If under $400 you'll pay nothing extra.

 

Make sure you pay with Paypal - that way youre covered if item doesn't turn up or is not as advertised.

Bang on, Mark. Although in addition to the GST, Customs also charges a bevvy of handling and admin charges, so it ends up a lot more than just the simple GST.

As you'll see, many ebay sellers (of new reels) are actually shops - often getting rid of clearance stock. Look for the seller's ratings - any with high 90s ratings are usually very reliable.

My observation has been that compared to global sites NZ retail shops have Shimano at very competitive prices, but we pay way over the odds for Daiwa and Quantum, and Penn to some degree (particularly compared to the US). On sale, you can pick up Daiwa stuff for nearly half the price (landed).

I've bought reels directly from a couple of Aussie sites (Otto's and Anglers Warehouse), and from Tackle Warehouse and Tackle Direct in the US.

Absolutely excellent service.

But if you can't get the reel you want locally, and don't mind paying the various charges, then bob's your uncle.

FYI, the other charges, on top of GST (15% of the total import cost), that Customs charges are: