Canadians are suckers

[gbaglo]

Had my son-in-law help out, looking for a car charger for a Mac for a member here.

And this is what he found.
How is it justified to charge that much for the same product?
No wonder I had him order from Amazon.com and ship to his US box.

 

[Rossue2]

Well, is it not essentially the same as the rest of Great Britian? When my daughter's laptop crashed about this time last year while she was at Reading I needed to get a replacement. Looking at prices in UK was like going into a car dealership here and paying sticker price.

Sent her a refurb from Newegg(big mistake-wouldn't recommend) and shipped it over. Guess what? She had to pay $100 VAT tax, even though she was a U.S. citizen.

Bottom line is "You Gotta Pay Da Tax" ( Quote from CA Board of Equalization Mgr.)

 

[gbaglo]

Those prices had nothing to do with tax.
Tax would be added at checkout, depending on the province it was being shipped to.
And, we're not part of Great Britain.
We borrow England's queen from time to time for parades, sorta like your First Lady.

 

[BCnomad]

My favourite is "free shipping" to the lower 48 but Canada shipping is $$$.

 

[lancenadine]

Had my son-in-law help out, looking for a car charger for a Mac for a member here.

And this is what he found.
How is it justified to charge that much for the same product?
No wonder I had him order from Amazon.com and ship to his US box.

Is the cost to pick up, gas, time, etc. factored into this? Does he live in the U.S.?
Just wondering if this is really a direct comparison.

 

[gbaglo]

He says he saves enough to cover gas and any duty and tax.
They have a family post box and somebody is probably heading down on any given weekend. They also have Nexus pass so they don't spend hours at the border.
I'd just like somebody to tell me why a product costs $30.99 U.S. on Amazon US and costs $106.21 CDN on Amazon CA. What could be the justification?

 

[EDarby]

Definitely unfair.

'Country pricing' a cause of Canada-U.S. price gaps - Canada - CBC News
Why Are Prices Higher In Canada Than In The U.S.? E-Book Industry Bets You're Willing To Pay

He says he saves enough to cover gas and any duty and tax.
They have a family post box and somebody is probably heading down on any given weekend. They also have Nexus pass so they don't spend hours at the border.
I'd just like somebody to tell me why a product costs $30.99 U.S. on Amazon US and costs $106.21 CDN on Amazon CA. What could be the justification?

 

[padlin]

Don't have to be a sucker, don't buy it. You could find a little lighter socket inverter at Canadian Tire for the $30.

 

[C&G in FL]

It ain't right. In my opinion which is supported by absolutely no knowledge of the matter, some of it may be due to duties and import fees but somewhere in the process I would bet that plain old greed is involved. This would seem to be particularly true when I can purchase something online from Bellingham, WA, and have it shipped to Florida and pay far less than a customer in Vancouver, a few miles/km away. Again, it just isn't right.

 

[Jim Bennett]

I'd just like somebody to tell me why a product costs $30.99 U.S. on Amazon US and costs $106.21 CDN on Amazon CA. What could be the justification?

I see ads like this all the time on amazon.ca. Not sure why they even bother to post them, it would take a supreme sucker to actually buy them. I often find the same product at less than 1/3 the cost shipped from the US, or from other Canadian retailers. You just have to be aware of costs when purchasing on amazon.ca.

Only a few things are priced this stupidly there, with the vast majority of things listed near what you can get them for elsewhere. With the free shipping and two day shipping on most things, it often makes it very worthwhile. There are also great deals to be had on things too. Case in point, I purchased my Andersen Ultimate Fifth Wheel Connection there. Listed at Andersen it is $1050 CAD, and a local hitch shop also sells it for the same price. I could not find a better deal anywhere, that is until I came across it on amazon.ca for $874.85 with free two day shipping. I also found the Andersen Camper Levelers there a bit cheaper than elsewhere too, so bought a couple.

Like anything, it is just a case of buyer beware. If anyone is interested, I have a bridge for sale.

 

[kootenaigirl]

I have experienced similar price 'gouging' on Amazon.ca too. Luckily we have a US post office box and get most items from Amazon.com.
I do always check on the Canadian site but most of the time the price is way higher even including the exchange.

 

[C&G in FL]

Like anything, it is just a case of buyer beware. If anyone is interested, I have a bridge for sale.

Jim, where exactly is the bridge you are selling? Would you be interested in a trade for some dry land in Southern Florida?

 

[gbaglo]

Don't have to be a sucker, don't buy it. You could find a little lighter socket inverter at Canadian Tire for the $30.

I have one ( 75 watt - $12 on sale ). Problem with that is you end up with the regular AC cord and its converter cluttering the counter. And, in my experience, the combination really sucks up power, going from 12V to 120V to ?? V.

 

[Jim Bennett]

I have a 12V phone charger in every vehicle, and one in the trailer too. Every electronics store sells them. When camping, it seems they are always charging somebodies phone. All you need to do is get a a dual USB port cigarette plug, and you can charge two devices at once. Do get one with as high of a charge current as possible.

Many new vehicles have USB ports built right in, though not always that high of current.

 

[gbaglo]

The charger I needed has to have a Mac MagSafe 2 plug. Wasn't easy to find the right one. It's 45W 60W 85W Super High Speed with a smart control chip.

 

[cpaharley2008]

Here is the one I got http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ETCD9BC?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00
no inverter needed.

 

[gbaglo]

You started all this when you posted that charger a while ago, and that's the one I got.

 

[cpaharley2008]

are you happy with it, other than the shipping?

 

[cpaharley2008]

There is one for $66 cn http://www.amazon.ca/Spal-Magsafe-A...d=1447608328&sr=8-57&keywords=macbook+charger
Ironically ships from NY for $6

 

[cpaharley2008]

Maybe we US citizens can purchase some of these exorbitant items for our friends up north and transport them to Osoyoos??