Across the border shopping

kathos

So now that the US dollar is at an all time low, Canadians have been zerg rushing the border outlet malls. And my friends and I want to get in on these crazy deals (even your retail price is like 10-30% off our retail, so things that are already on sale are dirt cheap for us).

We're all gamers by the way, and we own an assortment of PS3s, 360s and Wiis. So we're looking for outlet game stores and stuff that are near the border (we live in Toronto), close to Niagara Falls is sort of a must (preferred).

Also; If I get a console from EB Games or something and buy their extended warranty thing, will it be covered in Canada? 'Cause I know Best Buy's and stuff do but EB has better coverage.

Any other questions just ask, imma be picking up the gf from work so won't be back for a bit (just in case).

Deusfaux

expect to declare most things on the way back in and then have to pay GST on them

Kate of Lokys

Games really aren't that much cheaper in the US anymore. Wal-Mart in particular has jumped on the high-dollar bandwagon, they have signs all over their stores now saying "we sell books/magazines at the US price" and "a higher dollar means more rollbacks!" And when I was down visiting my boyfriend in October, the prices at the GameStop we went to didn't strike me as especially exceptional - Shadow of the Colossus was $20, new games were $50 or so, I can pay those prices here. A DS Lite at Toys 'R Us or Wal-Mart here in Canada is $139, or you can order one from Dell.ca with New Super Mario Brothers included for $149. A DS Lite at Best Buy in the US is $129. Want an XBox 360? Dell.ca has a bundle with the core system, an HDMI cable, Halo 3, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, and Forza 2 for $399. At Best Buy, it's $349 for a bundle with just the core system, Marvel: UA, and Forza 2 - no HDMI, no Halo.

Yes, things are still a bit cheaper in the US, and the tax is a bit lower, but is a 10% difference really worth it? You'd be driving three hours each way to get to Buffalo, figuring in the border crossing - that's $50 worth of gas right there. Then, as Deusfax pointed out, there's customs. I think you're allowed $50 each duty-free if you're in the US for less than 24 hours. To even make it worth your while in time and gas money to go there, you'd need to buy more than that. And on your way back into Canada, if you and a car full of guilty-looking friends tell the burly French-Canadian customs agent that you were in the US for about three hours, he *is* going to search your car. And you *will* be charged duty on any new gadgets you picked up.

Crossborder shopping can be a great deal, if you do it right: a couple of times a year, my family spends three days down in Grove City, PA, home of absolutely nothing except an enormous outlet mall. There's no tax on clothes in PA (or something like that, anyway), so we each buy $200+ worth of stuff at discount prices, staying under our limits so we don't pay duty, and saving a ton overall even when the cost of gas and two nights in a hotel is factored in. Do it like that, and hopping the border pays for itself. But you can't just shuffle off to Buffalo for half a day to load up on electronics, that's exactly the sort of behaviour the duty-free limits are designed to prevent.

The grass used to be a whole lot greener on the other side of the 49th parallel, but these days, it's really not that much different. Spend your money in Canada, use craigslist and local classifieds to pick up used games or systems, shop around locally. You'll end up saving in the long run.

kathos

Violently shaking fists.

I'm riddled with rage.

Oh well... onto the Fallsview Casino then.