Are you still buying in the USA? Why?

[RuGlu6]

Here is an example
2.5L Bubble Magus Dosing Container $58.99+tax+$8.94 shipping= $67.93+tax=$76
http://www.reefsupplies.ca/canada/bu...ontainer-2-5l/

Exactly the same item for $20 (select size in drop down window)
http://www.reefshops.com/liquid-storage-bucket.html
$43 total shipped looks a lot less the $76 to me. Plus i could use a $9 discount from my previous purchase.

Bubble magus NAC7 cone skimmer $248.99+tax =$278+free shipping
http://www.reefsupplies.ca/canada/bu...-cone-skimmer/

Exactly the same item for $170+$38 shipping= total $208 shipped.
http://www.reefshops.com/bubble-magu...n-skimmer.html

[Seriak]

Originally Posted by RuGlu6

Here is an example
2.5L Bubble Magus Dosing Container $58.99+tax+$8.94 shipping= $67.93+tax=$76
http://www.reefsupplies.ca/canada/bu...ontainer-2-5l/

Exactly the same item for $20 (select size in drop down window)
http://www.reefshops.com/liquid-storage-bucket.html
$43 total shipped looks a lot less the $76 to me. Plus i could use a $9 discount from my previous purchase.

Bubble magus NAC7 cone skimmer $248.99+tax =$278+free shipping
http://www.reefsupplies.ca/canada/bu...-cone-skimmer/

Exactly the same item for $170+$38 shipping= total $208 shipped.
http://www.reefshops.com/bubble-magu...n-skimmer.html

You have to be careful with that site. It looks like most of their stuff is 220V.

[RuGlu6]

Originally Posted by Seriak

You have to be careful with that site. It looks like most of their stuff is 220V.

Yes it is all 220V.
Got my 200W voltage transformer for $10 on CraigsList. CalcReactor and Skimmer together are less then 30W both plugged in the same transformer so i am OK.
BTW this site is legit and support is OK too.

[carnut]

if you can give me a canadian site that sells the same products at the same prices as brs even after duty and shipping I would shop at home. The only site i have seen is reselling the product at a mark up, higher then a us delivery.

[Reef Supplies]

Originally Posted by daplatapus

Well here's one of the biggest items I use that gets my shorts in a knot about buying things for my tank. A 1L bottle of dkh Plus from my LFS costs me $34.99. I dose 50 ml per day so I need to buy 1 bottle every 20 days. I have never been in there yet when they've had the 1 gallon jug because it's too expensive to keep it on the shelf and for some reason most times they can't get it regularly. At BRS, I buy the 7 lbs tub that makes 7-8 gallons for $17.99. For me to purchase 7 gallons of my LFS product it would cost me around $900. I just can't afford to shop local (if an hour's drive is considered local).

Originally Posted by Cal_stir

I use 100% arm and hammer baking soda, bought a 50lb bag at a local bulk food store for $50, makes about 50 gals.

$900 is a LOT of money, but as Cal_sti wrote...there are options.

Originally Posted by RuGlu6

Here is an example
2.5L Bubble Magus Dosing Container $58.99+tax+$8.94 shipping= $67.93+tax=$76
http://www.reefsupplies.ca/canada/bu...ontainer-2-5l/

Exactly the same item for $20 (select size in drop down window)
http://www.reefshops.com/liquid-storage-bucket.html
$43 total shipped looks a lot less the $76 to me. Plus i could use a $9 discount from my previous purchase.

Bubble magus NAC7 cone skimmer $248.99+tax =$278+free shipping
http://www.reefsupplies.ca/canada/bu...-cone-skimmer/

Exactly the same item for $170+$38 shipping= total $208 shipped.
http://www.reefshops.com/bubble-magu...n-skimmer.html

Where do they ship out of? Correct me if i'm wrong but I believe they ship out of Japan. Be it Japan, USA...Euro, you will have to pay duties, brokerage fees and tax on that NAC7.

