# I love and need an Apple computer but will wait--while the Canadian dollar soars



## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

I've read all of the arguments that explain or disprove the sale of Apple computers at current pricing levels as being fair, warranted, unfair, unwarranted, reasonable, unreasonable, ad infinitum.

Apple is within its purview to sell computers and peripherals for whatever amount they want. It's their call, and I have no problem respecting that. And I feel for resellers who will get caught with overpriced stock if Apple undercuts them.

But, personally, I'm in need of a new computer. I sold my first generation black MacBook over a month ago (just before the warranty expired, so the purchaser could make the call to buy AppleCare, and so I could upgrade), and found the recent changes in the MacBook line provided an excellent opportunity to buy back in. Hello, Santa Rosa!

Yet while I appreciate that a surface view shows that Apple has *improved* these computers _without_ raising the price, the rise of the Canadian dollar _should_, it can be argued (elsewhere I hope) have precipitated a price cut. 

I really don't want to re-hash the many arguments about pricing, the Canadian dollar, selling in Canada, shipping in Canada, and the like.

I just want Apple to know (I'm assuming it's somebody's job to review this forum from time to time) that I'm going to wait. It is possible that others who will wait will also post in this thread. I'm not desperate, I'm happy with my interim computer (it's a Pismo actually, so kudos to Apple for providing me with a 6 year old computer that keeps me happy for an interim period), I'd just appreciate the kind of rollback that seems not to have escaped Canada's other innovative and forward-thinking manufacturers, retailers, marketers and sellers--as well as Walmart, Zellers, Chapters/Indigo...

"Here's to the crazy ones," indeed. All honorary Canadians, no doubt.


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## titans88 (Oct 3, 2007)

Very well said, HowEver.

I am in a similar position, although I still have myCore2Duo MacBook, I would like to purchase a new iMac. However, with the current pricing situation - I have no issue waiting. I WANT a new iMac, I don't NEED a new iMac. I guess for myself i is a matter of balancing those, and seeing if I am patient enough to wait for Apple to drop their prices.

I wonder if Apple is losing a lot in terms of sales because of the current situation? Are there a lot of others out there like myself?


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## zmttoxics (Oct 16, 2007)

I just got my 3rd gen macbook not a month ago, 2.16 ghrz. Im kindof jealous that the new one is out with the better cpu and graphics. But honestly, the gain will be so miniscule and the price is still insane.

I am used to old laptops anyways, so its amazing to have a brand new one for once. It does everything perfectly, its the best laptop i have ever had (its my 4th one). 

My friend however is an apple addict and got his macbook (the same as mine) just a few months before I did and already has put his up for sale to get a better one (either the new macbook or a pro), and for what? He only uses his for surfing the net an hour at a time 3 days a week during class. Thats 3 hours use a week, yet he some how needs a faster one. Such a waste.

This one I have is awesome, and hopefully in 3 years our dollar will still be so high, and apple will have lowered the price that its reasonable enough to upgrade to the next big santa rosa type upgrade. Maybe by then they will have dedicated video cards again!

I'm with you, wait!


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## Oakbridge (Mar 8, 2005)

Waiting for a price difference of less than 10%? If you factor in what the banks actually charge for currency conversion, the difference is closer to 5%. 

Honestly I still don't see the point.


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## titans88 (Oct 3, 2007)

Oakbridge said:


> Waiting for a price difference of less than 10%? If you factor in what the banks actually charge for currency conversion, the difference is closer to 5%.
> 
> Honestly I still don't see the point.


I don't care if I'm saving $1 or $100, im still saving. As I said, I don't NEED a new iMac, I just WANT one.


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## mpuk (May 24, 2005)

might be a dumb question, but is it possible to order from Apple.com and have it shipped from the US and get charged US pricing? Or do you just get redirected to Apple Canada? 

I know I was able to do that for sites like Amazon.com in order to save some $$$ instead of going to amazon.ca....just took a few extra days.


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## zmttoxics (Oct 16, 2007)

Incase anyone was wondering, the old attage is it has to be twice as fast before you notice it. I went from a p4 3.4 ghrz laptop with 1.5 gigs of ram to the 2.16 c2d macbook with 1 gig of ram. I don't think it does anything faster then the old one, its just a better designed laptop. To jump from 2.16 to 2.2 is nothing, its still the same cpu arch, just a different chipset (faster bus tho). 40mhrz? Come on.

We always want the lastest. But we probly dont need an extra 40 mhrz as we wouldnt even notice it. Its not the pentium days where every megahurt counted.


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## satchmo (May 26, 2005)

No offense to anyone, but me thinks Apple couldn't care less if you wait. 

It may save you money in the long run (and that's great for you) but meanwhile Apple's firing on all cylinders with record numbers of Macs sold last quarter. A bunch of rebel Canucks sitting on the fence isn't going to make a dent in their treasure chest.


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## zmttoxics (Oct 16, 2007)

mpuk said:


> might be a dumb question, but is it possible to order from Apple.com and have it shipped from the US and get charged US pricing? Or do you just get redirected to Apple Canada?
> 
> I know I was able to do that for sites like Amazon.com in order to save some $$$ instead of going to amazon.ca....just took a few extra days.


Probably not. Most online stores dont ship electronics worldwide. Amazon.com wont ship even video game systems to Canada when they are the same region codes. So lame.


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## MannyP Design (Jun 8, 2000)

Well said, However.

Add myself and the (mannyp)wife to the list of those waiting as well. We've been discussing it on and off over the weekend about the way things are with most retailers (not just Apple) and we've pretty much decided that we'll be holding off a lot of purchases--big ticket or otherwise--in the coming months... holidays be damned.

Simply put... I'm tired of it. Even the local comics shoppe (Silver Snail) has simply started charging the U.S. cover price of their goods. To be accurate--they've been pricing their goods accordingly ever since the dollar rose several months ago.

Honestly, and this sounds silly, I know, but it felt uplifting not being gouged 80 cents on the dollar.


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## G-Mo (Sep 26, 2007)

MannyP Design said:


> Even the local comics shoppe (Silver Snail) has simply started charging the U.S. cover price of their goods. To be accurate--they've been pricing their goods accordingly ever since the dollar rose several months ago.


They have actually been selling at U.S. cover price (for D.C. and Marvel) for well over a year...


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## MannyP Design (Jun 8, 2000)

G-Mo said:


> They have actually been selling at U.S. cover price (for D.C. and Marvel) for well over a year...


I'm not positive that they've been selling at the U.S. cover price for over a year... Kin at the Ottawa store mentioned that they did so in June or July (if I recall correctly) when the CDN dollar was hovering below the US dollar.

But they have been _very_ proactive in making sure the exchange rate was applied prior to sale to make sure the customer wasn't being gouged.

:clap:


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## G-Mo (Sep 26, 2007)

MannyP Design said:


> I'm not positive that they've been selling at the U.S. cover price for over a year... Kin at the Ottawa store mentioned that they did so in June or July (if I recall correctly) when the CDN dollar was hovering below the US dollar.
> 
> But they have been _very_ proactive in making sure the exchange rate was applied prior to sale to make sure the customer wasn't being gouged.
> 
> :clap:


Nah - I bought a ton of stuff at Silver Snail (in T.O.) last May over the course of 3 or 4 weeks all at U.S. cover...


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## ZRXer (Jan 18, 2007)

*add me to the list*

I'm using an iBook, and while it runs just fine, and is running Leopard like a dream, I want something more modern and with an iSight built in. Sooo, I'm looking at either a MacBook or more likely a MBP for some gaming capability. 

And yes, I'm waiting. The difference of 10% is worth the wait to me, because as others have mentioned, it's a want and not a need right now. Nice to be able to exercise the option of waiting, rather than being pushed into a corner and having a dead computer and the absolute need for a replacement. 

Hoping to see some parity between the two currencies sooner than later - I'm already headed south of the border to shop for a used MB to drive home. Price difference is over $25,000 for a used one after all is said and done. No arguing with that kind of difference.


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## Todd (Oct 14, 2002)

And when the Canadian dollar returns to being cheaper than the US dollar, as many economists are predicting it will be this time next year, will you equally rant and rave for Canadian prices to rise back?

What makes you think the price of a computer in Canada is connected to the exchange rate and the price of a computer in the USA?

Hint: There is no connection.

Apple Canada sets their prices based upon what their marketing says Canadian consumers perceive and value Macs to be worth.

Did the worth of a Mac in Canada decline in your perception because of an unrelated economic occurance? (The currency exchange rate.) If so, Apple Canada will need to change their prices to accomodate your new perception if they want to sell you a computer. But be clear - it's not because your perception is backed by fact.


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## krug1313 (Apr 27, 2007)

Why did Apple sell Leopard for the same price in the US and Canada? Are they picking and choosing which products to sell at comparative prices?


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## imobile (Oct 6, 2007)

mpuk said:


> might be a dumb question, but is it possible to order from Apple.com and have it shipped from the US and get charged US pricing? Or do you just get redirected to Apple Canada?
> 
> I know I was able to do that for sites like Amazon.com in order to save some $$$ instead of going to amazon.ca....just took a few extra days.


