Buying audio online from the USA -- mistake?
12-11-2003, 04:21 PM
#21
1000 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,649
http://www.ups.com/content/ca/en/shi...clearance.html
Here's what you can expect the damage to be. I just ordered a bunch of home audio parts from a store i nthe states, and they were sent UPS, scheduled to arrive tomorrow...
Here's what you can expect the damage to be. I just ordered a bunch of home audio parts from a store i nthe states, and they were sent UPS, scheduled to arrive tomorrow...
12-11-2003, 06:39 PM
#22
Yankee
Join Date: Nov 2001
Posts: 385
Originally posted by bigmike216:
http://www.ups.com/content/ca/en/shi...clearance.html
Here's what you can expect the damage to be. I just ordered a bunch of home audio parts from a store i nthe states, and they were sent UPS, scheduled to arrive tomorrow...
http://www.ups.com/content/ca/en/shi...clearance.html
Here's what you can expect the damage to be. I just ordered a bunch of home audio parts from a store i nthe states, and they were sent UPS, scheduled to arrive tomorrow...
12-11-2003, 06:59 PM
#23
Guest
Posts: n/a
One thing to remember about buying online from the States, is the effect it has down the road. Yes it is a bit cheaper for you right now, but in a few years when all the independant shops are gone because no one buys their equipment at B&M anymore where will you turn for advice or troubleshooting help? If you want to enter your cool new gear at a soundoff where will you go? Where will you go to look at the cool new gear or demo the speakers before you buy them. Now alot of people will say you have to adapt or go the way of the dinosaur, that's fine, but if by adapting you mean match the price of a place that has no overhead it can't be done. So the only option is the way of the dinosaur and that's fine with me too. To tell you the truth I do this because I love it but I could probably be making more money at something else and that's what I'll do when it comes down to it. But who is going to be putting everyones stuff in, or figuring out what is wrong with it when it breaks?
I know if I didn't work for a shop i would probably move the Huntsville or wherever Moe's shop is to become a regular customer of his, for the simple fact that a price tag cannot be put on his dedication to competing in Canada. That sort of thing has to be taken into consideration.
I know if I didn't work for a shop i would probably move the Huntsville or wherever Moe's shop is to become a regular customer of his, for the simple fact that a price tag cannot be put on his dedication to competing in Canada. That sort of thing has to be taken into consideration.
12-12-2003, 11:13 AM
#24
1000 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,649
I'm all for supporting you local shop.. but when the difference is literaly hundreds of dolars.. it just makes more sense to buy online. If the difference is only $50 or so(Depending on the price of the items..) then buying local is the way to go.
12-12-2003, 12:18 PM
#25
50 Watt CAFz'r
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 70
Well, I my JL 500/1 just came in the mail via UPS. Got assessed $110CDN in fees, so you guys were right. All total though, I paid $623CDN for this amp, which is $527CDN less than what I would pay for it at Kennedy HiFi ($1000 plus 15% tax is $1150), so I am happy [img]smile.gif[/img]
Dereck, I still support the Canadian shops, however, they have to be more competitive with the pricing of the premium stuff. I have already bought my deck from a shop. I will also buy the dash kit and wiring there.
Dereck, I still support the Canadian shops, however, they have to be more competitive with the pricing of the premium stuff. I have already bought my deck from a shop. I will also buy the dash kit and wiring there.
12-12-2003, 01:32 PM
#28
Yankee
Join Date: Nov 2001
Posts: 385
Originally posted by Jeremy_ESQ:
FYI, I got charged 27.49 GST, 31.42 PST, 48.40 brokerage fee, and 3.39 GST on the brokerage fee.
Stupid brokerage fee!
FYI, I got charged 27.49 GST, 31.42 PST, 48.40 brokerage fee, and 3.39 GST on the brokerage fee.
Stupid brokerage fee!
12-12-2003, 02:09 PM
#29
Originally posted by PerryB:
Stupid brokerage fee lol...I think I would be a little more mad at the ton of taxes that had to be paid. At least with a brokerage fee, you are paying somebody for a necessary service in order to get your stuff.
Stupid brokerage fee lol...I think I would be a little more mad at the ton of taxes that had to be paid. At least with a brokerage fee, you are paying somebody for a necessary service in order to get your stuff.
I guess not everyone lives close to the border so that you can send it to a storage place and hop across the line and pick the stuff up to declare it yourself. GST/PST is what we're paying anyway for goods bought up here. Brokerage can be avoided.
12-12-2003, 03:56 PM
#30
Yankee
Join Date: Nov 2001
Posts: 385
Originally posted by Chadxton:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by PerryB:
Stupid brokerage fee lol...I think I would be a little more mad at the ton of taxes that had to be paid. At least with a brokerage fee, you are paying somebody for a necessary service in order to get your stuff.
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by PerryB:
Stupid brokerage fee lol...I think I would be a little more mad at the ton of taxes that had to be paid. At least with a brokerage fee, you are paying somebody for a necessary service in order to get your stuff.
I guess not everyone lives close to the border so that you can send it to a storage place and hop across the line and pick the stuff up to declare it yourself. GST/PST is what we're paying anyway for goods bought up here. Brokerage can be avoided. </font>[/QUOTE]It sounds like brokerage is really hit or miss. By necessary, I mean, "if it isn't paid, the stuff won't cross the border and hence, won't be imported." I am sure people have occasionally received stuff without paying brokerage but at some value level, I would imagine Canadian Customs requires an entry on the goods.
If it is above a certain value, it probably is going to be charged either by the broker or the carrier(fedex, ups). That doesn't include any duties either(if it isn't made in the US/CA/MX, there will probably be some duty). You are buying something from another country. It is logical to assume there will be extra costs/paperwork involved. Your best bet may be the postal service. Now, ofcourse, my experience with customs/brokerage is on the US side when I worked for a customs broker for 7 years or so. We even got calls from post offices when they had international packages valued over $1250. They had to follow the same entrance requirements(formal entry required by customs which a consignee could not do themselves). UPS/FEDEX were in their own world when it came to brokerage. They were also allowed more flexibility when calculating duties for the US from what I heard. There is no way the Fedex brokers in Memphis could be THAT fast in finding find the classification for something(the us tariff schedule is rather thick and not necessarily the easiest reading), calculate duty, etc and not hold up packages for very long. I doubt US Customs every really questioned the duties on fedex/ups shipments.
Your BEST bet for cheaper brokerage is truck freight(atleast that is how it would be in the US). The procedure is MUCH simpler going across the border via truck than it is for air freight. The US customs paperwork is much less complicated, less time consuming, and hence, cheaper to do(and the brokers charge much less for it).
[ December 12, 2003, 05:14 PM: Message edited by: PerryB ]
