don7 Have had issues with this retailer, Note the amount of old stock they have, most retailers with stock that old have marked it down in an effort to get rid of it, and the rest of their inventory have prices that are high to say the least, plus US dollars. I can shop here or i could shop online at Modeltrainstuff and pay the shipping and taxes and save a substantial amount. Gee, I just can't decide what I should do.
Have had issues with this retailer,
Note the amount of old stock they have, most retailers with stock that old have marked it down in an effort to get rid of it, and the rest of their inventory have prices that are high to say the least, plus US dollars.
I can shop here or i could shop online at Modeltrainstuff and pay the shipping and taxes and save a substantial amount.
Gee, I just can't decide what I should do.
Don, Interesting view, that retailers should only carry what just fell off the boat last week and should blow the rest out cheap?
That's a great view that now has us in the world of preorders and no inventory on store shelves.
You don't know, they might be doing qute well with that "old invenetory". What you call old, might be just what someone else is looking for. And maybe, just maybe, they were not in the hobby or in the market for that product when it was "hot and new".
Sure, a successful retailers needs to have what is new, but depth of inventory is ALWAYS what has set the great shops apart from the rest.
I don't know anything about them, but I would never judge them negatively because they are not closeout kings.
Sheldon
I stopped using UPS a year or more ago over refusal of any and all damage claims. There is a point to all of this.
Late last year we were contacted from South Africa for a bunch of rail. They requested UPS, so we checked for them. UPS shipping on, oh, $300 of rail, was $950.00.
Yeah, just under a grand.
I think USPS would do it for $124.
NAFTA supposedly made it easier to do business with our northern and southern neighbors by doing away with trade barriers between us. Well, the government postal systems have found new ways to keep retail goods out of each other's countries. Net result...........jobs, manufacturing and wholesale goods now move smoothly across our borders while the individual citizen at retail is newly shafted via the postal dis-services.
You just can't win as the little guy.
Richard
If I can't fix it, I can fix it so it can't be fixed
Dan, I know this business, I done some purchase in the past with them. Never again, I don't like their business practices. They are harrassing with email and phone calls. Right now there are some magnetic Air Hoses on the market. I would like some but will not get any as Pacific Western Rail is the sole distributor.
Jack W.
To the OP and other Canadian residents:
I didn't see it mentioned in the thread (apologies if I missed it) but another Canadian online retailer worth looking in to is Pacific Western Rail
http://www.pacific-western-rail.com/ho_in_stock.php
They seem to carry only HO and N stuff, but they seem to be farily well-stocked. They are located in SW BC near Vancouver. I visited their retail shop once years ago when I lived in NW Washington. At the time, the "store" was little more than a warehouse/storage space. The main focus of their retail business is via the Internet. I don't know how their shipping within CAN compares with the other shops mentioned, but it's at least worth a look-see if you model HO and/or N.
Dan Stokes
My other car is a tunnel motor
DAVE,
I am sorry you live where that are no "large discounters" in the hobby industry.
But, again, liek I said to Johnboy..there are NO bargains up there in CAN Land? Iff'n y'all supported your LHS's more, maybe there would be! By buying in the USA, and shipping, you DO risk the higher prices for the lower demand within CAN.
And I truly am sorry it costs so much now to ship into your country, That is the price you pay to MAKE things more competitive FOR the CAN. Hobby shops!
SO NOW< you need to get together and SUPPORT your LHS's up there so can be there for your hobby needs at a discounted price.
I always find it amazing and amusing that people DON'T WANT to pay "full retail", yet complain when there is no bargain" anymore. { I may look for bargain deals myself, But you don't see me importing my stuff form CHINA now do you??}
LIKE Sheldon, I am lucky, I guess, ...I can be at wholesaletrains,com brick and mortar store in 45 mins, I can be at Steamtown in 1.25 hours, and to Strasburg in 3.5 hours to shop or ride trains! Is it fate? Maybe, no, my father's J-O-B brought him out here many moons ago, and I grew up here......and I have returned { "though who knows why"?}.AND, obviously you may have not paid attention to USA users complaining about paying $10 shipping on a $50 loco!!! WIthin our OWN country! It costs GAS and DIESEL FUEL and JET fuel to get your products there!
