My wife was looking at Linen's and Things website, she was looking to buy a food processor and found the one she wanted on the website for $199, we went to the nearest store and found it was $299!!!!

The $199 one was the US dollar price, the same model and everything!!!

Barmy or what!

Thats why there is a 3 hour (or more) wait at border crossings at the moment.

There are huge price differences even within Canada.

Yesterday I ordered a bracket for a washer/dryer stacking combo. Sears wanted $29.99 plus $18 shipping, Future shop wanted $29.99 plus $55(!) shipping, and Whirlpool wanted $19.99 plus $6.20 shipping. Go figure

That could be because stores order then stock months in advance at the exchange rate at time. They should lower in the couple of months

No- it takes about two years on average for refreshed prices to be available to the consumer.

We saved 2k on our telly. If we'd bought our car instead of leased it, we'd have saved about 12k. I could go on but it's dull, we all know we're being ripped off here

I buy everything I can in the US. Even getting hit for duty/tax now and then, it's still saved me a small fortune.

"A set of organic queen-sized sheets at Pottery Barn stores in the States sells for US$189 (or C$201.86). At Pottery Barn Canada it retails for $279. Wal-Mart sells a 50-ml bottle of Calvin Klein Obsession for Women in American stores for US$36.96 (or C$39.47). The same bottle at Wal-Mart Canada is $52. And a set of "teak-handle" grill tools at Williams-Sonoma are US$69 (C$73.69), but $99 north of the border.

...

Take, for instance, the Lexus LS460. Americans can drive it off a lot it for US$61,000 (that's $65,155 in Canadian dollars). And yet, the same model in Canada is listed for $86,400. Dave Nichols, national manager of product planning and distribution for Toyota Canada, which distributes Lexus, says constantly responding to fluctuations in the exchange rate may anger current customers and create an unstable pricing environment. Instead, says Nichols, "we price for our market." Makes you wonder what that says about us."

http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?c..._106278_106278

The airlines seem to have not noticed the move in exchange rate. When I went down to Florida last week, Continental were selling beer at US$5 or C$6.

Detroit to Windsor tunnel toll is 4.75 CAD or 3.75 US
The other way it's 4 CAD or 3.50 US.

Just paid $300CDN for an igntion coil for my Subaru. US price online..$106...but the buggers wouldnt ship it north


The reality is that Canada has a population of 35M, and covers a huge area. For that companies have canadian headquarters and staff and have to pay higher taxes to cover healthcare/ welfare etc. The US has a smaller area and 10+x as many people...lower corporation taxes and has the same business overheads for a much larger market.

No wonder stuff is cheaper in the US...its a combination of economies of scale and lower corporation taxes innit. Saving $2k on a telly is a bit much though isnt it. I could buy my TV 4 times over for that

Makes you wonder about what "free trade" really means.

I should have just offered the guy on the phone $100 extra to buy it himself and head to Kinkos after work. Bloody 20:20 hindsight

I've got a US address and am happy to play postman for you. I'd mail on from the US though, had a hairy moment the other week bringing an Oz forum member's DVDs into Canada undeclared

(you can trust me with car parts, what the heck would I want with those?!)

Thanks for the offer Biiiink...damage is done now though...I need to get it going again and long story short its taken a week of dicking about already with two suppliers already getting the wrong (much cheaper) part.

I know, but keep the offer in mind for your next sax splurge or whatever

Can't you just drive to a dealer in the US and buy one? It can't be all that far for you to go. How far are you from Gananoque?