Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums banner

How would you rate purchasing from U.S. vendors: Taxes, Duties, Shipping, etc.

  • Excellent

    Votes: 69 19.3%
  • Very Good

    Votes: 89 24.9%
  • Satisfactory

    Votes: 79 22.1%
  • Troublesome

    Votes: 73 20.4%
  • Poor

    Votes: 17 4.7%
  • Never Again

    Votes: 7 2.0%
  • I buy only from Canada, you insensitive, unpatriotic clod!

    Votes: 24 6.7%

Purchasing From U.S. Vendors: Taxes, Duties, Shipping, other Issues, etc.

140K views 564 replies 239 participants last post by  e268 
#1 ·
I want to order some things from Parts Express Online. They are situated in Dayton OH. The UPS charge for shipping (calculated through Parts Express online ordering) is like $17 USD.

Now my question is, does this charge cover shipping to my door or will I be zinged for some "hidden" charge or duty or something?

Anyone have any experience ordering from Parts Express?
 
#516 ·
I've always had to pay UPS brokerage fees on delivery?! *confused* Are they now charging these fees after the fact?
 
#517 ·
Fed Ex has a policy to keep the shipment going rather than stopping at the border. They pay on your behalf and collect later. Handling charge is also much less than UPS. When the collect later was not paid they charge it back to the shipper. Apparently a lot of us chose not to pay.
 
#518 · (Edited by Moderator)
Canadian vs US pricing for receivers

I am looking for a new receiver - looking at the FS web site I see that they have the Yamaha RXV371 for a "final clearance" price of $269. Other Canadian retailers seem to have a similar price or higher. Yet when I google this model I see that the MSRP, at least in the US, is $249 (see http://usa.yamaha.com/products/audio-visual/av-receivers-amps/rx/rx-v371_black__u/?mode=model).

Looking at online US retailers like Amazon or Newegg you can find this receiver for around $179.

Is it typical that we are still getting screwed in Canada for items like this when the C$ is at parity or higher?
 
#520 ·
Perhaps we are getting less screwed, but still screwed. It even happens with things like the Apple TV2. Before the new model came out, it was $119 in Canada (+ HST) or $99 US (+ state tax). So at Best Buy Canada, the total price was about $134 and in Michigan it is $105. This is a 35% difference.

That is why I bought my latest Pioneer receiver and two Apple TV2's in the US.
 
#521 ·
is it a matter of supply and demand?
less product spread across fewer potential customers = higher price?
 
#522 ·
It's more like <greedy Canadian distributors> + <high consumer shipping fees> + <lack of competition> = <ripped off Canadians>. This has been going on for 50+ years. Companies that have direct distribution channels in Canad seem to sell more competitively but most things that go through Canadian distributors or subsidiary are overpriced. Not much can be done except to the avoid the overpriced products, shop aggressively and import directly when necessary.

FS and BB are the worst when it comes to overpricing. They sell many products at above Canadian list, import rebranded models to avoid price matching (especially with A/V receivers) and often fail to disclose the status of discontinued or clearance products. I've seen products "on sale" at BB and FS that were actually discontinued items available for 1/2 the price as a clearance item elsewhere.
 
#523 ·
The companies will tell you that the higher costs of wages, real estate, overhead spread out through fewer stores are the reasons for the higher prices up here. Maybe true, but they can get away with these prices because we can't take advantage of the cheaper American competition, reason being duties and weak exemptions.
 
#524 ·
So any ideas where to get one of these receivers? I currently have a perfectly fine Yamaha AVR that is about 4 years old. The problem is that it doesn't have HDMI capabilities and I want to simplify my wiring setup for my bedroom system that looks like hell right now due to big, bulky component cables. My TV has several HDMI inputs but since I have a surround sound system I have to feed everything through the AVR first.
 
#525 ·
My local newspaper has a letter to the editor regarding this about 2 weeks ago.

Here and there
Monday, February 27, 2012

I heard a comment about why Canada charges more for merchandise than the U.S., and saw a letter to the editor comparing U.S. and Canadian prices (Shopping Realities, Feb. 23). It has been stated that we charge more “because we can.”
I can’t believe people do not understand why our prices are different. Canadian retailers often have to buy from the U.S. We have to pay a brokerage fee, taxes and there is often a middle-man who takes his share. Our operating costs are also higher. Look at how well we pay our employees. Our minimum wage is $4 more per hour than that of Minnesota.
People complain that there are fewer local stores to shop in. Those people need to look at why. Failure to shop locally will put small business out of business
If you want to work high-paying jobs and live here but then spend large amounts of money at U.S. retailers both online and in-store, you cripple the economy and the future of this city.
Those whose jobs depend closely on our local economy are the ones losing out at a rapid rate. As the money leaves the city, so do the jobs, the shops and the services.
We are fortunate to have so many diverse businesses here in our city. Thank your local retailers and entrepreneurs by shopping local.
Mona Foss
Thunder Bay
http://www.chroniclejournal.com/editorial/letters/2012-02-27/here-and-there
 
#526 ·
US Shipping Addresses

Hi gang.

