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Retailers charging way over msrp - Canadian Retailers


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jmfsilenthill



Joined: 31 Aug 2009
Posts: 1863
Location: Chinese cartoons are srs biz
PostPosted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 1:52 pm Reply with quote
This is a question for any Canadian users here who buy anime from stores like HMV and Cd Plus occasionaly. Do you find that these stores often charge way, way over the msrp on certain things? For example, my local HMV sells the Dragon Boxes for 85.99 CAD. They usually sell everything at msrp, rarely lower, but not as insane as the Dragon Boxes either. I've seen stuff like One Piece and Ghost in the Shell selling for about 5 or 10 dollars over msrp, which isn't horrible I suppose. But the worst offender, by far has been CD Plus. I went there the other day and saw the Gundam Zeta Movie Collection, for 129.99 CAD!!! Has anyone else seen this ridiculous pricing in any other part of the country? I nearly had a heart attack....
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Sheleigha



Joined: 09 May 2008
Posts: 1674
PostPosted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 2:09 pm Reply with quote
Isn't MSRP technically just for the country the product was made in? Besides, after currency exchange (yes, even if you check xe.com right now, CAD is almost on the USD $1...), not to mention not the same country with duty fees and all... I mean, not ALL goods are a higher price. Some games are, some aren't (have they dropped again due to a higher dollar?) and just products overall are alot more. Currency rate IS good, but it doesn't always effect the actual product...
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jmfsilenthill



Joined: 31 Aug 2009
Posts: 1863
Location: Chinese cartoons are srs biz
PostPosted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 2:17 pm Reply with quote
Could be, but I wouldnt pay nearly the same amount if I bought it at an online Canadian retailer. And some items are actually competitively priced at Brick and Mortar. Casshern, FMA Brotherhood, DBZ Kai, And Sengoku Basara BDs are all 39.99 at HMV. And I paid 44.99 for Eden of the East BD at Cd Plus, which is what I believe rightstuf's regular price is for it? Just seems like the pricing is all over the place. I just think it's hilarious that someone at Cd Plus thinks someone is actually going to pay that for Gundam when they can get it for about 40 bucks online (or less). I don't know, I guess this is what it means to be Canadian Laughing
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egoist



Joined: 20 Jun 2008
Posts: 7762
PostPosted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 2:40 pm Reply with quote
Isn't the pricing system automatic? Here you see a whole bunch of retailers coupled...
Like when Amazon goes down... so does HMV, and a few others.
Or when Zavvi's prices are down, so is Asda and another whole bunch.
I don't know who in their group is the first to change (definitely not the one 1 penny lower, lol), but I doubt the rest are doing it manually.

It's quite funny because sometimes you see something down to 15 from 30 on like 15 stores, and next thing everyone is up to 50.


Last edited by egoist on Mon Dec 06, 2010 2:45 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter



Joined: 07 Mar 2009
Posts: 24318
PostPosted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 2:41 pm Reply with quote
I can't provide recent examples, but this doesn't surprise me. I learned very quickly that buying anime at b&m stores in Canada was lunacy. As I've mentioned before, TRSI's prices even usually beat used anime prices in Canada. No wonder 99% of my anime comes from online (almost always TRSI).
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egoist



Joined: 20 Jun 2008
Posts: 7762
PostPosted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 2:50 pm Reply with quote
Yeah, the problem with TRSI is that they don't offer free delivery to the UK for orders over $500. I do love their customs "friendly" package though.
If Canadians had to pay for it, I wouldn't mind paying as well. But as they don't I think it's rather unfair. Why do Canadians get free delivery but we don't? Just because they're a few centimeters closer? Look at that, there's barely 4cms difference.
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jmfsilenthill



Joined: 31 Aug 2009
Posts: 1863
Location: Chinese cartoons are srs biz
PostPosted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 2:59 pm Reply with quote
Blood- wrote:
I can't provide recent examples, but this doesn't surprise me. I learned very quickly that buying anime at b&m stores in Canada was lunacy. As I've mentioned before, TRSI's prices even usually beat used anime prices in Canada. No wonder 99% of my anime comes from online (almost always TRSI).


Yeah it is pretty ridiculous. I buy the bulk of my stuff online as well, but like I mentioned before, there is an off chance that sometimes you will get a fair price on something. I paid 36.99 each for Casshern Blurays at Future shop. This rarely happens though. Where I live there aren't really any used outlets so I can't speak for that.

