Where did you get a check in Canadian money? - Escape Trailer Owners Community
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×

Go Back   Escape Trailer Owners Community > Escape Me | General Topics > Shopping Escape
Click Here to Login
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 08-12-2016, 09:52 AM   #1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Port Townsend, Washington
Trailer: Escape 5.0 TA Oct 2019;current Escape 19 2017
Posts: 107
Where did you get a check in Canadian money?

We are about to order a 19. But I cant figure out how we are going to pay in Canadian currency.
Our credit union doesn't exchange money; a couole of local banks do, but only for account holders.
How did you get a check in Canadian currency?
dmdunca44 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2016, 09:57 AM   #2
Senior Member
 
SpokanEscape's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Olympia, Washington
Trailer: 2016 Escape 5.0TA has gone to a good home in Manitoba. Now Class B+ owners sadly not an Escape
Posts: 460
You can send a check in US currency - when you order ETI will send instructions about various ways to send payment.
__________________
Jan and Paul
"Le Bon Oeuf"
SpokanEscape is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2016, 10:00 AM   #3
Senior Member
 
GregandTeresa's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Lewisburg, Tennessee
Trailer: 2016 Escape 19 Classic
Posts: 516
All of our payments were US checks sent via Fedex, and ETI let us know the exchange rate that we got when they deposited them.
GregandTeresa is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2016, 10:10 AM   #4
Senior Member
 
cpaharley2008's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
and you can also put down a deposit via your credit card, on the phone, up to a limit...
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
cpaharley2008 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2016, 10:19 AM   #5
Senior Member
 
GregandTeresa's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Lewisburg, Tennessee
Trailer: 2016 Escape 19 Classic
Posts: 516
If I remember correctly, the limit on credit card transactions was $3000 CDN, which would cover your deposit. We used our credit card for the deposit, but at that time the deposit was only $500 CDN.

Quote:
Originally Posted by cpaharley2008 View Post
and you can also put down a deposit via your credit card, on the phone, up to a limit...
GregandTeresa is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2016, 10:34 AM   #6
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Lansing, Michigan
Trailer: 2017 Escape 21, 2016 GMC Canyon Duramax
Posts: 587
We have money in a Fidelity account. They said they can convert the USD to CAD and wire the CAD to the ETI account. They claim to have very competitive rates. I will do this when the time comes to pay.
stephen99 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2016, 11:49 AM   #7
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Frewsburg, New York
Trailer: 2017 Escape 21, pulled by 2018 F150 EcoBoost
Posts: 158
I had a bad experience with XE.com. I thought they could provide the best exchange rates.
It took weeks of effort to set up an account and provide documentation for a credit check, then I needed to provide proof that I had the funds to cover the amount of the transaction. Their web site leads you to believe that they can pull funds from your bank account and deposit directly into ETI's accounts. They can, but only after you've committed to a transaction do they tell you that this is limited to only $5000. The last straw was when they wanted me to transfer the full amount of the funds from my account to their bank account. The whole deal started to really smell fishy. I walked away.

We did use a wire transfer and sent the money directly from my bank account to ETI's account. ETI's bank exchanged our USD to CAD at 1.286. At that time, the internet rate was published close to 1.304. I thought we received a good exchange rate.

My advice is to keep it simple. Like others do, send a check in USD directly to ETI. If it is over, they will return any amounts not needed. If you still owe a small amount, you can settle up later.
pstyer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2016, 11:51 AM   #8
Senior Member
 
KarenH's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Bellingham and Glacier, Washington
Trailer: 2013 Escape 15A
Posts: 2,051
Send a message via Skype™ to KarenH
I had absolutely none of the issues with XE.com that are mentioned above. It was easy for me to set up the account (although I had to jump through a few hoops to get the correct account info from ETI) and to make the transactions.
__________________
Karen Hulford
2013 Escape 15A, "Egbert"
'93 Ford 150 XLT or
'22 GMC Acadia Denali
KarenH is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2016, 12:55 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Olathe, Kansas
Trailer: 2015 21ft Escape "Spirit of the Plains", 2014 GMC Sierra with max tow package
Posts: 1,100
We gave ETI a personal check for the deposit and sent by fed-x a cashiers check for the balance when the build sheet was due. All was in US funds and ETI will give you about as good of an exchange rate as you can get anywhere. Loren
Loren & Cathy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2016, 01:30 PM   #10
Senior Member
 
sturski's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Jamestown, Colorado
Trailer: 2015 Escape 19
Posts: 232
I used a credit card for the deposit, a personal check for majority of the balance, and the credit card again to cover any remainder. ETI's exchange rates were as good as any.