Should I be cruel and say the obvious?: 
I shouldn't it is a BEAUTIFUL warm fall day here on the Left Coast BUT no Apple will not ship outside US from Apple.com.
It says so 'write' on the bottom of their site!
At least they are consistent, they won't ship outside of Canada from the CANADIAN Apple store either! ( Now what if a Canuck soldier wants his new Macbook shipped to Kandahar? ... guess he goes to KA BULL? )

Seriously, Amazon.com ( the real store, not the Canuck wanna be one) will not ship a lot of electronics, even memory cards into the True North!

And HowEver.... a great post!


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## macsackbut (Dec 15, 2004)

Todd said:


> Apple Canada sets their prices based upon what their marketing says Canadian consumers perceive and value Macs to be worth.


I'm sure that's true. I'm equally sure that if Apple's sales start declining because its customers perceive that the company's computers are overpriced, that could be an indication that their marketing research needs to be updated. 

Like MannyP, I'm holding off on a number of fairly significant purchases (not necessarily computer-related) until prices start coming down. But I have the feeling that retailers are going to be more aggressive in their pricing as we get closer to the holidays as they see millions of holiday shoppers flocking over the border.


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## katie_l (Nov 4, 2003)

Using the current exchange rate of 7% in favour of the Canadian dollar there's an approx. $250.00 price difference between the MacBook in Canada and in the States. Even allowing for the 2% or so surcharge for exchange on your credit card, it might be worthwhile for those living close to the border to pop across and make your purchase there. If you don't stay long enough you'll still have to pay the tax when you declare it, but it's tax on $1396. not $1649.

Apple Store (US) Black MacBook = $1499.00 USD or $1396.00 CDN
Apple Store (CDN) Black MacBook = $1649.00 CDN or $1769.00 USD

On a lighter note... we Canadians are still getting the $130.00 rebates on printers through the Apple Store, while the Americans are only getting a measly $100.00 (or $93.00 CDN <grin>)


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## brett (May 27, 2007)

Yes I am waiting and telling everyone I know to wait until prices are adjusted. 

It doesn't matter what other people say my opinion won't be changed, our prices should be adjusted.


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## Mr. Fartleberry (Dec 17, 2005)

I can't see any real pressure on Mac to cut the prices on major hardware. The pent up demand for machines with Leopard installed (add 6 months due to lateness) will push sales into Christmas. The differential just isn't that great either. Dealers may offer a few trinkets to keep consumers this side of the border. 

However I see you can now get charter bus deals to go shopping stateside. And with US Thanksgiving sales coming up you might clean up on things like Belkin etc. and get some party time in as well. Who wants to drive back from Buffalo in the dark?


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## Oakbridge (Mar 8, 2005)

katie_l said:


> Using the current exchange rate of 7% in favour of the Canadian dollar there's an approx. $250.00 price difference between the MacBook in Canada and in the States. Even allowing for the 2% or so surcharge for exchange on your credit card, it might be worthwhile for those living close to the border to pop across and make your purchase there. If you don't stay long enough you'll still have to pay the tax when you declare it, but it's tax on $1396. not $1649.
> 
> Apple Store (US) Black MacBook = $1499.00 USD or $1396.00 CDN
> Apple Store (CDN) Black MacBook = $1649.00 CDN or $1769.00 USD
> ...


Your calculations are incorrect in two areas. 

If the dollar is at 1.07 which is where it closed today, I'd say you'd be lucky to see an exchange of 2%, you're more likely to see it at 5-6% when a bank processes a credit card transaction. I had about 5 or 6 US transactions on my credit card during the month of October and only 2 of them touched the 1.00 mark, the most recent was posted on the 26th and it went through at .9879. 

Also, the taxes charged at the Canadian border are charged on the total transaction amount which includes any State sales tax you might have paid. Outrageous but that is what it is. So anyone travelling to Buffalo will have paid 14% of US$1630 (US$1499 plus NY Sales tax of roughly US$131 or 8.75%). 

I keep saying that it is less than 10% and nobody seems to believe me.


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## GratuitousApplesauce (Jan 29, 2004)

I don't know if this could happen in the cutthroat realm of electronics, but with the US dollar plunging fast against all other currencies, won't prices in the US have to start rising at some point? Maybe that's how the Canadian prices will get to parity.

It seems to me that some companies must be getting pinched, they still have to pay the same price in Chinese currency to get those machines manufactured there, so the drop in the dollar must be wrecking their razor thin margins. In this case maybe Apple has an advantage since it is said that their margins are somewhat fatter.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Yes I'm seeing some of that swing in pricing with US rising on commodity electronics. Many contracts are in US dollars but that will shake out soon - especially with Black Friday coming up which will reduce inventories.

