The one bringing in the heatpads is a commercial importer. We almost pulled his thread when he started it but then figured he knew what he was doing and would not get himself into trouble.
It is very easy for people to say "Yeah I want one and will send the money!" but then don't. Or come up with excuses and say they will pay later. The one organising the bulk deal can be left holding the bag, so to speak. Once goods do arrive, some will claim they are not what they thought, or something else.
All sorts of things can go wrong when you try and bring stuff in yourself (although it is great when all goes well too!) and there can be more expenses you did not expect at the start. The final cost can be the same, if not dearer, that if you bought the item in NZ. Exchange rates can vary (and take into account the right rate when working out the cost)
Bear in mind other countries, as mentioned, run on different voltages (or whatever the word is :roll: ) or have different shaped plugs to ours. It can be hard to make a warranty claim or get your money back if the item breaks, or does not perform as expected.
On the other hand, my husband imports a lot of Ham radio gear from overseas at a fraction of the cost of buying it here (and it arrives faster too! :-? and has had no problems so far