Beef - WTC price gouging Canadians

[Mighty Veil]

dollar and Amazon

, I'm willing to bet Canadian customs duty represents much of the excess markup. That, and a guess on the publisher's part that the C$ is going to drop in value again...

You could bet, but you'd be wrong. Free-trade = no custom duties. The C$ isn't going to drop, we have to much energy here and the US$ is in trouble. The C$ would only drop if Quebec voted in its seperatist party again (which it could) or the US$ stopped its drop (which isn't going happen; until its debt is a priority again, the trade thingie with China is figured out, and spending is controlled again).

But the guy who first brought up Amazon is right! I buy from Amazon... Amazon USA. Prices are about the same even with the fact you have to pay shipping from US, if you're Cdn. But service is much quicker. I remember ordering the original 4 Complete Series through both Cdn and US Amazons. US sent them to me in a week. Over a month for Cdn to get off its lazy butt.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

You could bet, but you'd be wrong. Free-trade = no custom duties.

Yes, but you still pay PST and GST (taxes), which is about 14%. And if customs opens and inspects your package, that's another $5+ handling charge. All that adds up.

 

[arscott]

WOTC probably doesn't do a lot of selling to retailers. I assume that distributors do most of that. So distributors are setting the prices at which Canadian retailers are buying products. I assume that the price is the same (in American $) regardless of where the retailer is located, and the only additional costs to a Canadian retailer are shipping and duties (are there duties on wholesale items?).

I guess that a larger retail store that carries (and orders) more of a given item would be able to provide a larger markdown, since shipping costs per product go down as you order greater amounts.

I used to work at a game store. I wasn't the guy that did the ordering, but from what I can remember, Our cost for the books was expressed as a percentage of MSRP. If the canadian distributors use canadian MSRP, then then Canadian retailers aren't making any extra money off of this.

 

[Agamon]

Nobody pays the $39 here in Toronto. The price is generally $32.50 on the street (401 Games on Yonge St., to be specific).

When it comes to Gaming stuff though - we actually have it cheaper than in the States for the most part. For example, I buy a case of 12 D&D mini boosters for $120 CDN.... about $104 USD.

When I was in Gencon, I bought stuff I wouldn't find very easily back home. Otherwise, the cost was just way too high to justify it.

I guess that's what I get for not living in the Center of the Universe. My FLGS sells packs of DDM for $16.95. Sentry Box, in Calgary, whom I assume does a lot more business, being the largest gaming store in Canada, is pre-selling a Blood War case for $167.95.

I used to get my mini cases form the US for $110 US, but with shipping and customs, it's just as cheap but quicker to get them from Calgary. But not $120 a case cheap.

 

[Shawn_Kehoe]

Yes, but you still pay PST and GST (taxes), which is about 14%. And if customs opens and inspects your package, that's another $5+ handling charge. All that adds up.

Yeah, but the GST is added at time of purchase in the store, not included in the MSRP.

Shawn

 

[eyebeams]

Yeah, but the GST is added at time of purchase in the store, not included in the MSRP.

Shawn

Yeah; GST and PST have nothing to do with MSRP at all, and the difference in MSRPs has been the same since the US dollar was worth 20 cents more. The current MSRPs need changing.

 

[Steel_Wind]

I guess that's what I get for not living in the Center of the Universe. My FLGS sells packs of DDM for $16.95. Sentry Box, in Calgary, whom I assume does a lot more business, being the largest gaming store in Canada, is pre-selling a Blood War case for $167.95.

I used to get my mini cases form the US for $110 US, but with shipping and customs, it's just as cheap but quicker to get them from Calgary. But not $120 a case cheap.

Nah. We buy multiple cases to get those prices - and its cash. It's a sweetheart deal we get for being good customers who buy in bulk. We typically buy 8 cases or so on a mini-line release, first day deal. He's made a bit of money off of us a clear month before he has to pay for the minis. We also boost his volume he buys from the ditributor on first week release - so he's getting them cheaper too as a result.

It's a deal that is not readily available to the average buyer I expect.

But $12.50 CDN a booster off the shelf retail is readily available in town for the current mini series of the moment. Work out the exchange, they are still cheaper here than in the US.

 

[Steel_Wind]

Yeah; GST and PST have nothing to do with MSRP at all, and the difference in MSRPs has been the same since the US dollar was worth 20 cents more. The current MSRPs need changing.

Correct. The only places I see charging that price, however, is Indigo/Chapters.

Gaming shops sell for quite a bit less.

 

[Master of the Game]

You guys are looking at it all wrong. The added cost is a bribe to the book itself, to make up for your freakishly cold weather.

"You're more expensive there, they'll value you more."



From Texas, where it is 98 degrees at 8:30 pm right now, and about to rain.

 

[Shawn_Kehoe]

You guys are looking at it all wrong. The added cost is a bribe to the book itself, to make up for your freakishly cold weather.

"You're more expensive there, they'll value you more."



From Texas, where it is 98 degrees at 8:30 pm right now, and about to rain.

Incorrect, sir! The extra fee is intended for a kevlar dust jacket - the poor books didn't realise that we have gun control laws here in Canada...