•••

Standard card fee cross border exchange is 2.5%

US taxes add to the price - 7-8% - on top

Shipping is not free either.

Border toll to pick up

then PST and GST on top of all the compounding %'s plus whatever your time is worth...I'm hearing a 4 hour wait for private vehicle customs at busy border points.

It's not so straightforward as it appears.

•••

Be interesting to make the book sellers honour a US dollar purchase at the US price.


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## Oakbridge (Mar 8, 2005)

GratuitousApplesauce said:


> I don't know if this could happen in the cutthroat realm of electronics, but with the US dollar plunging fast against all other currencies, won't prices in the US have to start rising at some point? Maybe that's how the Canadian prices will get to parity.
> 
> It seems to me that some companies must be getting pinched, they still have to pay the same price in Chinese currency to get those machines manufactured there, so the drop in the dollar must be wrecking their razor thin margins. In this case maybe Apple has an advantage since it is said that their margins are somewhat fatter.


Thank you!

I've been trying to say this in the variety of "we're getting ripped off" posts but I keep getting shot down. 

I wonder if we'll see a flock of shoppers in the other direction if and when the US pricing rises. If it's true that our currency has risen against the rest of the world, shouldn't it stand to reason that if our pricing hasn't risen quite as much due to the backlash that pricing in Canadian stores will seem pretty attractive?


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## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

I really don't see any ranting and raving here.

But I'm curious. Which model of Apple computer are you buying in the next few weeks at current pricing levels?




Todd said:


> And when the Canadian dollar returns to being cheaper than the US dollar, as many economists are predicting it will be this time next year, will you equally rant and rave for Canadian prices to rise back?
> 
> What makes you think the price of a computer in Canada is connected to the exchange rate and the price of a computer in the USA?
> 
> ...


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## GratuitousApplesauce (Jan 29, 2004)

I just bought some supplies from a US company. My CIBC Visa exchanged the US amount at .99 cents. Yet if I put a $1 US bill into my CIBC chequing account today they would give me .91 cents for it. Nice little rate spread they got going there, eh? I wonder how many extra millions that adds up to in the course of a week's transactions. Probably covers their expenses quite nicely. 

So basically the banks have set things up so even if I want to take advantage of the record low US dollar, they're the ones who benefit, not me. Just another reason I hate banks.


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## Oakbridge (Mar 8, 2005)

HowEver said:


> I really don't see any ranting and raving here.
> 
> But I'm curious. Which model of Apple computer are you buying in the next few weeks at current pricing levels?


I may or may not purchase a 20" iMac (the $1599 model) in the next few weeks. I will certainly be purchasing the next release of the MacBook Pro which hopefully will be a MacWorld release.


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## krs (Mar 18, 2005)

Oakbridge said:


> I keep saying that it is less than 10% and nobody seems to believe me.


I think you're missing the point.

The issue is not saving 5 or 10 or 15%, the issue is that people feel they are being ripped off by greedy companies and they are fighting back.

I picked up four magazines four weeks ago to read on the train, but after looking at the difference in the US and Cdn cover price, I put them all back after I gave the retailer an earful.
I realize that he is not the one controlling prices, but if the magazines don't sell, he may just relay the annoyance of his customers (and I wasn't the only one) to his distributor.
Some of these magazine prices are still set at the level when the loonie was 65 cents - if consumers don't revolt, the manufacturers, distributors etc. will just keep on charging at the old price level.


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## Mr. Fartleberry (Dec 17, 2005)

So now we're at $1.08. Sofar as US State taxes go, most states have a refund mechanism in place for tourists to recover it. Just like when we give back GST to US buyers. Maybe things will change around US Black Friday, you know how the early adopters are always made to suffer. We'll see.


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## Meleemark (Mar 3, 2007)

Oakbridge said:


> Also, the taxes charged at the Canadian border are charged on the total transaction amount which includes any State sales tax you might have paid. Outrageous but that is what it is. So anyone travelling to Buffalo will have paid 14% of US$1630 (US$1499 plus NY Sales tax of roughly US$131 or 8.75%).


I've never had to pay tax on tax. If you are running through the border, and asked how much you've spent, you are only need to tell them the amount spent before tax, not after. Silly rabbit.


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## Oakbridge (Mar 8, 2005)

Meleemark said:


> I've never had to pay tax on tax. If you are running through the border, and asked how much you've spent, you are only need to tell them the amount spent before tax, not after. Silly rabbit.