Ah well, part of life is the journey to get there.....
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
The problem in Canada is not a lack of retailers. The problem is that none of our retailers are big enough to offer the deep discounts that the larger US retailers can. The Canadian market is only 1/10th the size of the US market. The attraction for us to buy in the US was because we could get better pricing on lots of items and the shipping was reasonable. That was before the trend to restrict shipping to USPS Priority Mail only. Going from USPS First Class to Priority Mail jumped the shipping by about $24.00 on an average purchase. That's no longer a bargain unless you are spending a lot of money, but if you spend a lot of money you are more likely to get charged duties. USPS First Class shipments rarely gather the attention of Canadian Customs, especially if they are under $100 in value. However, once you go to Priority Mail, Canada Customs seems to pay more attention.
Ultimately this will all be good for Canadian retailers because more Canadians will be buying at home.
It has also saved me a lot of money! I used to buy frequently on eBay because the low shipping costs were no big deal. Now I buy very rarely, and only from those sellers who still offer First Class shipping.
Just while I am beating my chest here, someone made the suggestion that private business should be allowed to take over the small parcel shipping industry. That model would work in the US but when it comes to cross border shipments, those private carriers charge huge handling fees for clearing customs. I got burned only once - I had to pay a $60.00 brokerage fee on a $30.00 purchase. Unless that changes nobody in their right mind is going to use a courier company to import hobby items.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
mlehman Geared SteamUSPS is being paid for by me, Galaxy, Sheldon and all other US taxpayers. We don't really care to do this, and UPS and FED EX prove that private enterprise does it better that a subsidized government entity. Geared Steam, Not to be nit-picky, but re-read Wilton's post just before yours. USPS is NOT subsidized by the taxpayer, with the exceptions noted below. They have to break even, even after being saddled with costs by Congress for retirement funded in a way that isn't imposed on the private sector. "The USPS is required by law tocover its costs, and it has not received taxpayer subsidies since theearly 1980s. However, it does receive an annual appropriation fromCongress of about $100 million (or 0.1 percent of its $75 billionoperating budget) as compensation for the revenue it forgoes inproviding, through congressional mandate, free mailing privilegesfor the blind as well as absentee-ballot mailing for overseas military..." That a quote from the Cato Institute, not exactly some liberal outfit. So no taxpayer in the US is sponsoring mailings to Canada or anywhere else at below cost.
Geared SteamUSPS is being paid for by me, Galaxy, Sheldon and all other US taxpayers. We don't really care to do this, and UPS and FED EX prove that private enterprise does it better that a subsidized government entity.
Geared Steam,
Not to be nit-picky, but re-read Wilton's post just before yours. USPS is NOT subsidized by the taxpayer, with the exceptions noted below. They have to break even, even after being saddled with costs by Congress for retirement funded in a way that isn't imposed on the private sector.
"The USPS is required by law tocover its costs, and it has not received taxpayer subsidies since theearly 1980s. However, it does receive an annual appropriation fromCongress of about $100 million (or 0.1 percent of its $75 billionoperating budget) as compensation for the revenue it forgoes inproviding, through congressional mandate, free mailing privilegesfor the blind as well as absentee-ballot mailing for overseas military..."
That a quote from the Cato Institute, not exactly some liberal outfit.
So no taxpayer in the US is sponsoring mailings to Canada or anywhere else at below cost.
Thanks Mike, you learn something everyday.
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/
Sheldon,
Sure look like you live in a Model Train Heaven, however I will not change place with you. Where I live is also Heaven but of a different nature. Don't worry I am not completely isolated from model trains, I am some 120 miles from Montreal Quebec. There I visit 3 good hobby shop. In addition to that even tough I am 74 years old I can still drive long distances without problem. I have visited more than 10 times the Big E Train Show in West Springfield Mass, attended the Philadelphia, Detroit and Hartfort NMRA Train Show. I also like spending 2 weeks on the Virginia Beach water front and schedule my stay to coincide with the Tide Water annual train show.
