Odering from Ecotech?

[Reef Supplies]

Originally Posted by asylumdown

+1 on product like Ecotech. The sticker price on Canadian websites will almost always be higher than what you see on an American manufacturer's site, but by the time you factor in international shipping, the exchange rate, and customs fees, it often works out being in your favour to order from the Canadian site that gets a better rate on all that by ordering it in large quantities and wholesale.

Canada gets screwed in general in the land of online shopping. That 49th parallel isn't just an imaginary line on a map, it's a magical barrier who's secret power is the make anything that passes it more expensive.

You can thank our founding fathers for that.

The exchange rate alone Is worth shopping here....at least in this hobby.

There are however some Industries who still think the USD rate is still a buck and a half.

[asylumdown]

yah the only time I buy from American stores is if I can't get the particular product in Canada. International shipping is practically a criminal racket.

Case in point - I ordered Dr. Tim's one and only live bacteria once in a moment of clouded judgement back when I started up my current tank. Shipping was as much as the actual product.

There was one other thing I got from the states a while back, I can't even remember what it was. I remember the shipping being almost as much as the product, and then two weeks later those little gremlins at Fedex sent me a second bill for the brokerage. All told, shipping, customs, and brokerage cost 115% of the thing I ordered (I don't remember the product, but I do remember the outrage at that number).

My sister owns a retail clothing store here in Calgary that opened up an online store last year. She gets it even worse because literally every single piece of clothing on the planet comes from Asia, but usually wholesales from the US. The cost to import it in to the States is baked in to the price she pays wholesale, and then she has to bring it in to Canada and gets double-dinged on textile tariffs because Canada doesn't care that it's gone through the US and already paid tariffs when they dip their fingers in the "it came from Asia so pay up" pot. Add in shipping and the exchange rate and I cease to be even the tiniest bit surprised that "Canadian" retail brands are an endangered species. Walk three feet across the Montana border and margins get cut in half for some products.

If our government really cared about keeping Canadian businesses competitive in an online world, they'd be looking real hard at the costs they impose on small and large businesses alike to get their products to market when every person with an internet connection can see what US retailers are able to charge for the same thing.

*sigh* rant over. sorry for the hijack.

[gregzz4]

Jeff brought in RF modules for me with his next Ecotech order
Doesn't take that long and if I recall correctly, the most recent price was around $55

[intarsiabox]

Originally Posted by asylumdown

There was one other thing I got from the states a while back, I can't even remember what it was. I remember the shipping being almost as much as the product, and then two weeks later those little gremlins at Fedex sent me a second bill for the brokerage. All told, shipping, customs, and brokerage cost 115% of the thing I ordered (I don't remember the product, but I do remember the outrage at that number).

The trick to buying from the states is make sure the seller will ship via USPS. The shipping charges are about the same as they are shipping within Canada, no brokerage fees and I've only been charged twice for a $5 handling fee and GST from Canada Customs, usually I pay neither. I haven't bought a lot of aquarium related stuff from the US but my other hobbies usually come in at around 25% cheaper to my door than buying Canadian. I find some of the Canadian LFS have done a pretty good job at keeping their prices lower than others and fairly close to par with the US given the exchange rate.

[Jordon]

I ordered my RF modules from GoReef, which I think is the same family as Reef Supplies. Great service and fast shipping!

[intarsiabox]

Originally Posted by JDH

I ordered my RF modules from GoReef, which I think is the same family as Reef Supplies. Great service and fast shipping!

I've ordered from these guys as well and agree that service and ship times were excellent.

[sumpfinfishe]

Good to see this post get totally side tracked as price had nothing to due with my question regarding buying rf modules from ecotech. It was simply availability lol. Hopefully when i call jeff tomorrow he can add a couple to his next order too.

[spedly]

reefsupplies.ca is my first choice for all hardware. Ray really gave me a wow experience on a recent Tunze order I made.

Sometimes I have to order stuff from the US as we'll but I always try and keep my money in Canada and support great businesses.