In one of the early "are you bringing back an iPhone" threads someone posted the official wording of the "I declare" document. It was a surprise to me as well but technically if they ask for a receipt. you are responsible for paying your proper taxes (i.e. GST, HST, PST) on the total transaction. Here is the wording:

"In most cases, we consider any foreign sales tax added to or included in the price to be part of the value. However, some foreign governments will refund sales tax to you if you export the items you bought. In such cases, you do not have to include the amount of the foreign sales tax that was or will be refunded to you."

There have been posts on here, typically referring to the iPhone which state that the person who paid Canadian taxes was charged on the amount of their transaction.

However I do believe that the entire cross border shopping thing is an arbitrary decision by the person inspecting you as you return. Most times I honestly state the value of the goods I bring back after a few hours in the States and I've yet to be asked to pay any taxes or duties on my return.


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## G-Mo (Sep 26, 2007)

Oakbridge said:


> Your calculations are incorrect in two areas.
> 
> If the dollar is at 1.07 which is where it closed today, I'd say you'd be lucky to see an exchange of 2%, you're more likely to see it at 5-6% when a bank processes a credit card transaction. I had about 5 or 6 US transactions on my credit card during the month of October and only 2 of them touched the 1.00 mark, the most recent was posted on the 26th and it went through at .9879.
> 
> ...





MacDoc said:


> Standard card fee cross border exchange is 2.5%
> 
> US taxes add to the price - 7-8% - on top
> 
> then PST and GST on top of all the compounding %'s


I'm sorry - but nobody believes you because you are wrong!

First off the standard credit card fee for Visa/MasterCard is 1% - there MAY be additional 2-3% surcharge added by whomever issued your card (CIBC, HSBC, RBC, etc...). Fortunately, a few banks do not add a surcharge and it's up to you to investigate your banking situation and maybe make a change. Capital One not only does not charge a foreign surcharge, they also waive the 1% Visa/MasterCard standard fee and you pay live rate. Gold and Platinum credit cards from HSBC and most other banks also waive the foreign surcharge, but continue to pass on the 1% standard fee.

At the border you are NEVER charged on the total amount of the purchase, always the pre-tax total. Beyond this, if you really want to optimize your gain and are down shopping for a laptop, you can always take an empty laptop bag down with you and unpack your new laptop and put it in the bag and post the receipt back to yourself - if you want ALL the packaging, you can post that back to yourself too (albeit seperate from the receipt) which will cost much less than the cost of the taxes at the border.

Furthermore, since you are not a U.S. resident, you are not obligated to pay U.S. taxes (same as U.S. shoppers in Canada). While you cannot ask for exemption at the point of purchase, you can fill out a form and post it back to the U.S. with proof of purchase and then wait the obligatory 6-8 weeks and you will get a cheque (or check!) refunding you the taxes you paid on your item(s).

Edit: If I am not mistaken, there is even a location in Walden Galleria to pick up the tax form to claim your sales tax back.


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## titans88 (Oct 3, 2007)

Oakbridge said:


> In one of the early "are you bringing back an iPhone" threads someone posted the official wording of the "I declare" document. It was a surprise to me as well but technically if they ask for a receipt. you are responsible for paying your proper taxes (i.e. GST, HST, PST) on the total transaction. Here is the wording:
> 
> "In most cases, we consider any foreign sales tax added to or included in the price to be part of the value. However, some foreign governments will refund sales tax to you if you export the items you bought. In such cases, you do not have to include the amount of the foreign sales tax that was or will be refunded to you."
> 
> ...


I make multiple trips across the border each year - generally to Buffalo to visit family. Not once in my entire life have I ever paid taxes or duty on something which I have already paid state taxes.


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## G-Mo (Sep 26, 2007)

Oakbridge said:


> "In most cases, we consider any foreign sales tax added to or included in the price to be part of the value. However, some foreign governments will refund sales tax to you if you export the items you bought. In such cases, *you do not have to include the amount of the foreign sales tax that was or will be refunded to you*."


That pretty much covers it... Since you are exempt from U.S. taxes as a non-U.S. resident, you can claim the taxes back and don't have to pay Canadian tax on it.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

> First off the standard credit card fee for Visa/MasterCard is 1% - there MAY be additional 2-3% surcharge added by whomever issued your card (CIBC, HSBC, RBC, etc...). Fortunately, a few banks do not add a surcharge and it's up to you to investigate your banking situation and maybe make a change. Capital One not only does not charge a foreign surcharge, they also waive the 1% Visa/MasterCard standard fee and you pay live rate. Gold and Platinum credit cards from HSBC and most other banks also waive the foreign surcharge, but continue to pass on the 1% standard fee.
> 
> At the border you are NEVER charged on the total amount of the purchase, always the pre-tax total. Beyond this, if you really want to optimize your gain and are down shopping for a laptop, you can always take an empty laptop bag down with you and unpack your new laptop and put it in the bag and post the receipt back to yourself - if you want ALL the packaging, you can post that back to yourself too (albeit seperate from the receipt) which will cost much less than the cost of the taxes at the border.
> 
> ...