But, there is alway a but, I know a time will come soon where I will have to keep my traveling to shorter distances. This bring me to M. B. Klein.
My dealing on line is solely with Klein, I like their business model and never had any problem with them. Their on line real time inventory system is fail safe, anyway it is with me, the pricing is good and they carry an extensive inventory. With today pre-order and limited run sometime a particular item can only be found there.
Two Canadian firms were mentioned in this thread, I have done some business with them but they are nowhere near the efficiency of Klein.
It was also mentioned to cumulate items and order a good volume to compensate for the shipping costs. Well I also do that whenever I can. I also sometime share purchase with other members of my club, also whenever possible. Some item are low inventory and if one waits too long he may very well miss it.
I said I was 74 years old this imply I am retired and on a fixed income, hobby money is not infinite and is unstretchable. That is why shipping costs has reached the deal breaker point for me. I am looking for alternatives, I will contact Klein Monday to see is the $30. is a maximum regardless of cost, number of items, size and weight of the parcel. If it is then I will try to split the shipping costs with other members of the club.
I did appreciate your input.
jalajoie For many years I have been doing all my on line purchase with M.B. Klein aka Model Train Stuff. Recently I notice the following on their web site: "Attention Customers: Due to new USPS shipping regulations we are no longer able to offer First Class shipping to our international customers. Priority Mail and UPS shipping options are still available. We apologize for any inconvenience." I did not pay much attention to this notice until my recent order. A few day ago I ordered 3 freight car for a total purchase of $62.77. When I processed the shipping cost it was $30. via USPS and nearly $130 UPS. $30. for a purchase of $62.77, this stopped me right there and then and this will put an end to my relationship with Klein. I don't blame Klein one bit for this as they are also a victim of USPS and probably our own Canadian postal service This is most unfortunate for me as there is not hobby shop within 100 miles from my location. Had I went ahead with this transaction total cost to me would have been $119.15 when all currency exchange, handling charges and taxes were added. This add $56,38 CAD to a $62.77USD purchase. Unbeleivable.
For many years I have been doing all my on line purchase with M.B. Klein aka Model Train Stuff.
Recently I notice the following on their web site: "Attention Customers: Due to new USPS shipping regulations we are no longer able to offer First Class shipping to our international customers. Priority Mail and UPS shipping options are still available. We apologize for any inconvenience." I did not pay much attention to this notice until my recent order.
A few day ago I ordered 3 freight car for a total purchase of $62.77. When I processed the shipping cost it was $30. via USPS and nearly $130 UPS. $30. for a purchase of $62.77, this stopped me right there and then and this will put an end to my relationship with Klein.
I don't blame Klein one bit for this as they are also a victim of USPS and probably our own Canadian postal service
This is most unfortunate for me as there is not hobby shop within 100 miles from my location.
Had I went ahead with this transaction total cost to me would have been $119.15 when all currency exchange, handling charges and taxes were added. This add $56,38 CAD to a $62.77USD purchase.
Unbeleivable.
Getting back to the OP, and his original post, I have a few more thoughts, some covered by others along the way.
From time to time, I order a fair amount of stuff from Train World in NYC - I live in Maryland. No matter how reasonable, there are always shipping charges. So like some others have mentioned, I don't place small orders. I make a list, that makes the freight worth while, and order it all at once.
As for MB Klein, I have done a fair amount of business there in the last 46 years as well - but I have never paid a freight charge - lucky me, I'm special - not really, I just happen to live about 35 minutes from their store - and have lived in this area all my life, worked in the hobby busienss years ago, and have spoke with Ted Klein (the owner) many times over the years.
Shopping on line, or by any long distance method, has its trade offs. Shipping charges are one of them.
I also have a LHS, at least for a while yet, the owner is planning on retiring soon. I buy a lot of stuff there too - he is only about 12 doors down the street in a small local shopping center. Yes, I can walk to my LHS. It is a small shop, that actually specializes in O gauge and large scale - but he will order what ever you want, gives reasonable discounts, does not charge shipping on special orders.
