Frustration - vent

Hazel_B

I'm starting the budget / planning for putting in a new bathroom at my house. So, I went online and found this great shower fixture at Home Depot for just over $700 Canadian. Now that I live so close to the border I always check out US stuff too because the variety is better and normally the prices are too. So, I went to US Home Depot and found the exact same fixture for $488 American, it was $520 at Lowes.  That is over a $230 difference!

I could understand this difference when the Canadian dollar sucked, but it's basically at parity now. How on earth can they justify a $230 difference on an item?

Sorry to whine, but it is just so frustrating.

calindi

Is it made in the US?  Sometimes those import taxes are ridiculous to boost local products, so it could be that Canada is imposing a significant tax on the items to give their domestic manufacturers an edge.

Other than that, I don't know how they can justify it at all.  That's a big difference, sorry!

marleylikeair

GAH! Annoying.

I want a new bathroom in our place in the worst way. We really need a little half-bath on the second level of the house. It's an old house, and there's a bathroom on the main level, off of the kitchen, and a toilet in the basement that works. When I get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, I have to go so far there and back that I'm fully awake and it takes awhile to get back to sleep! It makes me nuts.

BF is kind of opposed to the idea of building a new bathroom because of the cost (he's a carpenter and estimates it would take about $5k). Considering he wants to sell the house in five years or sooner, and it's already worth as much as it's going to be in our 'hood, and the fact that we do not have $5k to throw around right now...SIGH.

PaigeMcC

I hate the difference between Canadian and US prices.  I can understand there must be some difference due to tax and charges for cross boarder shipping/transport/etc but it's outrageous sometimes! I noticed the difference in a paperback I was looking at buying the other day.  $12.99 Canadian or $6.99 American.  Uh..really? $6 for a book?  Mofos..

Anyways, the point of my rant is that I hear ya' Hazel! It sucks:/

Hazel_B

It is made in the US, but then it should fall under NAFTA.  Since my life is revolves around duties I could go look it up, but I don't want to bother sifting through HS Codes at the moment.

There is only one Canadian manufacturer who from what I can tells imports their product. They are also really high end, so this stuff shouldn't compete directly with it to make them want a duty.

No, I'm pretty sure it is lack of competition doing it.

Hazel_B

Paige - Yeah, I know what you mean. My NorthFace coat was $300 US or could have bought it here for $400. I wonder where I'm going to buy it?

Beads921

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_frustration-vent?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:136Discussion:d4f62cde-7468-4bc8-b048-b5e0a12edbf8Post:5eb16f43-69a0-4320-9fce-806e555cf08e">Re: Frustration - vent</a>:
[QUOTE]Paige - Yeah, I know what you mean. My NorthFace coat was $300 US or could have bought it here for $400. I wonder where I'm going to buy it?
Posted by Hazel_B[/QUOTE]

Hmm...I wonder. This is my b!tch as well. I live a couple hours from the border, so it's not so convenient, but Canadian mark ups (on everything) are ridiculous which just sends our shoppers across the border. How excellent for our economy....

heyimbren

Hazel, I was just thinking about this with VIA Rail. Their monopoly on train travel really bugs me lately.

But the book thing always gets me! This is why I love Kindle... books are down to being $6-7!

And Marley, I sympathize with the bathroom bit. We REALLY need to renovate our bathroom, but my family is too indecisive to actually talk about it and decide what to do and how to do it.. but it seriously needs to get done.

desertsun

Come on down, Canadians! Help us Americans out with our economy! :P

No, but for real...that sucks, guys. I'm sorry.

MLekathLEEN

I live about 6 miles from the Canadian border. When I worked at a department store, I used to always get Canadian women buying coach bags. They would also have me take out all of the stuffing/ tags off so they could just carry it back without paying taxes on it at the border. They'd always tell me about the price differences but I never realized it was that much on some things. I agree with desert, come on over ladies

marleylikeair

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_frustration-vent?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:d4f62cde-7468-4bc8-b048-b5e0a12edbf8Post:58e9aa32-389f-44da-9c08-fb91a457f1f8">Re: Frustration - vent</a>:
[QUOTE]I live about 6 miles from the Canadian border. When I worked at a department store, I used to always get Canadian women buying coach bags. They would also have me take out all of the stuffing/ tags off so they could just carry it back without paying taxes on it at the border. They'd always tell me about the price differences but I never realized it was that much on some things. I agree with desert, come on over ladies :)
Posted by MLekathLEEN[/QUOTE]

Dude, WTF? I would never outrightly ask someone to remove the stuffing FOR me. I know in some higher-end places, this is supposedly part of the service, but unless your head is right up your butt, don't you know that no matter now much you're paying for a bag or whatever, the salesperson is probably making some silly low hourly rate? If the salesperson offered, cool. If not, I'd unstuff it mydarnself and toss the tissue paper, etc., into a trash can somewhere. And anyway, why would these people want to tell a perfect stranger that they're a) bargain shopping across the border and b) smuggling it so as to avoid paying duties? FER SRS.