This is a rough breakdown when using UPS ands shipping the NAC7...could be off a little.

duty $10.20
gst $13.09
coversion $5.20
brokerage $43.98
Disbursmant $6.61

So you need to add about $78, so if my calculations are correct your $208 NAC 7 will cost you about $285.

And you still have to buy a converter for the 220V.

[intarsiabox]

Originally Posted by Reef Supplies

$900 is a LOT of money, but as Cal_sti wrote...there are options.



Where do they ship out of? Correct me if i'm wrong but I believe they ship out of Japan. Be it Japan, USA...Euro, you will have to pay duties, brokerage fees and tax on that NAC7.

This is a rough breakdown when using UPS ands shipping the NAC7...could be off a little.

duty $10.20
gst $13.09
coversion $5.20
brokerage $43.98
Disbursmant $6.61

So you need to add about $78, so if my calculations are correct your $208 NAC 7 will cost you about $285.

And you still have to buy a converter for the 220V.

Don't get things shipped by courier and you don't pay brokerage or duty, most times not even taxes. I buy things from the US and over seas often and just get it sent via USPS or regular air mail and have only occasionally had to pay GST but never any of the other charges you list. Maybe from a business perspective when you are buying pallets of stuff you can't avoid some of these charges but a regular consumer can. It usually takes 2-3 weeks this way but it's much cheaper. I even have over seas merchants ask me what I want them to declare the value of the merchandise is to lower the potential GST costs on my end. I really don't know how customs decides when to charge GST or not but so far I only pay it 1 in 10 purchases.

[mike31154]

I shop around, local, USA or global. On a fixed income so any $$s I can save I'll go for the best deal. It's a global economy after all. It also depends on the product I'm buying. With respect to hobby related stuff such as my sw tank, most everything is made overseas so I don't see any reason to line the pockets of a shell company that merely brings stuff in from the same place & marks it up. The beauty of the interweb. There's little incentive for me to bother having something shipped from Quebec vs from Asia since I live closer to the west coast.

With respect to items actually made in Canada (& in the US like my VorTechs)...... I like butter & prefer that it comes from somewhere within 100 Kms of where I live, so I look for Dutchmen's Dairy butter, cheese, sour cream etc., whenever shopping for dairy products. In this case it seems foolish to save a few cents or a dollar on a 1/2 lb of butter from some national supplier that has mega plants in Montreal, Toronto or another major center in eastern Canada when there are perfectly healthy cows producing what I like in BC. I know,,, the long haul truckers out there are gonna hate me.

I reckon in a few years when Asian workers start getting paid a decent wage & increasing fuel prices make shipping goods across the ocean less lucrative, there will be a major shift in how the global economy works. I still can't figure out what NAFTA means, free trade my a$$, Europe has the right idea there, just open up the borders & have a common currency, then the brokers & money traders will be out of a job, good riddance. An American dollar for all of N & S America! Sure there would be some growing pains, but in the long run it would level the playing field & true competition would result.

[RuGlu6]

Originally Posted by Reef Supplies

Where do they ship out of? Correct me if i'm wrong but I believe they ship out of Japan. Be it Japan, USA...Euro, you will have to pay duties, brokerage fees and tax on that NAC7.

This is a rough breakdown when using UPS ands shipping the NAC7...could be off a little.

duty $10.20
gst $13.09
coversion $5.20
brokerage $43.98
Disbursmant $6.61

So you need to add about $78, so if my calculations are correct your $208 NAC 7 will cost you about $285.

And you still have to buy a converter for the 220V.

They ship from mainland China, i placed 3 orders from them already.
All i paid was item cost and shipping and that's it.
Plus they give me $9 gift cert every time.
My 220V converter was $10 and i can plug many things in it before i reach 200W limit

[RuGlu6]

Speaking of crossing the border... i heard that it will soon be $200 duty free instead of $50 per person for less then 24hrs in USA.
Does anybody know when this will be implemented ?
Thx.