I currently live 45 minutes from the US border but I am wondering if anyone has any idea about reputable services that allow shipping, either me obtaining some sort of po box, or some middle company that ships on to me here in canada ?

There's a service i came across called ship to the border that will send it to a holding depot. Does anyone have any experience ?
 
#527 ·
Depends on where you're living. In the Ottawa area, there's a couple of well known ones in Ogdensburg, NY. Roethel Parcel Service and the UPS Store. Both will hold your parcels for a minimal cost per week.
 
#532 ·
From their FAQ

Do I have to pay custom fees, duty fees, and taxes on my international shipment?

Custom fees, duty, and taxes are determined by the destination country. In some cases, fees are pre-paid by Fed Ex and billed to you within 10 days of package delivery. Otherwise, custom/duty fees are payable prio to Customs release. If you are unsure of the potential custom/duty fees required by your country, please contact your border services agency before proceeding with your order.

Unclaimed/refused orders are deemed abandoned and seized by the carrier. We do not accept or refund abandoned orders.


Do I have to pay a broker fee for my international shipment?

Broker fees are imposed to move goods thru the border clearing process. Fed Ex will act as the broker unless you specify a broker of your choosing at the time of clearing.

Fed Ex does not charge broker fees for International Economy Service to Canada.

Why did you switch from UPS to Fed Ex?

Fed Ex has ranked # 1 in the Express Delivery industry for 12 consecutive years. We are confident they will support our standard of fast and secure shipments to our customers.
 
#533 ·
Smart-TV purchase in US?

Has anyone purchased a "smart tv" in the US? The reason I ask is the obvious price difference btw Canadian & US retail. For example, the 60" Sharp LCD I have my eye on seems to be in the $3,100 to $3,300 range - whereas State-side it seems to be $1,800 to $2,000.

Aside from the obvious non-recognition of the warranty if I were to purchase in the US, is there any reason why the "smart" functions on a US-based TV would not work back here in Canada? In particular, there are options for subscriptions to services like Netflix, etc. But as I see elsewhere on the web, there are hacks to get these types of US-based services in Canada regardless.

I am just assuming that all a "smart TV" really is simply a TV w/ built-in WiFi that can tap into my home network and pull in content regardless of where the set is sold.

Thanks in advance,
KLF66
 
#534 ·
US vs Canadian purchase

Looking to purchase a G box midnight Mx2, sourced it to Amazon.com. the price is $97.00 US + $9.50 shipping, shipped from US wholesale supplier. being a Canadian, clicked on the maple leaf. The price now changed to $143.99 , a whooping 45% increase in price from the same seller. With US and Canadian dollar almost at par, what justify the huge price difference? What stops me from ordering from Amazon.com instead of Amazon.ca. or maybe wait for the quad core version instead?
 
#536 ·
From .com you may also get hit with a $9.95 Canada Post charge as they collect GST from you, but....the last package to me they did not collect PST!!
The distributors often dictate the price and there has been some media reporting that our prices are due to the cost of doing business in Canada and also some of the difference is "because they can". We seem to be willing to pay more.
 
#538 ·
Buying TV in US + having shipped to Canada (not pickup)

Live too far from border (and without truck) to make pickup doable. Friend of mine in US just paid $1900 for a 60VT60 plasma that retails for $3300 up here in Alberta. He is in a tax free state too, so $1900 means 1900. So was thinking if it is doable to try and buy from same place he purchased from (if the store will let me - might go for 55" model instead), and then ship to Canada via something like uShip (where ppl bid on shipping your goods)

Has anyone here done this? Any considerations to be aware of? (special charges at border beyond GST?) Any experience bidding and shipping with uSHip? I figure if I can pay $100-200 for shipping I will still be way ahead of local prices. Or do I just save the hassle and buy a $1500 ST60 up here LOL.

Worst of all my 50VT25 has a line in the panel again so not keen to be buying panasonic again after this 2 year old panel is acting up, but they do still have the market cornered on pic quality...

Thanks!
 
#540 ·
Hi thanks I didn't realize it needed to be under this thread as a lot of posts seemed to refer to small shipments not large TVs cross border. Specifically interested if others have used Uship before (or similar service) Am aware of GST at border, obviously some duty too since it is baked into the Canadian prices.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top