Why We Will Never Stock or Support Illpills Wheels

Why We Will Never Stock or Support Illpills Wheels

In the fingerboarding world, we value quality products, fair business practices, and building a positive global community. After careful consideration of Illpills (made by Dirty Fingerboards in the Philippines), we've decided not to stock or support the brand. Here's why.

Pricing Inconsistency and Arbitrage Opportunity

The core issue is their flawed pricing strategy. A set of Illpills wheels retails for roughly $25 (or equivalent in PHP) directly in the Philippines. Meanwhile, international distributors face a wholesale price of around $23 per set, with a suggested retail price of $40+.

This means it's often cheaper for someone outside the Philippines to coordinate a bulk purchase from a Philippine retailer than to go through official wholesale channels. This isn't smart localization—it's a structural flaw that invites gray market importing, undercutting authorized distributors, and creating resentment across the supply chain.

"Supporting Local" Done Wrong

We fully support brands championing their home country. However, when a company builds a worldwide distribution network with resellers in America, Europe, Vietnam, Spain, and beyond, pricing must reflect that global reality. Charging international partners and customers significantly more while offering locals a much lower price isn't noble patriotism—it's discriminatory pricing that penalizes everyone else for not being based in the Philippines.

This approach feels out of touch and, frankly, carries an element of unfair favoritism that alienates the very international community that has helped grow the brand.

Bad for Consumers

• Perceived Value Destruction: Customers paying $40–$50 abroad feel ripped off when they discover the same wheels sell for half that domestically. This breeds distrust.
• Inconsistent Availability: Shoppers turn to risky gray market sources for better deals, leading to potential quality issues, lack of warranty support, or counterfeit concerns.
• Higher Effective Costs: International buyers face shipping, import duties, or middleman markups on top of inflated wholesale pricing.

Bad for Businesses and Resellers

• Undermined Margins: Distributors and shops operating legitimately get squeezed. Why bother with official channels when cheaper stock is available through loopholes?
• Eroded Trust in the Brand: Resellers invest time and money promoting a product only to deal with customer complaints about pricing unfairness.
• Gray Market Chaos: Encourages unauthorized reselling, which disrupts market stability and makes it harder for legitimate businesses to plan inventory.

Damage to Brand Perception

This pricing policy signals greed and poor business sense rather than smart strategy. In a niche community like fingerboarding, word travels fast. Brands succeed through loyalty, consistency, and respect for their customers worldwide—not by creating "us vs. them" dynamics based on geography.

Illpills wheels may perform well for some (good urethane, fun graphics, etc.), but no amount of product quality excuses unethical or shortsighted business practices. We choose to support brands that treat all customers and partners fairly, regardless of location.

Our Stance

We refuse to stock Illpills. There are plenty of other excellent wheel options from companies that understand global business in 2026. Supporting your home country is admirable—doing it at the expense of fairness and long-term brand health is not.

If you're a fingerboarder frustrated by inconsistent pricing or poor brand ethics, we hear you. Drop a comment with brands you do trust and support—we're always looking to highlight the good ones.

What are your experiences with Illpills or similar pricing issues in the community? Let's discuss below.