RANT - Hosed as a Canuck

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I'm tired of getting hosed by businesses here... If it's not bad enough paying higher prices, we get hosed our high sales taxes on-top of the hosing from business. So it compounds the hosing.

I'm due for Anode replacement in my water heater and I have a Bradford/White so the anode is incorporated in the hot water outlet and not separate as is the case for most other water heaters.

Anyway it's a specific magnesium rod I need and I see it online for $20-$25 USD ($26 - $32.50 CDN) for the model / length I need.
In Canada the least expensive is $55 ($42.31 USD), and most places in the US ship to the continental US for free or for a couple bucks. Shipping within my cities greater area from where the part is coming from is $15 CDN ($11.54 USD).

So I ended up ordering from a U.S. company that charges Canadian sales tax on shipments to Canada so that I don't get dinged with additional Customs & Brokerage (import fees) on top of this. (MORE HOSING!!!!!!)

Plus I pretended to leave the site first and got a VIP save 10% off coupon making the shipping to Canada almost free. (Cost me $2 USD in shipping)
(Ordered 2 rods because shipping was the same price for 1 or 2 rods)

So all in I got 2 rods for the price of 1 rod here plus $20. A savings of $55.00 CDN ($42.30 USD) (When shipping is also considered)

My rant is why do our businesses here always feel the need to "HOSE" our own. Do they not realize the internet exists?
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Ok I'm done now... Happy Friday!

Steve
 
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Check the tank, many will have a spot for an regular separate anode rod even it was not installed. Thats the difference between a 6 or 9 year for example. May have a plastic cap over it.
 
Originally Posted by Jimzz
Check the tank, many will have a spot for an regular separate anode rod even it was not installed. Thats the difference between a 6 or 9 year for example. May have a plastic cap over it.


Yeah this one doesn't because of the massive Power Vent unit on the top, I think that's why they went with the inlet. But yeah I have seen that before on my parents for example.
 
Good question. Maybe it's a political thing. People always seem to be posting great deals in Canada and it's a horrible deal if you're in the US. I've been to Walmart in Canada and nothing is cheap there compared to the US. Must just be the way the country is. On the flip side, if you try and buy things from china from places like aliexpress, it's amazing how much cheaper it can be over some US places. Usually they beat the vendors on eBay by a few dollars.

The anode rods I normally get are just $12.95. Haven't run into one where it was in the hot water outlet. I just cut them to length with a saws all.

https://www.supplyhouse.com/Rheem-SP11526C-900-x-44-3-8-Magnesium-R-Tech-Anode-Rod
 
Here is what it looks like...

[Linked Image]


The other type that goes in a separate spot, are $30 CDN ($23.07 USD) from Lowes/Home Depot, so still double the cost of your $12.95. (HOSING US AGAIN!!!!!!!)
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Originally Posted by StevieC
mad.gif


My rant is why do our businesses here always feel the need to "HOSE" our own. Do they not realize the internet exists?
smirk2.gif


Ok I'm done now... Happy Friday!

Steve


Maybe to help pay overhead costs for your free healthcare?

O/T but is "Canuck" offensive to you if I say it? Eh?
 
Originally Posted by Mr Nice
It sucks.... but why get upset for something so unimportant ?

Principal... It's not just this, it's on everything and it's frustrating because if it isn't businesses hosing us it's the government. I'd like some of the pie too considering it was my labour that got us all the pie in the first place.
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Originally Posted by AZjeff
Originally Posted by StevieC
mad.gif


My rant is why do our businesses here always feel the need to "HOSE" our own. Do they not realize the internet exists?
smirk2.gif


Ok I'm done now... Happy Friday!

Steve


Maybe to help pay overhead costs for your free healthcare?

O/T but is "Canuck" offensive to you if I say it? Eh?