And @Egoist

I actually have had to pay for rightstuf packages in the past. Of the total 5 times I've ever ordered from rightstuf, the first three times I had to pay like 25-30 dollars. It's only the last couple of times I haven't had to, so I don't know what that's about.
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egoist



Joined: 20 Jun 2008
Posts: 7762
PostPosted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 3:01 pm Reply with quote
You don't pay for deliveries over $150. And what I said is a joke, btw. Wink
Just not paying customs is all I care about. Those selfish tax sharks.


Last edited by egoist on Mon Dec 06, 2010 3:03 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Sheleigha



Joined: 09 May 2008
Posts: 1674
PostPosted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 3:02 pm Reply with quote
jmfsilenthill wrote:

And @Egoist

I actually have had to pay for rightstuf packages in the past. Of the total 5 times I've ever ordered from rightstuf, the first three times I had to pay like 25-30 dollars. It's only the last couple of times I haven't had to, so I don't know what that's about.


Ew, duty fees... I've had to deal with those, which was why I avoided online retailers that are out of the country for a while... I wonder why they stopped? Maybe customs is loosening or something, but either way I don't see why they wouldn't want to hold out their hands and ask for more anyways >_>
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egoist



Joined: 20 Jun 2008
Posts: 7762
PostPosted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 3:06 pm Reply with quote
Huh, have you never noticed the TRSI friendly things they do with your package's total $? Customs is a last minute check they do to pricing... so if they're overloaded with more expensive stuff they'll just let yours go. And I don't know about there, but here it's the delivery company themselves who deal with that so they're under no obligation to dedicate their whole workforce to this task.
So, I recommend ordering stuff during busier times. Not guaranteed, but there's at least less risk.
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jmfsilenthill



Joined: 31 Aug 2009
Posts: 1863
Location: Chinese cartoons are srs biz
PostPosted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 3:12 pm Reply with quote
Strange though. All my orders from rightstuf are over 150. I do that to get free shipping. I remember also paying about 25 bucks when I ordere both Ghost in the Shell seasons off ebay (the big 7 dvd case sets). So maybe you're right on the order during busier times. Paying duty is bull crap, not matter what country you are in Laughing .
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egoist



Joined: 20 Jun 2008
Posts: 7762
PostPosted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 3:16 pm Reply with quote
Oh. Shipping fee has nothing to do with customs (well, actually it does add to your order's total).
If customs stop your items you'll pay import duty which is normally your country's tax rate, plus handling fee. Import duty goes to your government, and handling fee stays with whoever inspected your items (delivery company).
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Zin5ki



Joined: 06 Jan 2008
Posts: 6680
Location: London, UK
PostPosted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 3:19 pm Reply with quote
egoist wrote:
Just not paying customs is all I care about. Those selfish tax sharks.

In care you are unaware, there have been recent reports from trusted consumers of TRSI packages having customs fees levied against them.

This, alongside TRSI's heavy-handed security measures against international consumers and limited payment options, leaves me somewhat uninterested in the store's offers.
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egoist



Joined: 20 Jun 2008
Posts: 7762
PostPosted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 3:23 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
In care you are unaware, there have been recent reports from trusted consumers of TRSI packages having customs fees levied against them.

Of course. They wouldn't be stupid enough to try to pass £500 of merchandise as the mere minimum to break through customs without the fees (which is like £20).
I won't get into specifics because that'd be like assaulting their kindness.
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter



Joined: 07 Mar 2009
Posts: 24318
PostPosted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 3:23 pm Reply with quote
egoist wrote:
Yeah, the problem with TRSI is that they don't offer free delivery to the UK for orders over $500. I do love their customs "friendly" package though.
If Canadians had to pay for it, I wouldn't mind paying as well. But as they don't I think it's rather unfair. Why do Canadians get free delivery but we don't?


Mebbers the Americans are still a tad bitter over the tax on tea? Wink I think TRSI's free shipping to Canada on orders over $150 is quite farsighted on their part. It is the main reason they get virtually all my biz. Even when another on-line retailer has something cheaper, the added shipping cost usually makes up the difference. Technically speaking, we don't get "true" free shipping because once the TRSI package reaches Canada it is handed over to Canada Post for delivery and those sods charge a flat $7 fee for the service.
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