Are you still buying in the USA? Why?

[RuGlu6]

Here is an example
2.5L Bubble Magus Dosing Container $58.99+tax+$8.94 shipping= $67.93+tax=$76
http://www.reefsupplies.ca/canada/bu...ontainer-2-5l/

Exactly the same item for $20 (select size in drop down window)
http://www.reefshops.com/liquid-storage-bucket.html
$43 total shipped looks a lot less the $76 to me. Plus i could use a $9 discount from my previous purchase.

Bubble magus NAC7 cone skimmer $248.99+tax =$278+free shipping
http://www.reefsupplies.ca/canada/bu...-cone-skimmer/

Exactly the same item for $170+$38 shipping= total $208 shipped.
http://www.reefshops.com/bubble-magu...n-skimmer.html

[Seriak]

Originally Posted by RuGlu6

Here is an example
2.5L Bubble Magus Dosing Container $58.99+tax+$8.94 shipping= $67.93+tax=$76
http://www.reefsupplies.ca/canada/bu...ontainer-2-5l/

Exactly the same item for $20 (select size in drop down window)
http://www.reefshops.com/liquid-storage-bucket.html
$43 total shipped looks a lot less the $76 to me. Plus i could use a $9 discount from my previous purchase.

Bubble magus NAC7 cone skimmer $248.99+tax =$278+free shipping
http://www.reefsupplies.ca/canada/bu...-cone-skimmer/

Exactly the same item for $170+$38 shipping= total $208 shipped.
http://www.reefshops.com/bubble-magu...n-skimmer.html

You have to be careful with that site. It looks like most of their stuff is 220V.

[Magma]

Originally Posted by Reef Supplies

As a hobbiest you cant possibly be saving money from buying US, can you? Check out this site, it is pretty accurate http://www.thefinalcost.com/shipments/calculate/

This is not accurate at all, I just used a previous order coming from the US and input all the values.

Actual Values
Sub Total $125.00
Shipping Total $12.00
Grand Total $137.00

Brokerage fee when the item arrived via Fedex $16.02 making the total cost of the item
$153.02

Same values put into this calculator

Final Price
CAD$ 184.53

Thats about 30$ different..

Not to mention I find if you can get items shipped via USPS 9/10 times if the dollar value is below 200$ you wont see brokerage fees, sure you have to wait longer but seems worth it IMO.

[Reef Supplies]

Originally Posted by Magma

This is not accurate at all, I just used a previous order coming from the US and input all the values.

Actual Values
Sub Total $125.00
Shipping Total $12.00
Grand Total $137.00

Brokerage fee when the item arrived via Fedex $16.02 making the total cost of the item
$153.02

Same values put into this calculator

Final Price
CAD$ 184.53

Thats about 30$ different..

Not to mention I find if you can get items shipped via USPS 9/10 times if the dollar value is below 200$ you wont see brokerage fees, sure you have to wait longer but seems worth it IMO.

The $30 differnce is proably in the duty. If the shipper supplied the NAFTA and the item is made in USA, you save most of the duty. You also need to look at what visa charged you..very minimal, right around $3 for the conversion.

thanks

[lockrookie]

Originally Posted by intarsiabox

Don't get things shipped by courier and you don't pay brokerage or duty, most times not even taxes. I buy things from the US and over seas often and just get it sent via USPS or regular air mail and have only occasionally had to pay GST but never any of the other charges you list. Maybe from a business perspective when you are buying pallets of stuff you can't avoid some of these charges but a regular consumer can. It usually takes 2-3 weeks this way but it's much cheaper. I even have over seas merchants ask me what I want them to declare the value of the merchandise is to lower the potential GST costs on my end. I really don't know how customs decides when to charge GST or not but so far I only pay it 1 in 10 purchases.

Wife s from the us if you mail the package and keep the items under a 60 dollar value you can get away with no duty...

Kind you he parents shipped up clothes she left in by and. THey charged us 40 dollars for used clothing we already owned

Sent from a pineapple under the sea...

[Mike-fish]

with customs it's practically whose hands touch it. I've brought stuff in from the states 2 packages (to big and heavy to make it one) both with identical contents and such. shipped from same person (and address) same day to the same address on the same day. both shipped the same way too. one had a 20$ fee on it and the other one no charge.

[mike31154]

I imagine it boils down to the luck of the draw in many cases for the smaller, lower cost items. If you consider the volume of goods coming in & going out of the country, customs can't possibly screen every single item. I'm sure much of it is xrayed to help them decide what gets scrutinized more closely.

I've been ordering various items in small batches from Asia via eBay for a DIY LED lighting build since January & have yet to pay any duty or brokerage. I made sure the items I purchased had free or minimal shipping costs, so no surprises. All the orders were under the $50 mark with 2 exceptions & even they were under $100. Funny thing though, although most items entered through Van, one order went all the way to Mississauga for customs processing before making it's way to Vernon. Go figure.

[lastlight]

Originally Posted by bikkon

I have a duty for you.. I have duty for check you! no way.... May be right here something else.. I already owned and used charge $ 30.!

These bots are getting dumber... or is it just me?

[gobytron]

Originally Posted by Reef Supplies

With our dollar being at par, the only reason you should be buying in the US is if there is a product you can not find here OR if your buying large amounts. We have a couple of suppliers in the states whom we deal with on a monthly basis and we need to buy $5000+ to make it profitable. We try to keep the shipping/duty/brokerage cost between 8 and 12% of the total sale.

As a hobbiest you cant possibly be saving money from buying US, can you? Check out this site, it is pretty accurate http://www.thefinalcost.com/shipments/calculate/

On 2 occasions this weekend we were asked to match a US retailers price. Both times we were actually cheaper when calculating the TRUE cost of the US item delivered to your door. 90% of the time UPS will be handling your US/CA border brokering. If you buy a $200 item you need to add $25 just for brokering, then you have shipping, Disbursement fees and Visa fees. Visa charges about 2.5% conversion fees.

Being Sunday, I'll be back and forth all day so my replies will be delayed.

Please discuss

Ray

Spoken like a vendor...lol
I cant help but think of books...
I'm an avid reader and it's so irritating to see the USD price 30% lower than the CDN. Even after nearly 2 years of parity between our currencies.

The reality is, in my experience, any difference in price that might equal savings to the end consumer is just eaten up by vendors and retailers.

Not saying that's not fair practice, lord knows Id run my business the same way and would relish the extra margin after struggling to compete with US companies for so long when all we really had going for us was our cheap dollars.

But to say were better off buying Canadian...I just dont see it.

You are better off if we all buy Canadian, and as an extension of the canadian hobbyist community we are certainly better off supporting Candian vendors and retailers but lets at least look at both sides of the coin.

It's no cheaper, and just like books, mysteriously any difference in prices to the end user are simply non existent...dollar parity or not.