The ONLY thing you are correct on is you may claim the NY State sales tax back

Here's how



> Instructions for Claimants not Registered
> with the Department of Taxation and Finance
> — Complete all items on the reverse side.
> — Enter the date of purchase in the space labeled Period covered
> ...


then you wait.

US exchange

a) you do NOT EVER get the posted ForEx exchange rate.....even I don't and I buy about $10k a day on the Forex exchange.

b) THEN



> *Financial institutions charge consumers a fee, typically about 4 per cent of the amount being converted, the Bank of Canada explains.*
> 
> Why is there a penalty? It's a function of the smaller size of consumer transactions and the volatility of exchange rates.
> 
> ...


Customs for consumer purchases generally just look at the total purchase and charges you on that - the total tax in amount- they DO give you a favourable exchange rate in converting .

If you play the smuggle game and get caught

a) you'll pay triple 
b) you'll be flagged and pulled in EVERY TIME

TheStar.com | Business | How to get the best bang for U.S. bucks

Capital One may indeed offer SOME advantage but the casual shopper is hardly going to micromanage specific cards for a once in a while trip to the US.

Using a cashback card may also offset some of the charges but bottom line it's not going to be anything like you think in terms of savings....

Here's from the CIBC site



> #
> How does my credit card issuer figure out my exchange rate for purchases in the US?
> 
> *VISA International converts all foreign transactions to Canadian funds at a preferred rate. The exchange rate also includes a conversion fee, presently at 2.5%.* This fee is to offset the costs incurred by VISA International and CIBC in offering a worldwide VISA service. It is important to note that this is a more expensive transaction than a domestic transaction. Below is an example of the conversion calculation:
> ...


Preferred rate does NOT mean the ForEx rate - it's somewhere above that THEN the 2.5% is added.

Here is where you can see the minute by minute change of rates....

Real Time Forex Quotes - Canadian Dollar - CAD

1.08 today.

Do they play games with your money ...you bet.


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## krs (Mar 18, 2005)

Are we clear wrt the duty yet?
Is there duty on a MacBook when you bring it across or not?

As to taxes, the best legal option (I think) is to either use a band card if you have one or have someone buy it who has a band card. Now you are not only saving the difference in the dollar (less exchange unless you have US dollars in your bank account - which I do), but also all or a good portion of your sales tax. 
Customs accepts the band card - computer stores usually don't.


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## G-Mo (Sep 26, 2007)

MacDoc said:


> US exchange
> 
> a) you do NOT EVER get the posted ForEx exchange rate.....even I don't and I buy about $10k a day on the Forex exchange.
> 
> Preferred rate does NOT mean the ForEx rate - it's somewhere above that THEN the 2.5% is added.


I worded live rate poorly - I should have said preferred rate, which, you are absolutely correct is not the same... right now for HSBC MasterCard it is about 1.05 (plus your 1% surcharge) - I have a Gold so there is no additional charge, it's covered in my annual fee...



MacDoc said:


> Customs for consumer purchases generally just look at the total purchase and charges you on that - the total tax in amount- they DO give you a favourable exchange rate in converting .


If you tell them you are planning on claiming the taxes back, even present the form if you have it and talk to them and take your time they are very reasonable. If they are not, you can always send in the receipt for your taxes/duty paid at the border, a copy of the reciept(s) pertaining to your purchase(s) and a copy of your U.S. tax form to Canada Customs and Duty and they will refund the difference (again - after waiting the obligatory 6-8 weeks... although this time it is definitely a cheque!).



MacDoc said:


> If you play the smuggle game and get caught
> 
> a) you'll pay triple
> b) you'll be flagged and pulled in EVERY TIME


I'm not advocating it -- but it's out there!



MacDoc said:


> Capital One may indeed offer SOME advantage but the casual shopper is hardly going to micromanage specific cards for a once in a while trip to the US.


Who said micromanage? I said "investigate your banking situation and maybe make a change"! If you are not getting the best rates or services currently, perhaps people may want to consider a change... Just like if they don't currently have a Gold or Platinum card (and are eligible for one!) they may want to consider seeing what other services these types of cards offer for them and seeing if it's worth the annual service fee!


