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Path: utzoo!utgpu!utcsri!utegc!utai!ubc-vision!fornax!bby-bc!john
From: john@bby-bc.UUCP
Newsgroups: can.politics
Subject: prices in Canada
Message-ID: <133@bby-bc.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 4-Jul-87 14:10:43 EDT
Article-I.D.: bby-bc.133
Posted: Sat Jul  4 14:10:43 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 5-Jul-87 01:34:53 EDT
Distribution: can
Organization: Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
Lines: 52


 The articles about getting UUNET in Canada reminded of a sore point.

 I keep having this experience when I go out to buy computer or
 electronic stuff:

 me : so how much is it?

 salesperson: it's only $X.

 me : but it's only $Y in the US (where $Y = 0.5$X usually)!!

 salesperson: ummm, yes that's about right, two times the US price. After
	      all we have to pay exchange, and fst and duty.

 me : there isn't any duty on that stuff and exchange + fst gives a markup
      of only %50 not %100

 salesperson : oh, umm, er, well



 A common variation is that the article is on "sale" :

 me : but that's the same as the US list price plus exchange + fst!

 salesperson : yes but our list price is relatively higher; you have
		to take the US list price and then add exchange + fst to
		get our list price.

 me : but you don't pay the list price you pay wholesale and add exchange +
      fst to that price and then add your markup.

 salesperson : no, we add our markup to the US list price after exchange
	       and fst are added in.

 me : good day



This happens time and again (although some of the retailers around here
are getting better); it is particularly galling when the stuff comes from
say Japan and the price I pay is effectively:

wholesale price (Japan to US) + exchange (yen/US $) + US duties and taxes +
profit margin of US retailers + exchange (US $/Can $) +
fst + Canadian retailer markup

instead of:

wholesale price (Japan to Canada) + exchange (yen/Can $) + fst
+ Canadian retailer markup