KBA for sure didn't expect to sell this "nice" kite to a russian dude who are so internet and english "active"

They do have a degree of responsibility, assuming that the kite has come from their factory - either their reject bin isn't secure enough (and so the rejects get stolen and sold) or they're allowing defective product to get mixed in with legitimate shipments. This would explain why North have sorted out the OP with a replacement (and are probably asking some rather pointed questions at their factory). What isn't clear is whether KBA knew that the kite was a factory second, and if they did, whether they told their customers.

There is a lot of speculation in this thread. The only fact is KBA sells kites with cut off serial numbers. As I have pointed out before I have seen with my own eyes on 2 occasions North kites sold by them which received the same treatment. So this has a method. Whether or not there is another party involved e.g the factory where North produces nobody knows. One party in this scam got nailed dearly: KBA. It is for sure not the customers responsibility to search a serial number before he/she buys something. I have no idea where these numbers are with all the products I buy, except something goes wrong: then I search. That North has something to do with it, is very far fetched. Why should they shoot themselves in the knee and inflict the business of their legitimate distributor, North Kiteboarding Club? It is one of every brands greatest worry that copies or defects end up on the market. It is self-explanatory why, if you take only in account what kind of damage for their image is involved in a single case like that. If I would have bought this kite for hard earned dollars in the genuine trust it is a) original b) has a manufacturer warrantee I would be foaming as well. What the guy bought, could be literally anything. You just need to search on http://www.alibaba.com and you will find "wholesalers" of many kite brands based in China and Indonesia. Minimum order 10-120. This could be gear going out of the backdoor of the factory this could be copies. It is not exactly rocket science to reverse engineer a kite. One thing is for sure: there is not one kite brand that will sell one kite to these outfits. But again, I believe the guy bought a grey import in this case.

i am in agreement that it will be grey import, an 'official' importer wants to shift some over ordered stock, makes agreement with KBA, importer removes the serial number to ensure that they cant be traced back to him, pockets the money and then KBA sell the gear to a bigger customer base. all goes well until there s a problem...statistically very very rare.

it starts of as an official kite, it still is an official kite, but with a deniable warranty because of no serial number.

who gets screwed?
KBA with bad press,
North international and its factory partners who have the reputation that they cant control what is happening with their own product
The customer who has a kite that now has questionable origin.

who wins?

The customer who was going for the bargain and because he got a new kite at someone else's expense is now happy and deep down knows that they can do it again and get what they want.
North international come across as the good guys for 'sorting' the problem

the biggest winner in this? the OFFICIAL Importer who got paid by KTA and has complete deniability... nice eh? in an ideal world KBA would have a record of the agreement and would either make it public or take it to North, after all if my business was being dicked on the internet by just about everyone i would even things up...

so yes Toby, it will and always be about MONEY!

Dan, just stop now, why are you going for revenge as you put it? you have brought attention to the matter, you have trashed the company, you have been given a brand new kite at someone else's expense, so what else are you wanting? a gold internet super ranger star, an internet warrior passport? just let it go now.

the best thing that North could do is PRINT the serial number inside the LE on the dacron rather than a removable tab, Naish made the switch years ago and it solved any issues that we had back then when i worked for the importer, to remove/hide the serial number you had to cut a hole in the LE.

I guess you mean KBA not KTA (the kite tour)

that would be the one, thank you:)

Hi Toby, lets start with You, live in peace together, amen. You don´t know Eran, (not Raam) he is sick to become the biggest! And this ist not possible if You stay honest. Alexrider postet correct, that is Asia!!!! Thats why he "Silferfox" was till now so successfull
To clear the situation, when the Northshop opens, Eran startet to sell North Kites, because he realiced that they are better than Cabrinha! Or something like this........Anyway, this happens three years ago, and North was allways informed, about the situation! So we can guess, that North is not able to stop this or ..... a sold kite is a sold kite! Unfotunally we don´t speak from North allone, there are Slingshot, Ocone, FOne, Naish, Core, ...... all this customers were cheated. Or how would You call it, when You buy a kite without serialnumber and warranty!! I guess 50% of her bussiness is mere fraud.
Alexrider or Silferfox, I have the nose full of You. When I saw You last year making Your show in 50 to 70 m distance of the shore, in the middle of the swimmer, I understand my friend, when he says we are very happy, to have this idi......not longer in Phuket. So if Eran is Your last hope to sell Your exeptional good kites in Thailand, just slow down! Sometimes an unskilled help could make a lot of damage! For the beginning just so much, when I buy a bread I get a proper receipt, whe I buy a kite from Eran I get a piece of paper, that I even cannot use for the toilet!!! So me and my friends have gathered a lot. Think about ! As You say in Asia the clock runs different!!
And RAAM forget the story about comming from a certain corner, after three years it could happen. And stop the story about blackmailing, KBA cheats the people, and You shoudl stay to it. Or do You intend to push it to the top? We are ready!

Do I get it right, that you're addressing me?

1. I know, that "revenge" is bad word at most situations. But I take this story personally, since KBA wanted to hurt me personally. First not giving me warranty, second calling me a con artist, after I decided to make this story public.

2. This story does matter, since community need to understand value of SNs / authorized dealers when buying kites.

Good point, James! Even better to put it on with heat, so paint on top of it could not stop SN from being read.

Also they can print SN on LE bladder — easy to do, impossible to remove.

Well Toby, I also respect your effort to make peace. I believe everybody in the kitesurfing biz in Thailand would love so too. Unfortunately KBA manages to come around with new bullshit with the reliability of a swiss watch. This has years of history and shows no signs of change for the better. Nobody cares if they manage to organize a world cup in between. Please ask anybody, and I mean ANYBODY in the kite biz in Thailand. The emotions of the post above probably express pretty well how sick and tired everybody is with their games. When the Thailand Kitesurfing Association was formed they not even have been invited, because nobody is on talking terms with these guys. It probably takes a case like this, where they are caught red handed scamming a customer, for the volcano to erupt! Do you hear anything sensible from KBA? I bet they are sitting in some corner of their shops reading every line of these posts three times a day. Hello KBA, how did this serial number disappear? How come you are selling F-one, North, Ozone, Naish, Slingshot? Also without serial numbers? What are your legitimate sources for this gear? Awaiting your reply!

KBA should clarify the origin of those kites if they want to come clean!

BUT I'm here just to clarify before someone reading this can think he can get cheap kites in INDO...
There is NO such thing as backdoor kites in Indonesia.. ALL those companies that you can hook up on ALIBABA are just scammer!!! They don't have any kites and just bullshit everyone using a loophole in the ALIBABA way of registering companies....
There are NO kite factories in Indonesia, all kite equipment is imported.
Bye Jankie

You just need to search on http://www.alibaba.com and you will find "wholesalers" of many kite brands based in China and Indonesia. Minimum order 10-120. This could be gear going out of the backdoor of the factory this could be copies. It is not exactly rocket science to reverse engineer a kite. One thing is for sure: there is not one kite brand that will sell one kite to these outfits. But again, I believe the guy bought a grey import in this case.