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

While we are on it - we found for Europe and South Africa - using the TD debit card was far and away the best method.
$3 fee and favourable exchange rates compared to credit card.

Pull out as much as possible on each transaction and be careful which ATM you use as banks differ abroad.

Looks like I might have to explore Cap One - - they have been bugging me to take a card.
I DO like their ads.
Does anyone know if they have a US denominated card?


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## G-Mo (Sep 26, 2007)

MacDoc said:


> Looks like I might have to explore Cap One - - they have been bugging me to take a card.
> I DO like their ads.
> Does anyone know if they have a US denominated card?


I don't think they offer a U.S. currency account to Canadians... If you are able to get a U.S. credit card (i.e. have a U.S. billing address and the right credit) they do have U.S. cards.


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## jr_junior (Apr 23, 2005)

Count me in the "wants not needs" group. I'll wait until afer xmas and purchase then. Hopefully at par... or better!


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## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

Come on new Apple products!

Two weeks from Tuesday or so.



> January 15, 2008
> 9:00am - 10:30am


Keynote | Macworld Conference & Expo


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## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

So, here we go.

All the predictions lately have been of the "what is the product" variety.

Let's see if there is anything approaching Canadian parity today as well.

Either way, new computers...


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## fyrefly (Apr 16, 2005)

HowEver said:


> All the predictions lately have been of the "what is the product" variety.
> 
> Let's see if there is anything approaching Canadian parity today as well.
> 
> Either way, new computers...


Doubtful that there'll be Canadian Parity. Canadian dollar's been all over the place this week too - due to fears of recession.

Also, MacPros updated last week with prices that were not on parity. So it's extremely unlikely IMHO that new products will have parity. (but still... fingers crossed!)


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## keebler27 (Jan 5, 2007)

fyrefly said:


> Doubtful that there'll be Canadian Parity. Canadian dollar's been all over the place this week too - due to fears of recession.
> 
> Also, MacPros updated last week with prices that were not on parity. So it's extremely unlikely IMHO that new products will have parity. (but still... fingers crossed!)


I agree completely. I was disappointed, but not surprised that the new mac pros weren't equal. 

I highly doubt any new products will be either. so tempting to wait until i visit the US in March, but a few hundred $$$'s isn't much as my wife will use it for work (as will I). I still don't like it though but i have to give in.

if i was in the 'want' dept, i would wait until march.

doh!


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## sadd3j (Aug 24, 2004)

Not to mention with a smaller market.. its just not as cost-efficient to sell here in Canadaas in the US.. so parity would be unlikely imo.


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## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

$100 more in the Canadian store-- MacBook Air.


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## TheDirtyOne (Sep 5, 2007)

If the Canadian dollar at parity remains stable month over month, for at least a year (maybe 2), then you'll see some pricing re-structuring. Apple most likely wont lower their prices to US store parity, only to have to re-structure them again if the dollar falls. That goes for most large retailers of anything. Everyone seems to look at products as stock/shares. The recent spikes of the CAD, need to be analyzed over a period of time before big decisions like the above are made.

Could you imagine the mess if they lowered their prices? People walk in with their items they purchased the day before demanding credit? It would be like the price drop for the iPhone in the US. lol


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## Chealion (Jan 16, 2001)

Apple Canada has dropped the following:
iPod touch is now $319 for the 8GB and $419 for the 16GB.
Apple TV is now $249 and $349.


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## VNJ85 (Feb 24, 2006)

Do you have to claim taxes if you own an apartment in the states?

E.g. I live here in Canada but also own land/apartment/house/condo in the States, and sometimes stay there for many months.


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## krs (Mar 18, 2005)

HowEver said:


> $100 more in the Canadian store-- MacBook Air.


Apple seems to be pricing new hardware at the 95 cent per US dollar level.
Considering the Cdn dollar currently fluctuates between 98 cents and $1.02 US, that sounds reasonable to me.

A lot better than many products that still assume a 75 cent dollar although some products have actually moved up to parity or even better.
But then again - companies usually price to Market and competition - not to a currency exchange level.


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## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

So at the end of the day... today... I haven't ordered a new Apple laptop.

Perhaps when I see one I'll give in to the lure of the MacBook Air. Perhaps I'll see how they revamp the MacBook or MacBook Pro in the near future, if they do.

A big "meh."

What's next?


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## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

So, when will there be a MacBook and MacBook Pro product line 'refresh'?

Once all the MacBook Air pre-orders have been filled?