And then there is a the Great Scale Model Train Show, multiple times a year, held just down the street from MB Klein. As well as several other train shops, some with very low discount prices and great selections, all within one or two hours drive.
So, I'm sorry you live where the products of the world are not at your finger tips, but that is not anyone's fault. Nor is it the responsibility of the US or Canadian governments to fix. You are most welcome to select new leaders by whatever your process is who might be inclined to correct this situation, but there is little any of us on this forum can do for you, and we have offered what little advice there is on the subject.
Or, you are welcome to move someplace where the goods and services of the world are readily available without these extra transportation costs. Here in the Mid Atlantic of the USA, we are in model railroad heaven. Lots of train stores, lots of train shows, lots of famous model railroads to visit, lots of houses with big open basements to build model railroads in. Lot of museums and train rides, lots of original railroad history.
I can be at the Strasburg Railroad in one hour, and watch/ride a steam train any time I want about 200 days out of the year. I can be at the B&O Railroad museum in 40 minutes and see some of the most famous rail equipment in the world - housed in the birthplace of American Railroading.
I'm sure you live where you live for a set of reasons, some fate, some choice. Same here. If I move from here, I will understand what I give up and what I gain - it will be a choice - and I don't complain now, and will not complain about the changes if/when I move somewhere else.
But for now, I'm happy to live here in model railroad heaven.
last mountain & eastern hogger galaxy No one here is asking for a pity party Galaxy, just stating facts. PAY up! You of all people know well about looking for a deal, you talk about it all the time. In the case of subsidies etc. and good deals, need I remind you that all of the best Canadian Lumber goes Stateside and you buy it less than we can, the same goes for Petroleum products, the same goes for Potash and Salmon the list goes on and on and covers the full gammit of products. So in the same manner that you throw out the word Subsidies, we can too..............If that is what you want to do. Johnboy out.........................
galaxy No one here is asking for a pity party Galaxy, just stating facts. PAY up! You of all people know well about looking for a deal, you talk about it all the time. In the case of subsidies etc. and good deals, need I remind you that all of the best Canadian Lumber goes Stateside and you buy it less than we can, the same goes for Petroleum products, the same goes for Potash and Salmon the list goes on and on and covers the full gammit of products. So in the same manner that you throw out the word Subsidies, we can too..............If that is what you want to do. Johnboy out.........................
No one here is asking for a pity party Galaxy, just stating facts.
PAY up!
You of all people know well about looking for a deal, you talk about it all the time.
In the case of subsidies etc. and good deals, need I remind you that all of the best Canadian Lumber goes Stateside and you buy it less than we can, the same goes for Petroleum products, the same goes for Potash and Salmon the list goes on and on and covers the full gammit of products. So in the same manner that you throw out the word Subsidies, we can too..............If that is what you want to do.
Johnboy out.........................
Johnboy...are you trying to tell me there are NO bargains or deals in CAN? I find THAT hard to believe. Is it so expensive up there that you would have to leave the hobby then?
I don't buy stuff from foreign online retailers to avoid the hassles of getting it here and clearing customs or whatever ti takes to get it here. Now maybe I am lucky in that that stuff I want/need is HERE and not in a foreign country....OH WAIT, I have a 'foreign vehicle' and have had to wait 8 weeks for a part on the slow moving boat to get here and it wasn't cheap, fortuantely under warrantee..
And if the CAN "best stuff" is going stateside, As Geared Steam says, someone up there is making money, whether the CAN government or private enterprise. Obviously the USA is willing to pay MORE than the CANs for those items so it gets sold to us, THe Highest Bidder. OR CAN has so much extra the CANs don't consume all so they export to the USA. I don't think the CAN gov't is "subsidizing the USA" on those products...the "FT" in NAFTA is the "FREE TRADE".
WE, the USA exports our natural gas and makes a pretty penny doing it! We are willing to give it up for the $$$ and
And My slammin' Sammin' {salmon-what we call it} comes from the USA Farm raised varieties or the fresh air-transported-east variety from the West of the USA.
