Shopping for gear in TO vs USA | GTAMotorcycle.com

Shopping for gear in TO vs USA

Dohhh

Dohhh

Banned
So i was in need of a new helmet. Decided i want an arai corsair v. Went to all the usual places, gp bikes 899 plus tax, riders choice 899 plus tax, royal 1079 plus tax. I asked all these retailers if this is the best price they can give, all of them said "yup, thats the lowest we can do"
So im looking at 1015- 1219 if i decide to support my local shop.

Yesterday i walk into a bike shop in washington and their price too was 899 plus tax. i ask them how much they can give it to me for out the door and the guy replied with 800 with taxes. i tell him if he makes it under 750 ill buy it, otherwise i gotta pay duty on it. 684+ tax = 749 out the door. So after the currency exchange i paid 730 vs 1015 and local retailers wonder why people head south when shopping. 30% difference? hell no... 10% maybe even 15% i could kinda live with. but 30?

Now im also in need of a new one piece suit, in canada 899+ 13% tax and no one will budge. in the usa 599 + 6-7% tax and retailers are still willing to give a break. guess where ill be buying the rest of my things...
 
caboose483 said:
You're smuggling them back?
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If you travel down there frequently for business makes tons of sense. Don't even need to smuggle if you stay under the limit as the OP says.
 
Wear terrible old gear there, discard, buy new gear, ride back in said gear. Or just post your old stuff back as a gift... Pretty simple really.
 
I'm with you!

I went to look for boots today, and settled for TCX X-Cube. The X-Square which is one step lower was $169.99 at Kahuna Powersports, same for Parker Bros. The X-Cube is $209.99

Went online to www.extremesupply.com and they're selling the X-Cube for $116.99 + $40 shipping.. that's still quite a few dollars off.

I tried, but what can you do, I go where it's cheap.
 
I'm less than an hour away. Cross over once a month or so. Never had an issue declaring motorcycle gear/equipment. Most ask what kind of bike, how much I spent. Some acknowledge a good deal. Always have my receipt. Most times, I'm only there for lunch and pick up a package.

A few Customs Agents appear to ride and understand. Those that don't ride, still seem to understand.

Maybe it's reverse profiling? I'm a fat Dad that rides a Harley and sits in an office most days.

I just wouldn't try to bring across multiple items. Multi sizes/quanties etc. And I don't buy any smokes or booze unless my stay is for a few days. Might pick up some Baily's or Highland Park 18 when that is the case.

PS. Each time, I'm fully prepared to pay any duty. Knock on wood, my streak continues. Murphy's law, I'll probably get dinged next trip just because I posted this. Oh well.
 
Myztyk said:
If you travel down there frequently for business makes tons of sense. Don't even need to smuggle if you stay under the limit as the OP says.
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Assuming you're down there long enough, that works. If you're not then you'll have to pay HST on all that moto gear.
 
Dohhh said:
No im not, after being away for 7 days or more you're allowed to bring in 750$ worth of goods, thats why the guy sold it to me for 749
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Yep. This is how I get pretty much everything I buy for less than it costs here along with free shipping and no taxes.
 
not our fault for shopping online from the US cuz local retailers don't know how to do business
 
Went to GP bikes for a helmet and shield. I had to wait for 3 separate occasions. I end up waiting for 30mins to be served.

I just went home and order online, lol. I saved a total of $100. Plus GP did not have the visor in stock.

BTW, I saw a wicked kangaroo Tecknic suit for $7xx, at Royal D.
 
kickstartt said:
not our fault for shopping online from the US cuz local retailers don't know how to do business
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This is inaccurate at best.

In the case of the helmet above, the local retailer pays more for the helmet than the buyer paid in the US.

America has more than 15 times the number of motorcyclists that Canada has, economies of scale play a significant role in the pricing we see vs the US.
 
All I can say is I heart Www.sportbiketrackgear.com

They're in Flint Michigan, which is a 3 hour drive from here...even WITH the s&h they're still cheaper than most stores here, and are always willing to cut you a deal, on the phone, in person, or online.

Just pre-order to their store, so you know they have it...take a day trip down there, pick it up, drive on back in a black suit and as horrible as it sounds, say you went to a funeral, just have the name of a funeral home in Flint picked out.

done and done.
 
lil sushi said:
All I can say is I heart Www.sportbiketrackgear.com

They're in Flint Michigan, which is a 3 hour drive from here...even WITH the s&h they're still cheaper than most stores here, and are always willing to cut you a deal, on the phone, in person, or online.

Just pre-order to their store, so you know they have it...take a day trip down there, pick it up, drive on back in a black suit and as horrible as it sounds, say you went to a funeral, just have the name of a funeral home in Flint picked out.

done and done.
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Just wear the helmet, ditch the cardboard box and extras that came. Put your old helmet in the back seat. Say it's your spare and you were hoping to pick up chicks down south
 
LiNK666 said:
Just wear the helmet, ditch the cardboard box and extras that came. Put your old helmet in the back seat. Say it's your spare and you were hoping to pick up chicks down south
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LOL...Meh...I just bat my eyelashes and smile sweetly at the border...works everytime...and no this is not "sushii" LOL
 
I have ordered top of the line gear from Europe (UK and Germany), paid shipping, and duty and it has still come in 10% cheaper than local gear!!! And the stuff out there is more trick and more current.

It seems Canadian retailers are paying premium retail costs then marking up a bit!!!!

And to the theory of scale...this theory applies to dense regions and shipping ports. Montreal and Vancouver ship high volumes and as such should have lower rates then an item requiring further distribution (in low volume to Winnipeg for example). Products destined for Utah should cost more than products in Los Angeles or NY for example. Toronto is in a high volume region and as such should be lumped together with over all East Coast volume, not simply separated as USA vs Canada. Why something in Michigan and Washington is 30% cheaper than Toronto doesn't make any sense unless bureaucracy and import regulations are stifling businesses.

If I am obliged to support local, conversely "local" is obliged to support me! Drop your prices and haggle better wholesale deals in the first place!

If goods land in a port like NY (for example) and product is divided into destinations like Philadelphia, DC, Detroit, Indianapolis, etc,...Toronto should make no difference (theoretically). There is no point in buying a product from Italy if it arrives in Montreal at a higher price than buying it from Italy via an American middle man!!! Hell that Yankee middle man deserves a cut for getting it even cheaper for me!

If you want to truly support local buy locally made products!

By the way, as a funny side note....all those cheap products coming from the states....(I myself having just picked up a sweet pair of Puma 1000 boots for $260 including taxes, duty and shipping!!!!) may actually be a result of BAD BUSINESS!!! As much as we criticize Canadian business for "bad business", if they don't over stock in the first place, they aren't reduced to over-stock clearance sales. Some of these good deals we fetch come as a result of over zealous dealers in the US on hard times. Just head on over to Block Buster right now for "good deals" and an example of "bad business"!!!! Can't ask a Canadian business to match that in all fairness, and oddly enough US Blockbuster is punishing Canadian Blockbuster to pay it's US debts!!!
 
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