No, Canuck is not offensive.... It's not like WOP is to Italians. (And yes I'm Italian heritage before anyone finds this offensive)

I could understand the income taxes because HealthCare is federally funded here but this funding is downloaded to the provinces. Sales taxes are largely for provincial and municipal programs (through downloading) and infrastructure is how our taxes work. So whatever a business charges I don't see that rolling into our HealthCare because it's a publically funded model not private.
 
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Originally Posted by AZjeff
What percentage of goods do you think are higher priced north of the 49th parallel? Do you think overall you pay more for goods?


As I live about 40 minutes from the New York border and frequently travel there for shopping trips with my folks or in-laws or my spouse I can tell you that it's a mix between the US paying better prices and us paying better prices and it's not just certain categories of goods.

I think most Canadians are savy shoppers and we are used to looking online for Canadian versus US pricing and doing the currency conversion.

What gets me is that some of the stuff is made in Canada and yet I can buy it cheaper from the U.S. shipped back to me in Canada than I can buy it here.
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I hear ya. We cannot catch a break on prices. Our dollar has dwindled and is stagnant, has been for years. We cant get flat rate shipping. I price check parts and more often than not order online. I tell the businesses why I shop online but in all actuality, my wife is a business owner and with our terrible income tax rates, high property taxes and insurance, it is very, very expensive to operate brick and mortar. You have to have sky high rates just to keep the doors open.

Sunny ways indeed.
 
Originally Posted by Donald
Some people in Canada skate to work. How great is that? You guys also have the majority of the Krown places to spray you car.
Cannot have it all!!


Krown was started here and we have a good porition of our population that live in the so-called rust-belt. So I think that's how that happened. Plus we are known to be frugal on spending on things like cars so car maintenance would play well into that.
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Originally Posted by BrianF
I hear ya. We cannot catch a break on prices. Our dollar has dwindled and is stagnant, has been for years. We cant get flat rate shipping. I price check parts and more often than not order online. I tell the businesses why I shop online but in all actuality, my wife is a business owner and with our terrible income tax rates, high property taxes and insurance, it is very, very expensive to operate brick and mortar. You have to have sky high rates just to keep the doors open.

Sunny ways indeed.

I have tons of Automotive parts places around me and I can buy stuff from RockAuto far less expensive than my local parts place. Same with driving across the border to visit an Autozone or Advance Auto.
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I don't get it...

I love calling the dealer for a Mopar part and then looking at RockAuto to find it usually for 1/2 price. Case and point the coolant sensor for my van. $10 USD ($13 CDN) on Rock Auto. $50 CDN at the dealer ($38.46 USD) For essentially a Thermistor, some brass and plastic.
 
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Originally Posted by StevieC
Originally Posted by AZjeff
What percentage of goods do you think are higher priced north of the 49th parallel? Do you think overall you pay more for goods?


As I live about 40 minutes from the New York border and frequently travel there for shopping trips with my folks or in-laws or my spouse I can tell you that it's a mix between the US paying better prices and us paying better prices and it's not just certain categories of goods.

I think most Canadians are savy shoppers and we are used to looking online for Canadian versus US pricing and doing the currency conversion.

What gets me is that some of the stuff is made in Canada and yet I can buy it cheaper from the U.S. shipped back to me in Canada than I can buy it here.
21.gif



Maybe it's just volume then. There's stores in New York City that can stay in business by selling a slice of pizza for $1. It's not bad for $1, they're always busy, pizza is always coming out of the oven and when you order it, usually it just came out. They say they sell about 400 pies a day and they have thin profit margins.
 
Like little Caesars. All of them around my parts are busy from the time they open until they close. Can't beat $6 ($4.60 USD) for a medium pizza hot and fresh and it isn't bad either. (Not great though)
 
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You're lucky. Most business ship free or a couple bucks to contiguous US but not to Hawaii or charges an arm and a leg to ship to Hawaii.
 
Originally Posted by Snagglefoot
Having 10 times the population helps with getting costs down. Canuck is OK. How about Cajuns. They used to be Canucks!
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I don't here that term here and seeing as Ontario is the center of the universe as it pertains to Canada that means that term doesn't exist.
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(J/K)
 
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