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Venting....Just wondering if any of the Canadian demos have questioned SU about the huge price difference between Canadian and American catties? Our dollar is just about at par and has been fairly high for the last year. What's with the 25-33% higher prices for those of us North of the Border? Makes me want to stop buying SU product! It really is not fair! Any feedback from the company?
__________________ I got a Nikon camera. I love to take photographs, so momma don't take my kodachrome away."
Paul Simon
yup! it would be cheaper for me to buy the stamps in the US and get them shipped to me!!! I was hopeing the US catty would go up but that the Canadian one would stay the same or something! bad Stamping Up!!!
I have no idea why the prices are so high, or what all comes with doing business outside of the country (are there taxes and things that SU has to pay to cross the border, maybe?). I'm not trying to justify it, that's just the only reason that I can think of- maybe the cost of doing business across the border is that much higher for them. I would hate to think SU would just mark up the costs like that, it doesn't seem to fit with the way they do business. Hope someone has some real answers!
I placed an order last night for $373. I figured out that if I had ordered it in the US, it would have been $224. Well, it doesn't cost $150 extra to have it maile dup to me from a US demo:rolleyes:
I'm not a demo, but here's my speculations.
They must have to have the catalogues printed quite some time in advance, which wouldn't allow for the recent changes in the exchange rates.
Yes, we do pay shipping, but maybe we are paying the same shipping as U.S. and the higher prices cover some of it and we just don't see it?
Maybe they have to pay staff/rent/office related stuff for wherever the stuff gets shipped & redistributed to in Canada (Calgary I think isn't it?) and that cost isn't factored into SU! as a whole, but only SU! Canada?
I wonder if they also have to pay income tax/corporate tax to the Canadian government as if they were a Canadian company?
From what I've heard on this board (and my own demo) it seems that demo support is pretty good to answer questions. Maybe this question should be put to them?
This exact question was posted on the SU site under Stampin Discuss.
Their reasons were exactly what you have thought--
extra corporate taxes to do business in Canada and the extra taxes involved.
Calalogue being printed early, etc.
However, the difference is far greater than that.
My friend who is a demo tried to put her order on a US visa card and have it shipped to a US post office box--Stampin Up refused and said we had to pay the Canadian prices--no matter where the goods were sent.
The catties are printed, from what I understand, about 6 months ahead of time. The Canadian dollar has been pretty high for the last year at least. I don't believe that one. As for the taxes...OK but give me a break, they can't be so high as to cost us that much extra. I may just have to find a good US friend and have her order for me and send it up. I'm sure I would save a bundle.
__________________ I got a Nikon camera. I love to take photographs, so momma don't take my kodachrome away."
Paul Simon
And the price difference is why some of us Canadians buy current stuff on ebay. We can save money this way, even with paying the shipping that the ebay sellers charge.
Also, keep in mind that last year the Canadian prices did go down a dollar or two, and our dollar wasn't doing as well as it is now. This catalogue the prices are back up to the prices from 2 years ago or higher.
Another thought, and I only know a little tidbit that could be completely inaccurate but, if the stamps are made in Utah, then aren't they duty free and such under NAFTA and so the taxes shouldn't be too high. Any PST/GST, we would pay, not the company?
yup! it would be cheaper for me to buy the stamps in the US and get them shipped to me!!! I was hopeing the US catty would go up but that the Canadian one would stay the same or something! bad Stamping Up!!!
Another thought, and I only know a little tidbit that could be completely inaccurate but, if the stamps are made in Utah, then aren't they duty free and such under NAFTA and so the taxes shouldn't be too high. Any PST/GST, we would pay, not the company?
Amber
You are right on the made in the US, no import tax or duties if sold/shipped to Canada under NAFTA.
All sales tax is ontop of the RRP price, and legally cannot be factored into that price in Canada.
I personally can not find any reason why there is such a huge difference between the two. I can see a small difference for the cost of shipping, but most of that is covered by what the purchaser pays for S&H with their order.
The only thing I can think of that could explain it is they are basing their prices on market forecasts that the Canadian dollar will drop. Remember, 6 months ago, it was in a bit of a down turn (was closer to .86 vs the .94 today). I guess their forecasters did not foresee the rise to it being almost equal.
Will be interesting to see the spring/summer catty prices. If they are basing it on the exchange rate and history and forecasts pf the time when they print the catty, (ie, now, not 6 months from now) then prices should drop with the next catty. Fingers crossed.
any canadien here from the toronto area???
my husband is canadien and we are often there...
i cound bring you some things you want for the SU price we could meet and you even save shipping costs
__________________ My SCS Gallery My blog : Pretty Pressings
Designer for Magnolia, Sweden, Lili of the Valley and Sir Stampalot
I'm in Toronto so I can be a go between for anyone who needs the offer. Personally I'm mad as heck.
