Canadian dollar vs USD

[TTMartin]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

If the product is shipped from the U.S., the purchase is often treated as a purchase in the U.S. - priced in USD - but that is not the case where the company has U.S. and Canadian distribution... and when that is done the buyer is responsible for the importation (brokerage costs, and any regulatory requirements).

Another good example is Amazon Canada (amazon.ca) and Amazon USA (amazon.com). Two different prices. Amazon Canada isn't supposed to ship to US addresses and Amazon USA isn't supposed to ship to Canadian addresses.

[Mike G]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

That is not true. If the product is shipped from the U.S., the purchase is often treated as a purchase in the U.S. - priced in USD - but that is not the case where the company has U.S. and Canadian distribution... and when that is done the buyer is responsible for the importation (brokerage costs, and any regulatory requirements).

Try buying any part of any brand of automobile, or the automobile itself, or anything sold by any major retailer with a presence in both countries (Walmart, for example), and you'll see that prices for the two markets are independent and the buyer cannot choose which price they want to pay.

The most relevant example, outside of RVs, would be those automobiles. No, I can't buy a car from any manufacturer at the U.S. price and have them ship it to me in Canada. One thing that automobiles and Escapes have in common is that they are vehicles subject to importation requirements.

The examples are not apropos. Walmart has stores in both countries. Ford, GM, etc have retail outlets in both countries. ETI sells all of its trailers.... wait for it.... factory direct, from the factory in Canada. Sumas is just a pickup point, not a retail location.

[Perry Butler]

Originally Posted by Mike G

The examples are not apropos. Walmart has stores in both countries. Ford, GM, etc have retail outlets in both countries. ETI sells all of its trailers.... wait for it.... factory direct, from the factory in Canada. Sumas is just a pickup point, not a retail location.

True. For years Rease and Tammy sold the camper in Canadian dollars and merely drove the camper across the boarder to Sumas for pickup. There was, and still is, only one sales location. If it was illegal you can rest assured they would have been stopped at the border. That's one reason we purchased an Escape.

However, it's another way to create more revenue and their right to do so. I'd still buy another Escape today though.

Enjoy,

Perry

[Vermilye]

I picked up my 2011 17B at the factory in Chilliwack, showed the authorities at the border a bunch of paperwork issued by Escape, and drove around the US for 88 days before hitting NY. I used a mailed set of paperwork from Tammy to register the trailer in NY a month before picking up the trailer, so I took a NY plate to Chilliwack.

I guess times have changed...

[cpaharley2008]

Each individual state where you live have their own rules, some require inspection, some do not,
some you can pre=register, some you can not. YMMV....

[Perry Butler]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Each individual state where you live have their own rules, some require inspection, some do not,
some you can pre=register, some you can not. YMMV....

Minnesota allowed us to pre-register. Escape sent me the needed papers, however the first DMV I tried refused to issue plates. I went to another DMV in Rochester and had the license plate in hand 15 minutes after I walked into the door.

Enjoy,

Perry

[Fender]

I don't think ETI is an oddball exception at all. My experience has been that Canadian companies will price in the currency where they are getting most of their sales - which only makes sense.
I suspect for every trailer ETI sells in Canada they sell 10 in the US but still provide the convenience of pricing in both currencies.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Mike G

The examples are not apropos. Walmart has stores in both countries. Ford, GM, etc have retail outlets in both countries. ETI sells all of its trailers.... wait for it.... factory direct, from the factory in Canada. Sumas is just a pickup point, not a retail location.

The trailer is delivered to a U.S. customer in Sumas, already imported to the U.S. by ETI. Effectively, it is a retail location.

If you want the price which is charged at the Canadian location, present yourself to ETI as a Canadian resident, pay for the trailer at the Canadian price and in Canadian dollars, pick it up in Chilliwack, and import it to the U.S. by yourself... a mirror image of the same process that I have to follow to buy from Walmart or an automotive manufacturer at the U.S. price.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Perry Butler

True. For years Rease and Tammy sold the camper in Canadian dollars and merely drove the camper across the boarder to Sumas for pickup. There was, and still is, only one sales location. If it was illegal you can rest assured they would have been stopped at the border...

It wasn't illegal because when they "merely drove the camper across the border" they actually imported it to the U.S.

[Perry Butler]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

It wasn't illegal because when they "merely drove the camper across the border" they actually imported it to the U.S.

Unless you prove to us otherwise, and you haven't, they could still do that today, but they won't since they can generate more revenue from US customers. It was a discrepancy that the new owners found to make more money, so actually Canadians have an advantage compared to what US owners have to pay.

