the one who abuses you the most... generalising of course but if we don't generalise and define we can't converse with any direction.

We abuse use the crap out of each other here mainly just for sh1ts and giggles but don't take it personally.

We'd still share a beer and a laugh with the Guy who abuses you the most and vica versa.

Thanks heaps Eppo - I've lived in Australia since 1989 but originally from NZ. In Sydney, I mostly hang around with people from other countries as the locals here tend to be busy with families. Come to think of it, I think I only have consistent interaction over the years with One Aussie - and he's first generation and a pilot - so he's nice to most everyone. This is a new experience for me as you have noticed! From now on, I will look at it this way - the more abuse I get means the more people like me. :P Now f off ya mongrel ;)

eppo said..
but don't take it personally

Oh you, get away with you.

lotofwind said..
Do these kites still exist ????
Saw a kite today called a Moo , have monkey rebadged to griffin rebadged to Buzz and now rebadged to Moo ??
Looked to be the same shape/style as the Monkey/Griffin/Buzz , but actually was a nice kite to look at, graphics wise. Not that the graphics would make it fly better.
Maybe Monkey/Griffin/ Buzz have listened to the customer feed back and acted on it ???

Surely it must have looked like this

Buzz Lightyear said..

Scanno said..

lotofwind said..
Do these kites still exist ????
Saw a kite today called a Moo , have monkey rebadged to griffin rebadged to Buzz and now rebadged to Moo ??
Looked to be the same shape/style as the Monkey/Griffin/Buzz , but actually was a nice kite to look at, graphics wise. Not that the graphics would make it fly better.
Maybe Monkey/Griffin/ Buzz have listened to the customer feed back and acted on it ???

Surely it must have looked like this

Udderly incredible, Someones "milking it"

I take it all back, their design work is udderly out of the herd game changer, but seems a bit odd going back down the 5 line path when most have dropped it.

I had one of those cows dive bomb me whilst I was standing on the beach, carefull they have assassins!

hmm re-reading this is giving me a sense of Deja moo

Buzz Kites (Lee) said..
We offer one style of kite that performs well in waves, jumps pretty well, is fun for free ride and is great for beginners. .......so make yourself known to me, and I'll shout you a beer.

Well if you start designing and making ram-air kites to compete with Flysurfer, Ozone and Peter Lynn, then I'd be the one shouting you a 6-pack mate! Keep up the good work champ.

Go matey! Expand your empire by taking those crap kites overseas. Big respect to you, can I invest?

cauncy said..

simple questions

Do Buzz use Australian sailmakers?
Do BuZZ employ any Australians as a primary income?
Do BuZZ employ anyone as a primary income, or plan to in the future beyond current batch of blue kites?
Do BuZZ have offering of multiple styles of kite or R & D projects?
Do Buzz put money back into Australian or global community to promote the sport?

PS if you don't know the answers to the questions, then says it all!

Independent question
what brand out there does, what car you driving? What appliances have you in your house, what clothes do you wear and what kites are you flying, you Carnt make a comment like that without being 100% that you won't be challenged by someone like me

your only about 6months off on that,

Barring the top question in relation to Australian Sailmakers, I would say most products you listed would well meet remaining questions.
But the point of the questions was to clear up What Lee's claim to being an Australian kite manufacturer entailed and from memory it was none of the above or on the to do list. Im not saying its good or bad individuals will weigh up what is important to them, but clearly not a lot money distributed into Australian pockets and would hazard a guess less distribution of income than some of the bigger brands offer Australian Distributors.
But only responded due direct question so weighing out of this topic if not called upon again!

Great to see the maturity of the responses has improved since last season. It's a shame for Australian entrepreneurs that tall poppies are so often targeted by those who most commonly live in mediocrity.

Buzz Kites (Lee) said..
Great to see the maturity of the responses has improved since last season. It's a shame for Australian entrepreneurs that tall poppies are so often targeted by those who most commonly live in mediocrity.

here we go again.... red rag to a Sea Breeze bull.

I suppose they say any publicity is good publicity.

ps...not sure I'd put you in the Australian Entrepreneur category? But hey... and illusion can be fun for a while.

littlewing said..
lol, i was waiting for this to come back. The idea of the company is great, but selling a kite with a bee it called buzz harmony with a buzz stinger board and buss bar... really who came up with that

I think it's way better than Duotone (sounds like a Cleo model) or North (more like a Jacket brand). I do like Ozone though and flysurfer, but gee it takes the Euros educational system to come up with more original names, than the XXXX branding here.

Saffer said..

Buzz Kites (Lee) said..
Great to see the maturity of the responses has improved since last season. It's a shame for Australian entrepreneurs that tall poppies are so often targeted by those who most commonly live in mediocrity.

I don't think people have an issue with entrepreneurs, people have an issue with entrepreneurs who don't heed good advice and think they know better. It's called arrogance and it's been the undoing of many an entrepreneurs and established companies.

As an example, I gave you some free advice on fixing your website because it didn't align to the price premium you were charging. You still haven't done that, and for a marketing manager, that's pretty dismal. Branding 101. Not expensive, high impact for a company where people typically go to the site because they haven't heard of the brand. Right now it still looks like Mum and Dad's Milk bar down the road, and that doesn't inspire confidence when buying from a brand.

But hey, ignore me, I obviously don't know what I'm talking about.

When did you last look at the web site?