How about a second-hand Kitehouse Sin? I might know where you could lay your hands on one within your budget
Regardless, though, I think you are probably better off going for a capable kite straight away, rather than wondering whether the reason you can't get it to do what you want is down to the kite or the flyer. I started out with cheaper (£50-80) kites, but it was only when I moved up to the Sin that I really started to get a feel for what was going on. Use the search function on here to find some previous recommendations from people who know more than me, PM me if you are interested in the kite I have listed.