Beads921

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_frustration-vent?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:d4f62cde-7468-4bc8-b048-b5e0a12edbf8Post:93b847f0-54fd-43c8-8ab1-6ce97060119e">Re: Frustration - vent</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Frustration - vent : Dude, WTF? I would never outrightly ask someone to remove the stuffing FOR me. I know in some higher-end places, this is supposedly part of the service, but unless your head is right up your butt, don't you know that no matter now much you're paying for a bag or whatever, the salesperson is probably making some silly low hourly rate? If the salesperson offered, cool. If not, I'd unstuff it mydarnself and toss the tissue paper, etc., into a trash can somewhere.<strong> And anyway, why would these people want to tell a perfect stranger that they're a) bargain shopping across the border and b) smuggling it so as to avoid paying duties? </strong>FER SRS.
Posted by marleylikeair[/QUOTE]

<div>It's really no secret that Canadians bargain shop across the border all the time. Those who live near the border (on both sides) know it, and we're quite open about what we're willing to do to avoid taxes. Personally, I just pay the duty, it's not that bad, but some people will go to extreme lengths to avoid it. </div>

alanna91

Getting in to Canada was much easier than getting back in to America. The guy at the border just asked if we had any firearms, why we were coming, where we were staying, and where we were from. It was a ten minute mind trick to get back in to America, and he made us roll the windows down so he could inspect the car.
Anyway, my point is, couldn't you buy the shower fixture down in the US and drive back with it? The guy at the border didn't look through our car or anything. Also, how much does it cost to "claim" your purchases?

AudgiePodge

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_frustration-vent?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:d4f62cde-7468-4bc8-b048-b5e0a12edbf8Post:11f7b006-9ec0-4602-990a-1df5d02a3006">Re: Frustration - vent</a>:
[QUOTE]Getting in to Canada was much easier than getting back in to America. The guy at the border just asked if we had any firearms, why we were coming, where we were staying, and where we were from. It was a ten minute mind trick to get back in to America, and he made us roll the windows down so he could inspect the car. Anyway, my point is, couldn't you buy the shower fixture down in the US and drive back with it? The guy at the border didn't look through our car or anything. Also, how much does it cost to "claim" your purchases?
Posted by alanna91[/QUOTE]<div>
</div><div>I had an opposite experience.  It took forever to get into Canada.  They were very thorough.  Getting back into the US through Alaska was simple.  We just had to show our passports.  It's like we barely had to stop the car.

</div>

heyimbren

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_frustration-vent?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:136Discussion:d4f62cde-7468-4bc8-b048-b5e0a12edbf8Post:11f7b006-9ec0-4602-990a-1df5d02a3006">Re: Frustration - vent</a>:
[QUOTE]Getting in to Canada was much easier than getting back in to America. The guy at the border just asked if we had any firearms, why we were coming, where we were staying, and where we were from. It was a ten minute mind trick to get back in to America, and he made us roll the windows down so he could inspect the car. <strong>Anyway, my point is, couldn't you buy the shower fixture down in the US and drive back with it? The guy at the border didn't look through our car or anything. Also, how much does it cost to "claim" your purchases?
</strong>Posted by alanna91[/QUOTE]

That depends on how close you live to the border. If it's going to be a long drive, most people don't feel like it's worth the hassle.

Beads921

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_frustration-vent?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:d4f62cde-7468-4bc8-b048-b5e0a12edbf8Post:11f7b006-9ec0-4602-990a-1df5d02a3006">Re: Frustration - vent</a>:
[QUOTE]Getting in to Canada was much easier than getting back in to America. The guy at the border just asked if we had any firearms, why we were coming, where we were staying, and where we were from. It was a ten minute mind trick to get back in to America, and he made us roll the windows down so he could inspect the car. Anyway, my point is, couldn't you buy the shower fixture down in the US and drive back with it? The guy at the border didn't look through our car or anything. Also, how much does it cost to "claim" your purchases?
Posted by alanna91[/QUOTE]

<div>I went to the states with my parents and sister a few weeks ago to shop (for clothes, primarily). Combined, we purchased $600 worth of merchandise, and paid $75 at the border in duty. I suspect the duty varies depending on how much you buy, and what you're buying. The length of your stay also determines how much you are allowed to buy without paying duty. </div>

PaigeMcC

If you go for less than 24 hours your techinically only allowed to bring back $40 worth of stuff per person.  After 24 hours the limit changes.  Otherwise you pay duty and such.  I ALWAYS cross-boarder shop whenever I can.  It's so much cheaper!

Hazel_B

It definitely depends what it is when it comes to duty, otherwise it is just regular tax.

I was playing around on the Home Depot site and the price changed between different cities. For some reason my home store was in Atlanta and it was more expensive than in upstate New York.

I am addicted to DSW and must go when I am in California. To be honest it is way better than the DSW's in upstate New York, I swear Canadians ravage them and buy all the shoes worth buying.