Buying from Canada I got KILLED by the Canadian tax rate... That is a big chunk of change my friends. Buying from US will have lower tax loading.
Note: according to the NAFTA laws if the product you by from the US or Mexico is made in the US or Mexico then there is no duty fee. Dont you love capitalism

 

I'be bought everything online, can't beet those american prices, especially with the exchange the way it is right now, and I habe't had any problems with warranty, but I think it depends on the manufacturer, some say "If there not an authorized dealer etc..." your screwed

 

Whatever you do, don't have it shipped UPS or Fedex, they'll hose you with huge brokerage fees just to collect the GST. I've gotten a $32 bill from Fedex(on top of the GST) on a $15 purchase.
Get it shipped USPS/Canada Post, they only charge $5 for brokerage.

 

Greg, you posted what I was just about to post. Make sure, double make sure, and triple make sure that it isn't being sent by UPS. Same situation as you, I bought a $300 computer through e-bay, ended up with a $300 brokerage fee from UPS. Argued it with them and got it brought down to $100, still ended up being a lot more than it should have.

If it's going over the border, send it USPS!!!

 

If you or customs can't prove that the product is not made in US or Mexico, they treat it as US built.
Was it just the Canadian tax rate, or did they sting you for more than that? Sheesh, so much for free trade, you know? [img]graemlins/freak.gif[/img]

 

If you or customs can't prove that the product is not made in US or Mexico, they treat it as US built.
Was it just the Canadian tax rate, or did they sting you for more than that? Sheesh, so much for free trade, you know? [img]graemlins/freak.gif[/img] </font>[/QUOTE]I worked for a US Customs broker for quite a few years before going back to grad school so I could become a guidance counselor. You are lucky that if the product doesn't indicate a c/o(country of origin), then they just assume it is US made. If that happened over here, Customs wouldn't just assume something coming in from Canada(especially something like electronics) was made in Canada. This could cause serious delays while the shipper or consignee showed proof of country of origin(which is country of manufacture).

Also, even with Nafta, US Customs required formal entries on shipments valued over US$1250. Ofcourse, there was rarely any duty on any canadian products, but Customs still required entries, documentation of an "importer of record" which required an entry bond, etc. Doing the paperwork is where a customs broker comes in and where a brokerage fee comes from. Now, the ton of extra taxes you pay for the privilege of living in Canada are another story. [img]smile.gif[/img]

 

Even paying the duty/taxes was cheaper Granted it's kicker so no so popular on there Comp Vr model, but local they still charge arm and a leg for the Vrs... So when I paid 450$ it was everything included..

 

I've purchased online twice in the US...

First time I ordered a pair of Shivas direct from Adire. Shipping wasn't too bad, but when the UPS guy showed up at my door, I was nailed with a $60 duty fee. At the time I was too excited to care, but damn... I wasn't expecting that. I never had to make use of the warranty.

2nd time I ordered an amp from an online retailer through Ebay. This time there were no hidden costs that I wasn't expecting, and everything went smoothly. As with the Shivas, I haven't had to make use of warranty, and the amp has been going strong for over a year now.

I'm really not sure why I wasn't charged any extra fees for the amp. My Shivas were shipped via UPS, and the amp came through FedEx. Since then I've bought a Brahma through a Canadian online retailer (Sixteen Studios - awesome company), and I think I will try to purchase within Canada from now on. My only real gripe with online purchasing is with the shipping companies. Always make sure a signature is required on delivery... My amp was left in the dirt beside my front doorstep with the package contents clearly labeled. Not good... My Brahma - which I made sure to have a signature required for delivery - was brought to some anonymous neighbour's house in my area, and he was (luckily) kind enough to bring the 55lb package to my door. This wasn't an address misprint either... Sixteen Studios looked into the matter for me, and apparently the driver was going to be questioned, and if this was not the first occurance, he was to be fired.

Anyways... IMO, buying online isn't risk-free, but in most cases the money you save is worth the extra sleepless nights. [img]smile.gif[/img]

 

I have bought many things online through ebay, I find that if you shop around you can get things for much less online from the states than from stores in Canada. Also if you buy something from ebay ask the seller to declare the value as something lower and/or declare it as a 'gift' you save taxes, brokerage that way. Also use USPS and NOT UPS for shipping. USPS does take longer though but the brokerage costs are much less.

 

Keep the feedback coming [img]smile.gif[/img]

My 10W6v2 was indeed sent via USPS.

Unfortunately my 500/1 was sent via UPS. I'll let you know what the damage is
Doesn't matter anyways ... I got quoted $1000 for that amp from Kennedy HiFi. Paid about $450CDN for it online plus whatever brokerage fees there are.