The only thing I'd do differently is use Fed Ex or similar for the personal check. USPS and Canada Post were incredibly slow, I'd have been happier if I could track it.
sturski is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2016, 02:38 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Port Townsend, Washington
Trailer: Escape 5.0 TA Oct 2019;current Escape 19 2017
Posts: 107
Thank you all for your responses. I did not realize that ETI would accept a personal check.... Good to know.

We've just placed our order for a 19...
dmdunca44 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2016, 03:19 PM   #12
Senior Member
 
Steve Clark's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Fremont, California
Trailer: 2016 21. '15 Ford Explorer V-6
Posts: 1,558
Quote:
Originally Posted by sturski View Post
I used a credit card for the deposit, a personal check for majority of the balance, and the credit card again to cover any remainder. ETI's exchange rates were as good as any.

The only thing I'd do differently is use Fed Ex or similar for the personal check. USPS and Canada Post were incredibly slow, I'd have been happier if I could track it.
Ditto on all counts!
__________________
Steve and Debbie
2016 - 21'

“Get out the map and lay your finger anywhere down” -Indigo Girls
Steve Clark is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2016, 03:30 PM   #13
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Olathe, Kansas
Trailer: 2015 21ft Escape "Spirit of the Plains", 2014 GMC Sierra with max tow package
Posts: 1,100
Quote:
Originally Posted by dmdunca44 View Post
Thank you all for your responses. I did not realize that ETI would accept a personal check.... Good to know.

We've just placed our order for a 19...
Congrats on placing the order for a new 19. Now the work with the build sheet starts.

As for using Fed Ex, the cost was about $46, and the check was there in under 24 hours. Loren
Loren & Cathy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2016, 05:38 PM   #14
Site Team
 
rbryan4's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canyon Lake, Texas
Trailer: 2015 19 "Past Tents", 2021 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB
Posts: 10,222
Quote:
Originally Posted by dmdunca44 View Post
Thank you all for your responses. I did not realize that ETI would accept a personal check.... Good to know.

We've just placed our order for a 19...
Congratulations!

We paid everything with a personal check - the deposit, and all remaining balances. It was trouble free. The exchange is done by the receiving bank, in this case, the bank used by Reace and Tammy. The exchange rate was quite competitive. We might have saved $40 or $50 by setting up a foreign account or using a currency exchange account, but for us the ease of just writing a check outweighed that by a mile.
__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
rbryan4 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2016, 06:10 PM   #15
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Port Townsend, Washington
Trailer: Escape 5.0 TA Oct 2019;current Escape 19 2017
Posts: 107
I appreciate the responses. Can you help me with another question?

We've just made a deposit on an Escape 19. I understand that $500 is not efundable and the remainder is refundable if we were to cancel the order before it goes into production.

My question is - if we were to prepay part of the balance and then had to cancel, would it be refunded less the non refundable portion?

(We are selling our current trailer and would like to apply the proceeds to a prepayment on the Escape to take advantage of the current exchange rate)
dmdunca44 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2016, 06:25 PM   #16
Site Team
 
rbryan4's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canyon Lake, Texas
Trailer: 2015 19 "Past Tents", 2021 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB
Posts: 10,222
My guess is yes, but these are questions best answered by Escape directly. Give them a call.
__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
rbryan4 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2016, 08:03 PM   #17
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Juneau, Alaska
Trailer: 2015 17A - Ready for more Maiden Voyages ....
Posts: 881
Quote:
Originally Posted by dmdunca44 View Post
Thank you all for your responses. I did not realize that ETI would accept a personal check.... Good to know.

We've just placed our order for a 19...

Congratulations on your new trailer order. As for paying for it, I used both Wells Fargo and Bank of America to send wire transfer with good timely results. Think Port Townsend has both banks.

I also took a drive up to Chilliwack and handed them my personal check. This was the most fun and since you live close, I recommend doing this. It was always a pleasure meeting the ETI crew, I got to see examples of trailers under construction (gotta call ahead and get there before noon), seeing other trailers helped me with my build sheet and ... well what could be nicer than a trip to Canada?

