Hey Apple, stop ripping off Canadians
An octo-core mac with 2gb ram:
U.S. Store : $4296 = ~$4140 CDN
Canada Store : $4955 CDN
difference = $815
Canadian prices have historically been hundreds of dollars more than U.S. prices, which was totally fair, up until just recently. Now that the Canadian dollar is worth more than the U.S. dollar, how do you justify an $815 difference? And don't tell me that's import fees or duty, because that's BS.
I own a g4, a g5 dual, an intel ibook, and I've purchased 3 ipods, a nano, and 3 shuffles (as gifts) in the past 5-6 years. I'm pretty familiar with apple pricing.
this is way out of line.
please fix it, apple, or I'm going to build my own PC.... I hate to do it, but I can't justify throwing away $815, no matter how much I love you.
U.S. Store : $4296 = ~$4140 CDN
Canada Store : $4955 CDN
difference = $815
Canadian prices have historically been hundreds of dollars more than U.S. prices, which was totally fair, up until just recently. Now that the Canadian dollar is worth more than the U.S. dollar, how do you justify an $815 difference? And don't tell me that's import fees or duty, because that's BS.
I own a g4, a g5 dual, an intel ibook, and I've purchased 3 ipods, a nano, and 3 shuffles (as gifts) in the past 5-6 years. I'm pretty familiar with apple pricing.
this is way out of line.
please fix it, apple, or I'm going to build my own PC.... I hate to do it, but I can't justify throwing away $815, no matter how much I love you.
Comments
On the plus side, Leopard will retail for $129 in Canada.
Why are import duties and VAT BS? CA state sales tax is 354.42 on that item, and canadian taxes are known to be higher, not including import duties. There's a 19.6% markup here, which isn't out of the question. UK VAT alone is something like 17%
The fees you're talking about are in addition to the difference in price. You only pay sales tax in the province or state where you make the purchase. ie, California sales taxes are not built into the prices on the Canadian store.
We only get charged two taxes - GST and PST/HST... total is up to 15% taxes. But these are on top of the price quoted on apple web site.
Re: Duties.... there are no duties on electronics coming from US to Canada. We have to pay GST / HST when they cross the border.
The brokerage / customs fees are NOWHERE NEAR the US/Canada price differential.
The fees you're talking about are in addition to the difference in price. You only pay sales tax in the province or state where you make the purchase. ie, California sales taxes are not built into the prices on the Canadian store.
We only get charged two taxes - GST and PST/HST... total is up to 15% taxes. But these are on top of the price quoted on apple web site.
Re: Duties.... there are no duties on electronics coming from US to Canada. We have to pay GST / HST when they cross the border.
The brokerage / customs fees are NOWHERE NEAR the US/Canada price differential.
Also, keep in mind that the goods are shipped directly into Canada by Apple.
There is no double-duty, which seems to be what Splinemodel is implying. Even if the goods land briefly in the US (at a Fed-Ex hub) they are not dutiable in the US but only in Canada at the Canadian import/duty rate.
The price differential will probably disappear on the next hardware refresh. Considering that the Canadian $ is now worth 3 cents more than the US dollar, the slightly different import costs are a wash.
sure, the prices may become more fair at the refresh, but do you think we'd be waiting for a price modification if the exchange had jumped the same amount, but in the opposite direction?
Well you wouldn't be WAITING... you'd be buying.
The fees you're talking about ... We only get charged two taxes - GST and PST/HST... total is up to 15% taxes. But these are on top of the price quoted on apple web site.
Fair enough. I was using the CA sales tax as an example, and I'm aware that non-CA residents don't pay CA taxes. In most european countries, I seem to recall that VAT is worked into in the sales price. I wasn't sure if this were true in Canada as well, since I've never actually been to Canada.
I've been to Asia, Europe, and Australia but never Canada or Mexico.
* For instance, the Canadian dollar has only gained $0.02 on the Euro in the past year, but nearly $0.15 on the US dollar.
but I suspect that it's more likely that Apple will be forced to raise the US prices due to diminishing purchasing power of the US dollar (rather than lower the Canadian, European, etc... prices).
No, because the parts & manufacturing is almost entirely US and China based. The Yuan is tied to the US Dollar (in all likelihood this is one of the contributors to the dollar's recent weakness).
Better that pricing not swing that fast, keeps people stable and sane! That being said alot is said to everyone out there by keeping your wallet closed for a while and force prices down due to lower sales.. (which is what I am doing
http://www.kayakingtours.com/kayakin...-columbia.html
My next Mac may indeed be purchased in the States, especially if the delta in prices is greater than the cost of a return ticket.
Auto manufacturers are trying to stop Canadians from going to the U.S. to buy vehicles by not selling to them. This has created a class action suit against them on the basis of discrimination by nationality. I've been looking into this - a GMC truck, loaded to the gills, retails at about $70.000 Canadian, but in Nevada (for example) sells for $50,000 (figures rounded off).
It gets worse... look at Bombardier. A LIBERAL government tax supported manufacturer. A Canadian can buy the EXACT SAME product in the states (that was BUILT in Canada) for 40% LESS than in Canada!
EXCEPT.... Bombardier has prohibited the U.S. dealers from selling to Canadians forcing them to buy their tax supported product at a 40% higher amount in their home country!
hmmmm.... only in Canada!
I think I'll pick up my new Mac when I get to Nevada to pick up my new truck!
LOL!
BTW: What happened to the North American Free Trade act?
(rhetorical question)