Vancouver BC friends
- Thread starter djups
- Start date
I'm not from Vancouver but I can tell you from experience especially with the dollar at par you will find gear more expensive in Canada
If you come up here check out Long and McQuade. They are like Canada's Guitar Center with better service.
Jon and Maestro might be better able to help you with some local gems....
Or you could always contact our good friend Ben
If you come up here check out Long and McQuade. They are like Canada's Guitar Center with better service.
Jon and Maestro might be better able to help you with some local gems....
Or you could always contact our good friend Ben
Yeah, I don't get to enjoy the great exchange rate we americans had in the early 2000s =(. I have already talked to Ben about getting some gear in which he's waiting on. I just figure since I'm going up there for some bachelor parties this summer, I minus well check out some good shops if there are any.
Nothing worth going outside NLFX for. trust me. When the dollar is good we compete a little bit when its 20 or more the prices skyrocket.
I was browsing the forums and thought I'd contribute..
I run a DJ Store in Canada and understand the price differential between Canada and the US. The higher prices come from additional shipping costs, duties, and more importantly CSA approvals.
Although prices are typically cheaper in the US, Canadian DJs must remember that when importing they will likely have to pay duties/taxes and higher shipping. In addition, some warranties may not be valid, and if items are not CSA approved, insurance may choose not to cover any expenses in case of malfunction.
When taking products from Canada to the US, similar situations may occur (with duties and certifications), and I would especially caution against taking laser products across the border.
I run a DJ Store in Canada and understand the price differential between Canada and the US. The higher prices come from additional shipping costs, duties, and more importantly CSA approvals.
Although prices are typically cheaper in the US, Canadian DJs must remember that when importing they will likely have to pay duties/taxes and higher shipping. In addition, some warranties may not be valid, and if items are not CSA approved, insurance may choose not to cover any expenses in case of malfunction.
When taking products from Canada to the US, similar situations may occur (with duties and certifications), and I would especially caution against taking laser products across the border.
a really long time ago and the prices dont compare to NLFX Pro our sponsor. You will pay nearly double for most items.
Hey_you, who are you anyhow? Could you elaborate on your DJ store? Your profile is blank after all… 
Pricing and service up here sucks when it comes to DJ gear. Don't waste your time. If you live near a border town, like me, you are fortunate since shipping is normally free on whatever you buy in the US when shipped within the lower 48 states.
Warranty issues are not even worth mentioning as you can always ship it back to the US if you had to. Even then, shipping from BC to the US is cheaper than me having to ship something across Canada. Even our postal rates would blow your mind, ridiculous to say the least. I had a QSC PLX amp that I bought in the US break down (ribbon cable issue) and QSC couldn't care less where I purchased it, they just wanted me to be happy. They sent me to a local authorized repair shop (Backline) and took care of everything.
What most Canadian retailers refuse to admit is that we are now in a global marketplace. We can buy from where ever we want to. They no longer have us cornered like they do with cell plans. That too will soon change with the addition of a third company. Yes, my US buddies, at the moment, we have only two wireless service providers up here in Canada. Sure there are many different companies paying to use their stuff but there are only two actual networks. The third company is currently setting up their network and will hopefully be ready soon. But I digress...
I have recently been in cahoots with our very own Ben (NLFX) working on a way to get his product across the border and delivered to your door with no surprise duties, taxes or brokerage fees presented when you sign for your package. How cool would that be? I call it North American market domination. We’ll keep you posted on that…
Canadian DJ gear prices? Ridiculous…
Canadian shipping rates? Unacceptable…
Canadian skiing? Awesome!
Pricing and service up here sucks when it comes to DJ gear. Don't waste your time. If you live near a border town, like me, you are fortunate since shipping is normally free on whatever you buy in the US when shipped within the lower 48 states.
Warranty issues are not even worth mentioning as you can always ship it back to the US if you had to. Even then, shipping from BC to the US is cheaper than me having to ship something across Canada. Even our postal rates would blow your mind, ridiculous to say the least. I had a QSC PLX amp that I bought in the US break down (ribbon cable issue) and QSC couldn't care less where I purchased it, they just wanted me to be happy. They sent me to a local authorized repair shop (Backline) and took care of everything.
What most Canadian retailers refuse to admit is that we are now in a global marketplace. We can buy from where ever we want to. They no longer have us cornered like they do with cell plans. That too will soon change with the addition of a third company. Yes, my US buddies, at the moment, we have only two wireless service providers up here in Canada. Sure there are many different companies paying to use their stuff but there are only two actual networks. The third company is currently setting up their network and will hopefully be ready soon. But I digress...
