Tsouros Marine: fast, flawless and frighteningly expensive.
A Greek tackle shop that ships like a premium courier — but charges like one too. Here is what happened when I ordered my standard five-item basket to southern Italy.
What I ordered
I stick to the same five-item test basket in every shop so comparisons stay fair. From Tsouros Marine I bought:
| Item | Qty | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Gosen Answer Ajing PEx4 Braid150 m · PE #0.3 | 1 | €31.90 |
| Tict Mebaring Star Jigheads3.5 g · size L | 1 | €6.80 |
| Owner Kizuna FC Fluorocarbon50 m · 0.170 mm | 1 | €9.40 |
| Tict Gyopin Silicone BaitsColour C-22 | 1 | €6.00 |
| Tict Flopper Bros 55 LuresColour 12 | 1 | €15.00 |
| Subtotal | €69.10 | |
| Shipping (UPS Standard) | €14.00 | |
| Total paid | €83.10 | |
The stock shown on the site matched what arrived. No substitutions, no back-orders, no surprises in the carton.
The website
Navigation is straightforward. Product pages carry the basics and checkout is modern, with payment options I trust. Finding the five items took only a few minutes. The problem is not usability — it is what happens after you click “buy”.
Customer service
I asked the same pre-sale question four times before getting a clear answer. The staff were not rude, but they were slow and seemed to struggle with English. Once the order was placed I did not need much contact, but that first impression matters: if you are buying from abroad and need sizing or model advice, patience is required.
Prices
This is where Tsouros Marine loses me. The basket came to €69.10 before shipping, €83.10 once the €14 UPS Standard charge is added — and for five staples that is hard to justify. Compared with other European shops I have used, the prices are steep — not just on shipping, but on the products themselves. Japanese tackle is never cheap, but here the markup felt excessive. If you are hunting for value, look elsewhere first.
Shipping & delivery
2 days
After purchase
4 days
To southern Italy, with tracking
Excellent
Brutally well protected, nothing damaged
At checkout the shop offers four courier options — none of them cheap for a small tackle box:
| Shipping method | Quoted time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| UPS Standard | 6-7 working days | €14.00 |
| UPS Express Saver | 4-5 working days | €16.50 |
| DHL Economy | 6-7 working days | €17.00 |
| DHL Air Transport | 4-5 working days | €19.50 |
The shipping cost to Italy was high — €14 minimum on a €69 basket — and the parcel took two days to leave the shop after I paid. Once shipped it still beat the 6-7 working days quoted, arriving in four days total. Fully tracked, and the box was over-engineered in the best way: every spool and packet intact. If you need gear quickly and do not care about the bill, the logistics are solid.
The gear
Everything arrived new, sealed and exactly as described. The Japanese line, fluorocarbon, jig heads, soft plastics and hard bait were all genuine and in perfect condition. Quality is not the issue here — Tsouros Marine clearly sources good stock and stores it well.
What the shop got right
- Accurate stock and no substitutions
- Very fast shipping to Italy with tracking
- Excellent packaging and protection
- Genuine, new Japanese gear
- Modern checkout and payment options
What I would improve
- Pre-sale response time and English clarity
- Product pricing is uncompetitive in Europe
- Shipping cost to Italy is expensive
Bottom line
Tsouros Marine delivers on speed, packaging and product authenticity. If your local shop is out of a specific Japanese lure and you need it before the weekend, they will get it to you. But for a regular restock of line, leader and terminal tackle, the total bill is hard to swallow. Shop here when time matters more than money.