Mike,
Thank you for providing that amplifying information on how the Congress mandates how the USPS has to conduct it's business - I had overlooked it in my post. Also worth mentioning are the facts that US congressmen and senators enjoy what we used to call a "franking" privilege, no paying postage for the mail they send to their constituents, as well as that the Congress imposes the health care pre-funding requirement on no other branch of the federal government.
Respectfully,
Wilton.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
hon30critter To the Canadians who are having trouble finding Canadian suppliers, I would suggest looking at 'Canadian Express Line': http://www.canadianexpressline.com/ Dave can supply pretty much anything you want and he offers a discount off of the MSRP (varies by manufacturer). He does carry a fair inventory. He charges very reasonable shipping prices. It sometimes takes a couple of weeks to get everything you order if he doesn't have the item in stock, but you are beating the $30+ USPS Priority shipping fees. You unfortunately won't get the bargain discounts that some of the larger US dealers are able to offer, but as has already been said if the price for your bargain doubles due to shipping costs it probably isn't much of a bargain anymore. Please note that I am not associated with Canadian Express Line other than as a satisfied customer. Dave
To the Canadians who are having trouble finding Canadian suppliers, I would suggest looking at 'Canadian Express Line':
http://www.canadianexpressline.com/
Dave can supply pretty much anything you want and he offers a discount off of the MSRP (varies by manufacturer). He does carry a fair inventory. He charges very reasonable shipping prices. It sometimes takes a couple of weeks to get everything you order if he doesn't have the item in stock, but you are beating the $30+ USPS Priority shipping fees. You unfortunately won't get the bargain discounts that some of the larger US dealers are able to offer, but as has already been said if the price for your bargain doubles due to shipping costs it probably isn't much of a bargain anymore.
Please note that I am not associated with Canadian Express Line other than as a satisfied customer.
I'd have to agree. Dave also hits some of the local shows as well, so you can buy in person too. Not sure if he'll be at the Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario's show/event in late August.
I bought a Sunset Models Selkirk from him last year. Got a reasonable deal and had it in no time.
Another dealer who does a lot of online sales in Ontario is Lark Spur Line.
Some things are hard to find, so you have to buy them from the US, others are a bit on the expensive side so shopping around, and having the options, is always good.
Gidday. Firstly I'd just like to make it perfectly clear that NO one twisted my arm and made me model the North American prototype so, from my perspective, things like currency fluctuations and the freight costs are just part and parcel of the fun.
Can't do anything about currency fluctuations, currently the New Zealand $ is worth 78 US cents, was very recently worth 83 US cents, but has been, a few years ago, as low as worth 55 US cents. Thank goodness for projects back then.
Like Alan from Sunny Queensland, I try to make my purchases from the US just under NZ$ 400, (1) higher than that amount it attracts tax here, (2) it makes the freight costs almost worth while.
My last purchase from "Model Train Stuff" was: Bachmann Spectrum HO EM-1, NZ$ 229.99; Plug and Play sound Module Decoder for B&O EM-1, NZ$ 79.99; Shipping and Handling, NZ$ 52.65. Grand total NZ$ 362.63.
Now I have not seen one of these locos for sale locally but for rough comparison, from a NZ LHS; 'Bachmann Spectrum DCC-Sound Equipped USRA 2-6-6-2 Articulated Steam Locomotive (84801) HO Scale Painted Unlettered - Black (C & O® H5 version) $1,247.84 Special price $590.00."
You can see why I do shop off shore occasionally, sometimes its also the only way I'm able to buy certain kits.
Aaaaaaaah, the Joys of Model Railroading.
Cheers, the Bear,
from the not so sunny New Zealand
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
last mountain & eastern hogger No one here is asking for a pity party Galaxy, just stating facts. PAY up! You of all people know well about looking for a deal, you talk about it all the time. In the case of subsidies etc. and good deals, need I remind you that all of the best Canadian Lumber goes Stateside and you buy it less than we can, the same goes for Petroleum products, the same goes for Potash and Salmon the list goes on and on and covers the full gammit of products. So in the same manner that you throw out the word Subsidies, we can too..............If that is what you want to do. Johnboy out.........................