I have recently been in cahoots with our very own Ben (NLFX) working on a way to get his product across the border and delivered to your door with no surprise duties, taxes or brokerage fees presented when you sign for your package. How cool would that be? I call it North American market domination. We’ll keep you posted on that…
Canadian DJ gear prices? Ridiculous…
Canadian shipping rates? Unacceptable…
Canadian skiing? Awesome!
I'm not too sure what the forum rules are regarding self-promotion, so I haven't filled in any details - and I want to respect NLFX's sponsorship.
I'm with a fairly new DJ shop - AVShop.ca. We've been open less than a year on the sales side, with a prior focus on installs and production.
We do try our best to compete with our friends down south, but would be losing money ourselves if we were to match US prices! Our cost is higher for those reasons I mentioned earlier (duties, taxes, CSA, etc).
I want to caution anyone shipping across the border, and not just because it adds more competition for me, as I don't blame you for wanting to save to some money!! However, the final cost is not always cheaper.
Unfortunately NLFX doesn't show shipping costs to Canada on their site, so here's a quick comparison from Musician's Friend, with shipping to Vancouver (we're in Toronto):
American DJ Aggressor:
Our price: 184.99 + 17.08 shipping + GST = $211.32
MF's price: 129.99 + 46.28 shipping + 18.06 duty + 21.93 GST + UPS Brokerage fee 43.98 + 6.61 disbursement + currency conversion 8.69 = $446.77
And that light will not be CSA approved - warranty may or may not be covered !
Pioneer DJM-800
Our price: 1,929.99 + 96.50 GST + free shipping = $2,026.49
MF's price: 1,699.00 + 64.98 shipping + 102.30 duty + 112.35 GST + 78.00 brokerage + 6.61 disbursement + 44.26 conversion = $2,113.78
Do your homework before ordering from the US. Ship to a US location and bring it across the border if you can, otherwise you're stuck with all those extra fees that no one thinks about when placing their order - brokerage fees, disbursements, etc. especially when UPS is doing the shipping.
I've had a few customers who decided not to order something off me because I couldn't match the US price. After ordering from the US, I then got a call a few weeks later saying that they should've just ordered from me because of all the extra costs! This hasn't just happened once...
Before placing your order, plug in the details to this site to give you the final cost of your order after all fees: http://www.thefinalcost.com/shipments/calculate/.
In the end order from where ever you get the best price and service - just make sure you understand the final cost.
I'm with a fairly new DJ shop - AVShop.ca. We've been open less than a year on the sales side, with a prior focus on installs and production.
We do try our best to compete with our friends down south, but would be losing money ourselves if we were to match US prices! Our cost is higher for those reasons I mentioned earlier (duties, taxes, CSA, etc).
I want to caution anyone shipping across the border, and not just because it adds more competition for me, as I don't blame you for wanting to save to some money!! However, the final cost is not always cheaper.
Unfortunately NLFX doesn't show shipping costs to Canada on their site, so here's a quick comparison from Musician's Friend, with shipping to Vancouver (we're in Toronto):
American DJ Aggressor:
Our price: 184.99 + 17.08 shipping + GST = $211.32
MF's price: 129.99 + 46.28 shipping + 18.06 duty + 21.93 GST + UPS Brokerage fee 43.98 + 6.61 disbursement + currency conversion 8.69 = $446.77
And that light will not be CSA approved - warranty may or may not be covered !
Pioneer DJM-800
Our price: 1,929.99 + 96.50 GST + free shipping = $2,026.49
MF's price: 1,699.00 + 64.98 shipping + 102.30 duty + 112.35 GST + 78.00 brokerage + 6.61 disbursement + 44.26 conversion = $2,113.78
Do your homework before ordering from the US. Ship to a US location and bring it across the border if you can, otherwise you're stuck with all those extra fees that no one thinks about when placing their order - brokerage fees, disbursements, etc. especially when UPS is doing the shipping.
I've had a few customers who decided not to order something off me because I couldn't match the US price. After ordering from the US, I then got a call a few weeks later saying that they should've just ordered from me because of all the extra costs! This hasn't just happened once...
Before placing your order, plug in the details to this site to give you the final cost of your order after all fees: http://www.thefinalcost.com/shipments/calculate/.
In the end order from where ever you get the best price and service - just make sure you understand the final cost.
If you vancouver guys order anything from omnisistem through Ben, You can get a good price and come down a few minutes past Seattle and pick it up straight from Omnisistem. Might save a lot on shipping if you have a big order. Ben hooked me up with an Omnisistem LED 252 bar and I was able to pick it up the same day straight from the omnisistem headquaters.