Cost will naturally be higher in Canada due to the dollar difference then you have to factor in Duty charges, Brokerage fees, Payroll for the Canadian offices etc. Still doesn't excuse the HUGE gap.
I get my stuff through a good friend in the US. We trade products. I send her down stuff from The Body Shop and Fruits and Passion, sometimes food stuff like the chocolate they can't get or Guk sauce from Lick's burgers. This way she isn't crossing any lines by SELLING to me. Works for me. I pay for the shipping on her stuff, she pays the shipping on mine. The only thing that stinks is the double wait time for shipping.........sigh.........
I am a CTMH demo and they adjust the Canadian prices once a year based on a three year average. Factoring that in there is NO way the catty prices should have gone up if SU was to follow the same formula. Good for me though - my customers are also the SU demos customers (she is a friend of mine) and I can only see my sales rising and hers dropping.
I pointed out on another thread (do you love or hate the catty) that there is NO POSSIBLE way I can justify spending over $10.00 more on a "Simply Scrappin" kit - very bad business move on SU's part.
There really shouldn't be any duty due to NAFTA, which I mentioned and another OP backed up. Thus, there shouldn't be any brokerage fees. Sounds like you have a good deal though, despite the double ship times, which I can totally sympathize with as I experience it getting my "loot" shipped to Germany, via the military mail.
There was a lot of double talk about higher prices doing business in Canada....some of which is true I'm sure, but I don't believe a lot of it. Why not lower the minimum hostess amounts??? We pay way too much more than the U.S.
It really makes me mad.
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I know I have ordered amounts of $400 for other items from the US, and to get them accross the border, I have only had to pay $50 duty and GST. So where does SU get the extra money that they tack on to our prices? I would say that is why more canadians buy off of Ebay!
C
the higher pricing in canada is bs. it does not cost that much more to do business in canada especially since SU is made in the usa.
in fact a lot of companies do move some of their operations up here because its cheaper to do business, especially customer support.
i worked for a company that had operations worldwide, and the US prices were in line with the CDN prices even when it was a higher exchange rate. we had catalogues to print as well and that didnt affect the decision on pricing that much. i love SU products but this cost difference is limiting what i can buy since i knwo its so much cheaper in the us.
Location: I am a Utah desert rat! I fry in the summer, but, oh, the winters are spectacular!
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I'm not Canadian, but my sister lived there for three years. It was very pricey for me to ship stuff to her, and she had to pay customs on it when it arrived!
The US catty went up too. Part of the problem is it takes petroleum to make rubber, and it takes lots of high priced fuel in both countries to transport the goods. I guess you can do what I have to do: buy less!
I'll definetly be buying less from SU this year, which is a shame I guess, but I can get more for my dollar by shopping elsewhere. I do plan on purchasing paper and ink from them, but as for everything else, the prices have gotten way too steep for me. Too bad really.
I know that demos are not allowed to sell to foreigners, but would it be okay for an American non-demo customer order for a Canadian and then ship it there?
I will be buying less from SU this year also ... I'm not really all that keen on the new catty anyway, so it wont be that hard for me. However, it is a shame to see that so many people (including me) are feeling the same way about the pricing in Canada.
What GSNeal said is partially true but it isn't duty. If the item is more than $20 Canadian, which is about $18.50 US it goes through with no inspection (usually) but if it is listed at more than $20 Cdn then they figure $5 for the paperwork and 6% GST and 8% PST (Ontario) and base it on the 'converted to' Canadian funds.
Many times, even if the declared value is much higher, they shut their eyes to it but not always. They collect at the door or you go to the post office to pick it up.
If you were to order an item $100 US and they caught it, it would be converted to about $107.50 plus $5 & 14% (in Ontario) so you would pay about an extra 20 bucks.
This would be eBay, not SU direct of course. Or from the BST part of splitcoaststampers.
There really shouldn't be any duty due to NAFTA, which I mentioned and another OP backed up. Thus, there shouldn't be any brokerage fees. Sounds like you have a good deal though, despite the double ship times, which I can totally sympathize with as I experience it getting my "loot" shipped to Germany, via the military mail.
Amber
Even if the item is assembled or produced in the US or Canada, there will be duty charges on the items if they were purchased from an outside source. Example, I used to work for a gasket manufacturing plant. Some of our raw materials came in from China, those products, our customers in the US had to pay duty on or if the order was large enough, we footed the bill ourselves.