A few facts are in order to clear up some inaccuracies in this thread.
The USPS loses money because the US Congress requires it to pre-fund health care benefit costs for future USPS employees for 75 years into the future. The USPS is not subsidized by the taxpayers (not since 1970); it is self-funded as a result of the goods and services (shipping materials, stamps, and mailing options like Express Mail, Priority Mail, etc) it sells. It actually is the only federal government agency that I know of that makes a profit (which it used to do and would be doing now if the Congress would stop raiding it).
International shipping/mailing regulations are at the mercy of the laws that governments enact (and they are quite cumbersome and frequently defy logic), helped along by things like the war on terrorism.
This is a complex issue, and therefore the solutions for buyers and shippers are going to be tough to find. Sadly, I don’t expect it to improve.
Wilton – USPS Retired.
I periodically sell items on ebay, and I always use a flat rate shipping amount (for US buyers) that is hopefuilly more than the actual shipping. It covers the packaging material and the gas to get the item to either the post office or UPS. To me, even more important, is avoiding an item I recently sold that I estimated $10 shippng and it cost me $18. Ouch.
By using a flat rate anyone bidding on my item knows exactly what the total cost will be- no suprises. Any most items I sell are fairly low value, I start the bid at .99 and sometimes the item sells for that. There is no overhad to cover handling and packaging costs. Seems fair to me.
Guess someone forgot to include the postal systems in NAFTA.
The U.S. postal system does lose money, but a lot of that is due to requirements and restrictions the Congress lays on them.
I'm not getting into the sales tax mess, except to say in Virginia there's at least four different levels/categories from free to at least 10%.
Paul
Hi Jack,
I guess it's all relative. I usually place orders of about $300 or more to cover the cost of postage. I recently needed some unitrack but included a Loco and airbrush in the order so that the postage cost was spread over some more expensive items. My order totaled US$281.19. The Aussie dollar was buying US$1.05 at the time and I used USPS. The items arrived in 2 weeks (In Brisbane Australia) and my card was billed AU$333.00. I saved over AU$100 on the loco, about AU$25 on the airbrush and nearly AU$50 on the Kato double crossover as well as smaller savings on the other items compared to LHS prices. Unfortunately the Aussie dollar has dropped from $1.05 to $0.92 in the last few weeks so costs will go up for me and other Aussies. I think Canadians are subsidising Aussies on the international postage. It's a long way to USA to Australia compared to Canada and as you can see I only paid about $34 for postage. I certainly wouldn't buy a couple of $20 freight cars with that extra postage added.
cheers
Alan
Alan Jones in Sunny Queensland (Oz)
galaxy So to the CAN postal customers: you have been"Subsidized" by our postal service for so long, and now is the time to "pay up". It MAY be unfortunate that you cannot buy from your USA partners in hobby anymore, but .....I don't really feel sorry for you, not when it may cost me more than twice as much as now to mail a simple letter of my own within my own country sooner than I'd like if the rates rise to reflect actual costs here too! No one here is asking for a pity party Galaxy, just stating facts. PAY up! You of all people know well about looking for a deal, you talk about it all the time. In the case of subsidies etc. and good deals, need I remind you that all of the best Canadian Lumber goes Stateside and you buy it less than we can, the same goes for Petroleum products, the same goes for Potash and Salmon the list goes on and on and covers the full gammit of products. So in the same manner that you throw out the word Subsidies, we can too..............If that is what you want to do. Johnboy out.........................
So to the CAN postal customers: you have been"Subsidized" by our postal service for so long, and now is the time to "pay up".
It MAY be unfortunate that you cannot buy from your USA partners in hobby anymore, but .....I don't really feel sorry for you, not when it may cost me more than twice as much as now to mail a simple letter of my own within my own country sooner than I'd like if the rates rise to reflect actual costs here too!
from Saskatchewan, in the Great White North..