If you are paying in person, probably best to keep your payment to under than $10,000. The border guard will ask you if you are bringing $10,000 or more into Canada. I always wanted to answer their question cleanly ... "No" - hoping to stop any other questions along those lines. I never did find out if his question was pertaining to 10K US or CAN .... and it just didn't feel prudent to answer his question with another question.

Of course if you are paying by personal check, who is to know?

Couldn't recommend the drive more. With the expense of wire transfers, it should be a wash expense wise to drive. A couple years ago my Wire transfers were in the neighborhood of $75. That should pay for your ferry and a tank of gas and if you are really lucky, an order of Poutine. Should you want to stay overnight, The Best Western just down the street offers a discount to ETI customers which after the exchange rate makes staying there quite reasonable. Food is good too.

Tom
__________________
Consciousness: That confusing time between naps
StarvingHyena is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2016, 08:21 PM   #18
Senior Member
 
cpaharley2008's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
The $10,000 question pertains to cash, anyone can bring in more via checking accounts which is easily traceable, cash is not.
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
cpaharley2008 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2016, 10:27 PM   #19
Senior Member
 
float5's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Denison, Texas
Trailer: 2015 21'; 2011 19' sold; 4Runner; ph ninezero3 327-27ninefour
Posts: 5,136
When they say "cash," they include cashier's checks in that. We never had that occur to us but happened to be under the $10,000.
__________________
Cathy. Floating Cloud
"Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.... "
Emerson
float5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2016, 10:39 PM   #20
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1700
Posts: 14,935
Quote:
Originally Posted by StarvingHyena View Post
If you are paying in person, probably best to keep your payment to under than $10,000. The border guard will ask you if you are bringing $10,000 or more into Canada. I always wanted to answer their question cleanly ... "No" - hoping to stop any other questions along those lines. I never did find out if his question was pertaining to 10K US or CAN .... and it just didn't feel prudent to answer his question with another question.
If you were in doubt "I have a cheque for more than $10,000 - does that count?" seems like a perfectly reasonable response.

It's in the currency of the country which is asking the question... so when Canada Border Services is asking, they're talking about the value in Canadian dollars, whatever currency it is in. That means today if you enter Canada carrying US$7800 in US currency, the answer to the question is "yes, I have $7800 in US currency - I think that's more than $10,000 Canadian". The threshold happens to be the same number for those entering the United States, but in that case it's US dollars.

Even if you choose to carry over $10,000 that's still okay, as long as you have a legitimate purpose (and buying a trailer is certainly legitimate). They only want to ask people carrying large amounts of money what they're doing, to detect illegal activity.

Quote:
Originally Posted by cpaharley2008 View Post
The $10,000 question pertains to cash, anyone can bring in more via checking accounts which is easily traceable, cash is not.
I don't believe that's true. According to the CBSA on the web page Travelling with CAN$10,000 or more:
Quote:
Anytime you cross the border, you must declare any currency or monetary instruments you have valued at Can$10,000 or more. This amount includes Canadian or foreign currency or a combination of both. Monetary instruments include, but are not limited to, stocks, bonds, bank drafts, cheques and traveller's cheques. There are no restrictions on the amount of money you can bring into or take out of Canada, nor is it illegal to do so.

Entering Canada
When you arrive in Canada with Can$10,000 or more in your possession, you must report it on the CBSA Declaration Card (if one was provided to you), or in the verbal declaration made to a border services officer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by StarvingHyena View Post
Of course if you are paying by personal check, who is to know?
In the unlikely event that the cheque is discovered - perhaps because you looked nervous about answering "no" to a question for which you know the honest answer is "yes" - it is never a good thing to be saying to a border protection officer "I didn't think you'd find that"!

By the way, this means that those sending payments by courier must also report them:
Quote:
Reporting by courier
If you are sending currency or monetary instruments to or from Canada by courier, the person in charge of the conveyance or the courier must complete Cross-Border Currency or Monetary Instruments Report made by Person in charge of conveyance (Form E668), and attach it to the Cross-Border Currency or Monetary Instruments Report – General (Form E667), which you, the importer or exporter, must complete and provide to the courier. Both forms must be submitted to a CBSA office.
Brian B-P is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off




» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Escape Trailer Industries or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:15 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 2023 Social Knowledge, LLC All Rights Reserved.