Enjoy,

Perry

[emers382]

Originally Posted by Perry Butler

Unless you prove to us otherwise, and you haven't, they could still do that today, but they won't since they can generate more revenue from US customers. It was a discrepancy that the new owners found to make more money, so actually Canadians have an advantage compared to what US owners have to pay.

Enjoy,

Perry

We may have an advantage but at the price of a new one today,I couldn't afford one. Luckily a nearly new 2016 came up for sale four years ago and we bought it.

[Bill_75]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

I liked it better when I was a kid. My Grandma's chicken farm was a mile from the border. We'd cross over and buy an ice cream cone. Didn't cost as much because, gasp, hard to believe, but the Canadian buck was worth $1.05US then.

We'll never see those days again.

Ron

Growing up 30 miles from the border in the 60's - 70's, it seemed like the USD was always worth .05 more than our x-border currency. We always had to be on the lookout as a cashier for people slipping us those Canadian coins.

[Mike G]

I just want to say that Brian B-P has posted a ton of great info over the years, and I have found much of it to be very beneficial. Same goes for Perry Butler.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Perry Butler

It was a discrepancy that the new owners found to make more money, so actually Canadians have an advantage compared to what US owners have to pay.

The change accommodated U.S. buyers who were continually complaining that the effective price to them changed due to currency fluctuations between the time that the order was finalized and the date of payment; it may have also reflected an intention at the time for ETI or its owner to move business to the U.S. The relative U.S. and Canadian prices were set based on the exchange rate of the time, and have not been changed since, in this case giving Canadian buyers an advantage due to the reduction in the value of the Canadian dollar relative to the U.S. dollar. Since some of ETI's expenses are in USD, charging a USD price for at least U.S. buyers makes some sense.

That's the way currency exchange fluctuations work - the advantage can go either way. Of course that's fine with U.S. residents when it works in their favour, and for some it's a big conspiracy when it doesn't.

[Rossue]

Disagree with that narrative. Since 2014 U.S. buyers have only benefitted from a favorable exchange rate. ETI saw another Profit Center and went for it.

[MarkinVan]

And that is the whole point of a business.
Profit is not a dirty word.

Americans won't buy if they don't see value
.
Americans get to buy with out paying tax in Canada.

Trying being a Canadian business competing with US companies.
I think they do it well.

When global economies get shaky everyone wants the US dollar and it goes up. Makes easier for Americans to buy things mostly but harder to sell things.

A cup of coffee at Starbucks is cheaper for Canadians in Canada that it is for Americans in the US without taking exchange into account.

Americans just have to decide if they see value and compared for example to a Airstream Basecamp 20, I think it is obvious.

[MarkinVan]

Originally Posted by Mike G

The examples are not apropos. Walmart has stores in both countries. Ford, GM, etc have retail outlets in both countries. ETI sells all of its trailers.... wait for it.... factory direct, from the factory in Canada. Sumas is just a pickup point, not a retail location.

Sumas saves Americans paying 12% tax and allows for easy registration and hence an export price.

[Rossue]

Originally Posted by MarkinVan

And that is the whole point of a business.
Profit is not a dirty word.

Americans won't buy if they don't see value
.
Americans get to buy with out paying tax in Canada.

Trying being a Canadian business competing with US companies.
I think they do it well.

When global economies get shaky everyone wants the US dollar and it goes up. Makes easier for Americans to buy things mostly but harder to sell things.

A cup of coffee at Starbucks is cheaper for Canadians in Canada that it is for Americans in the US without taking exchange into account.

Americans just have to decide if they see value and compared for example to a Airstream Basecamp 20, I think it is obvious.

Doesn't change the facts. Yes- ETI 2.0 is seeking highest profits while potentially alienating a LOT of previous U.S. buyers.

I would not purchase another new Escape trailer.

[Deva]

Originally Posted by Rossue

Doesn't change the facts. Yes- ETI 2.0 is seeking highest profits while potentially alienating a LOT of previous U.S. buyers.

I would not purchase another new Escape trailer.

You are not alone. I think someone mentioned on some other thread they got their trailer a year before their anticipated finish date. I’d love to know how many people had to cancel their order to make that possible… Obvious to me that Escape 2.0 biggest concern is profit while customer satisfaction seems to have taken a nose dive. Word of mouth is invaluable for business growth, as long as it’s GOOD word of mouth.

[MarkinVan]

Originally Posted by Rossue

Doesn't change the facts. Yes- ETI 2.0 is seeking highest profits while potentially alienating a LOT of previous U.S. buyers.

I would not purchase another new Escape trailer.

So what are you buying?