We have met the enemy, and he is us............ (Pogo)
MisterBeasley I can't imagine what it would cost me to send the same item to Hong Kong, but I'm guessing it would be more than $7.99. It's hard to believe that the Chinese are not subsidizing mail to the US. Of course, that's one reason that China is on the rise as an economic power and the US is not.
I can't imagine what it would cost me to send the same item to Hong Kong, but I'm guessing it would be more than $7.99. It's hard to believe that the Chinese are not subsidizing mail to the US. Of course, that's one reason that China is on the rise as an economic power and the US is not.
It's possible that it would. There's some odd postal conventions between the US and China.
At the risk of alienating CAN people here, I have to say I agree with Sheldon.
I always assumed {you know what that means} that CAN residents ordered USA train items, that is a B&O loco instead of a CP loco for instance, and thusly ordered from the USA to get the USA train livery items only because they were not available to them there in CAN. That may be the case in some cases, but not all apparently.
I couldn't believe that there is not a CAN retailer LHS or whatever there that doesn't carry what you'd want to buy.
Your CAN post may be higher to send within your own country, but you know what happens when you get a "bargain" by buying elsewhere!! That is what you MAY pay if the USPS actually charged REAL costs to post packages within the USA and to abroad. So now they charge the real fees to the outside customers.
YOU CANNOT COMPLAIN when a "BARGAIN" deal is taken away! ANY retailer, shipper etc, ANY business that is "giving away" it's products or services WILL eventually want to make up for it.
As mentioned, the USPS is LOSING MONEY AT AN ALARMING RATE. Postage should be about US$1.25 fpr a letter, more than double what it is now. It may even get there if they can't systematically make the USPS break even. You know what happens to a business that is a LOSING PROPOSITION, DOn't you? The signs will soon read: "CLOSED", "OUT OF BUSINESS", "DEAD".
AS far as online ordering TAX COLLECTION: NY has been demanding the online retailers collect it's state taxes for a while now. So why should you all get a deal and not pay taxes when some of us do? Here at the border with PA, it is automatically ASSUMED you have shopped in PA, even if you haven't set foot in the whole state of PA in your life. AND while in PA, if they collect taxes on you, you don't get a reprieve from NY, you pay double taxation!. LET MASSACHUSETTS collect away! The taxes collected may REDUCE your home tax base!
We, IN NY, have the line on State income taxes, for "sales and use" taxes on out of state tax free purchases. YOU CANNOT NOT PAY. It won't let you past the line without an entry of either "default taxes", or the "actual amount" you need to pay based on what you bought through the year.
FAIR TAXES AND FEES FOR ALL , I SAY!
I forgot to mention that in many instances Priority Post from the US to Canada actually takes longer than the International post.
More of my items sent priority end up sitting in the Canadian Customs warehouse for weeks, while the International post hardly ever has a customs sticker on it and often reaches me quicker than priority post
If Canada Customs decides to open your parcel there is a $10 fee for the inspection, most parcels are not opened but when they are...
BRAKIE MisterBeasleyBut the good news is...all of these things work in favor of the LHS! Only if his store is well stocked with competitive prices. I still won't buy at full MSRP..
MisterBeasleyBut the good news is...all of these things work in favor of the LHS!
Only if his store is well stocked with competitive prices.
I still won't buy at full MSRP..
When there were LHS in this area the rule of thumb was to look at the Walthers catalog, add 25% to 35% and that was the local retail price.
Now that was during the period of when the Canadian dollar was around 80% of the US dollar.
The LHS never had prices approaching the large discount model railroad have.
I can only assume that there are few Canadian distributors that are at the bottom of this pricing situation.
Well, it does not matter now, there are so few LHS left.
Even with the Priority Mailing charges it is still relatively cheap, I do only opt for large orders now. I am glad though that the bulk of my spending is now past. Very few expensive items to buy..
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
On top of that, Massachusetts and probably a few other states are beating on Amazon and others to collect sales tax on items bought by people here.
But the good news is...all of these things work in favor of the LHS!
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.