NAFTA is a slippery slope that mostly benefits the US, not Canada. We get screwed on every side, importing and exporting......sometimes it sucks to be Canadian, like the 8 months of dang winter........LOL!
I love my little deal, just wish shes lived closer to the border so we could visit instead of shipping. She lives down in DC and that's about nine and a half hours from here.......that's not gonna happen any time soon.
;)
When I saw the total difference...from an order placed in the US and one in Canada my decision is that I will be buying less from SU. I am going to write them and tell them as well.
Maybe if enough of us tell them they will either explain it better, so our poor demos don't get harassed and to help there customer satisfaction.
I won't be buying anything but paper or cratons etc..it's too exspenive for me.
Also my other beef is the catty's aren't the same..the USA has different stamps we don't get..i had to get a friend of mine to get me Classic trucks..cause i really wanted them..that's my vent.
loves ya
__________________ Gail
When the world says give up, hope whispers, try one more time.
I believe I read that their Canadian head office is in Calgary. Maybe they should move somewhere less expensive, real estate wise and pass the savings on to us! LOL
I won't be buying anything but paper or cratons etc..it's too exspenive for me.
Also my other beef is the catty's aren't the same..the USA has different stamps we don't get..i had to get a friend of mine to get me Classic trucks..cause i really wanted them..that's my vent.
loves ya
This is exactly my problem in reverse. Last year I just HAD to have Images de mon pays!! Also, I want all the sets that are available in French and would gladly pay the huge price difference. I hate that so many sets that I want are only available in English (not only SU!, but most other stamp companies as well)! I'm cultivating friendships with French citizens now so when SU! finally goes to France, it'll increase the likelihood that I'll have someone (not a demo) who will be willing to put in French orders for me!
I believe I read that their Canadian head office is in Calgary. Maybe they should move somewhere less expensive, real estate wise and pass the savings on to us! LOL
Amber
See there is another trick....
If they had an actual shipping warehouse here in Canada, they could ship to themselves with no duty/brokerage etc. Then we could get the shipment from Canada and avoid all the extra costs too. It's just poor business to expect us to suck it up. Fine I don't have to buy their products and probably won't buy as much, but what about their Demo's...this will hurt them in the long run as people will find other products to replace the stamps and paper.
When I saw the total difference...from an order placed in the US and one in Canada my decision is that I will be buying less from SU. I am going to write them and tell them as well.
Maybe if enough of us tell them they will either explain it better, so our poor demos don't get harassed and to help there customer satisfaction.
Blessings,
Ciebelle
She's right.
As customers, YOU have far more power than we do as demos. If you write to them, it will have more impact than if a demo does. So, please, write to SU! ... and don't "harass" your poor neighbourhood demo! ;)
Does SU have a factory in Canada too, or are all the stamps coming from the US? I know they have *something* in Calgary lol.
All of the orders are shipped from the Utah directly to the demonstrator, hostess, or customer (depending on your choice). The Head Office is in Calgary, and is literally, an "office". All paperwork for new demos goes there, and is entered, to speed processing. Returns are sent there (cheaper postage I guess) and then sent on to Utah.
I'm not sure why Calgary, but I'm sure they had a 'logical' reason for choosing it. (closest large Cdn city to Utah, perhaps?)
The only other warehouse is in Australia - which doesn't help us any! ;)
This year, the catalogues appear to be identical - the only difference is the French sets available here, and Images de mon pays and Serenite that are on the dormant list.
For those wanting French sets, your best bet might be to find somebody to trade with. However, you'd still have double shipping - SU! to you, then the actual trade shipping. But you could have the French sets.
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I too am disappointed in the price increases. When we have to consider taxes and shipping....holy buckaroos!!!
This will definetly curb my spending on SU products. Too bad really, because I loved their product(s). I would like to join a monthly stamp club again because it was always a fun night out, but at these prices I am reconsidering:(
I had also thought about becoming a demo, but this option is definetly on the back burner.
I will be researching Canadian vendors for future product. Helps our local market and I'll get more for my money! More money = more stamps:p
SU needs to have a serious look toward their Canadian supporters, I think they are losing us quickly.
__________________ Some call me Pinky, some call me Lori - I answer to both Pinky's Pictorial DREAM as if you could live forever, LIVE as if you only have today.
Does anyone know the email address of customer service or whatever appropriate department of SU? I would email them with my price concerns. Maybe if enough of us did that...I found the mailing address on the website but prefer to email.
American SU prices vs Canadian