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## Pelao (Oct 2, 2003)

> So, when will there be a MacBook and MacBook Pro product line 'refresh'?
> 
> Once all the MacBook Air pre-orders have been filled?


Don't know, of course. But I expect the refreshes to have a nice new trackpad like the Air, and probably a more rounded case too.


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## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

So, I'm off to the Apple store to buy a newly refreshed MacBook Pro.

Which of the two models though? How does .1 Ghz and 6MB instead of 3MB L2 cache and a slightly larger hard drive justify $500+ ??


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## zmttoxics (Oct 16, 2007)

Just go for broke man. I would if I was getting a new pro. BUT do NOT get the 300 gig hard drive, its only 4200 rpm.


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## fyrefly (Apr 16, 2005)

Or get the refurb 2.4Ghz - If you don't need the 40GB of HD Space.

You get the pretty much same computer (but not Penryn) for $1749 instead of $2099. $350 savings.

EDIT: You may also want to check this out:
http://www.ehmac.ca/anything-mac/62033-apple-store-no-new-mbp-mb-until-next-week.html


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## neufelni (Sep 17, 2007)

HowEver said:


> How does .1 Ghz and 6MB instead of 3MB L2 cache and a slightly larger hard drive justify $500+ ??


There is also a difference in the video card, 512MB instead of 256. I myself don't think that it's worth the extra $500 for that model.


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## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

Ah, yes, not in stores until next week.

I called to see about shipping times and was told "Oh it ships in 2-3 days, and then there's delivery, so about 4 to 8 business days."

Since when are "shipping" and "delivery" distinct entities?

And I assume that was with expedited shipping.

I can wait a week for the first store that has it.


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## Sitting Bull (Feb 4, 2008)

Good morning HowEver
I ordered mine on friday the 22nd in the morning and they told me the same thing. 1hr after I ordered they sent me an e-mail stating the order was processed.An hour or so later I got an update telling me fedex has picked it up and that I would be getting it on tuesday the 26th.not bad considering the weekend .So take the weekend out and thats 3 days. I was happy.


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## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

Sitting Bull said:


> Good morning HowEver
> I ordered mine on friday the 22nd in the morning and they told me the same thing. 1hr after I ordered they sent me an e-mail stating the order was processed.An hour or so later I got an update telling me fedex has picked it up and that I would be getting it on tuesday the 26th.not bad considering the weekend .So take the weekend out and thats 3 days. I was happy.


Refurbs likely don't ship from China or California, though.

New computers aren't kept in inventory in Canada as far as I know. Even new iPods generally ship from Shanghai or California.

And I wasn't thrilled about the "expedited shipping" option for a new computer without a promised ship (or "shipping and delivery") date.

I can wait another week and pick it up instore.


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## hayesk (Mar 5, 2000)

Brand new released models are typically shipped from China. But stock configurations of Macs that have been around for at least a few weeks are kept in Canada and shipped from here.


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## MazG (Jan 25, 2008)

*I want and don't need too....*

Like HowEver, I've been on the fence since before Christmas. I want and don't need an iMac (I have a one year old Toshiba Vista laptop). While the pricing has gotten much closer in recent months, when you start piling on hardware upgrades, software and peripherals the disparity starts to rear its ugly head.


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## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

Umm, Yorkdale Apple Store has the new MacBook Pros and MacBooks, at least as of today.

Well, they have one fewer of each, as of this afternoon: the top-end MacBook Pro and the mid-range MacBook.

I love and need and *have* new Apple computers....


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## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

*$0.78 Us*

To be fair to Apple, the Canadian dollar is tanking (as is the United States dollar, but less so), and Apple has not jacked up Canadian sales prices on Apple computers, iPods and other merchandise.



.


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## JumboJones (Feb 21, 2001)

HowEver said:


> To be fair to Apple, the Canadian dollar is tanking (as is the United States dollar, but less so), and Apple has not jacked up Canadian sales prices on Apple computers, iPods and other merchandise.


Where's the consumer outrage!!! We demand fair prices now!!!


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## ertman (Jan 15, 2008)

have not jacked up price.............. yet. 

I remember paying a couple hundred dollar premium on a macbookpro when our dollar was about par. I think we will always pay a premium. However, what I had notivced was at the time the macbookpro was about the same price as a windows equivalent, if not like $50 cheaper. I say Apple charges a somewhat fair price for their higher end computers, but once you get down to the macbook, mac mini etc. the price difference between a mac and pc equivalent grows in the pc's favour. With that said I don't feel ripped off when I got my new black macbook, as I find that the mac platform is better.

Value (implicit and explicit) versus cost.


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