Benjamin 392.....why $100.00 cheaper in the USA and, free shipping!!

D

Dantforth

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$159.00 shipped from USA while it is $269.00 for the same thing here and shipping is extra. I expect a few more dollars but this seems ridiculous. I realize that the seller in the USA wont ship to a Canadian address but, there are ways. Dave
PS- I expect that this has been hashed over here many times. My frustration level was high. Oh well.
 
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Same reason why damned near everything is cheaper south of the border.

Mind you, I've yet to actually see a convincing explanation as to what that reason actually IS...
 
Just my .02. If the airgun is over 500 fps, it is treated like a firearm and subject to all the associated importation/exportation red tape. Somebody has to do all the paperwork (on both ends, the USA on exportation red tape, and in Canada on importation red tape), and you and I pay for it. Probably a higher cost per item in light of the lesser quantity of items imported as compared to firearms. It's really difficult for Canadian retailers to compete with US prices when the guns must be processed through "mandatory" middlemen as mentioned above.
I wish someone could explain to me why I can buy a Chrony F1 at retail cheaper in the USA than the wholesale distributor's price in Canada. The unit is made in Canada.
 
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Dantforth said:
$159.00 shipped from USA while it is $269.00 for the same thing here and shipping is extra. I expect a few more dollars but this seems ridiculous. I realize that the seller in the USA wont ship to a Canadian address but, there are ways. Dave
PS- I expect that this has been hashed over here many times. My frustration level was high. Oh well.
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There is a non supporting dealer that sells them for $219. Still not $159.00 but an extra $50 for pellets is better than a kick in the rump. Just have to shopp around
 
Magellann said:
If its under 500fps you could get it shipped to an american address at the border and pick it up.
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If he has a pal could it not be over 500fps? I thought airguns weren't considered firearms in the US so it shouldn't make any difference in mailing to a US address and if he has a pal he can bring it back across the border after paying whatever taxes.
 
ricksplace said:
Just my .02. If the airgun is over 500 fps, it is treated like a firearm and subject to all the associated importation/exportation red tape. Somebody has to do all the paperwork (on both ends, the USA on exportation red tape, and in Canada on importation red tape), and you and I pay for it. Probably a higher cost per item in light of the lesser quantity of items imported as compared to firearms. It's really difficult for Canadian retailers to compete with US prices when the guns must be processed through "mandatory" middlemen as mentioned above.
I wish someone could explain to me why I can buy a Chrony F1 at retail cheaper in the USA than the wholesale distributor's price in Canada. The unit is made in Canada.
Click to expand...

Pellet guns are not firearms in the US, regardless of velocity.
 
The answer is because Canadians have more middle men and higher margins on product. They also get paid much more in 90% of jobs. Thats why our houses cost more ($152000 USA vs $391000 Can). If you do a comparison of trades people, professionals, and most other jobs, Canadians make about 1.3-1.5 times what Americans make. The Min Wage is about $7.25 vs $10.00. If you live in the USA sure you can get cheaper product, but thats because you have less money to buy with.

Be care full what you wish for though, if margins on product and services ever start to get as low as in the US, all wages will drop, but our tax rates will not. Check out this website here if you want to compare what people make in the USA and you will know why everything is so cheap.

http://www.indeed.com/salary/q-Electrician-l-United-States.html

How many electricians here would work for $20 an hour? or $14 an hour for a plumber?
 
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So, I am still amazed at any explanation which advises we pay more.....because we will. There is no duty at the border for airguns. We do pay HST, which doesn't figure into the inflated retail price. A friend purchased a truck which was Canadian made in the USA for $8,000.00 less than he could buy it here......splain that! Because my wages are higher I should pay more? Why can one Canadian retailer sell it for $50.00 less than the others? Too many questions. I am thirty miles from the border and will cross border shop.
 
I've had several PAL rated pellet guns shipped to my Canadian address from the US over the years. Find a different seller. Pellet guns are not classified as firearms in the USA regardless of velocity, they are treated no different than water guns down there.
 
What is considered a "great" airgun south of the border is not necessarily a "great" airgun in this place. You have to do your own research on what is a 'good' airgun for Canadian requirements. - It seems nobody in the Canadian retail game is interested in doing the footwork for such a limited market. A lot of people swear by certain crosman products, some of their models are suitable in all three below categories for Canadian use, but not all.

The reason there are so few options to Cdn air gunners compared to the lower 48? I would say the markup issue, the lack of spares and accessories issue, and the legislative uphill battle. All of these are par for the course for the innovative Canadian retail market.

Maybe you can get lucky and get an old FEG / Relum air rifle.

^You see, there is very little $ from the retailer side in bringing in a quality eastern european air rifle - I don't even know if they exist on the Canadian storefront retail market anymore - what I am talking about are things that were available in the 60's and 70's in Canada today - not so much.

From the utilitarian standpoint, I would hold out for a Slavia 631 or something similar. Other than that I guess the only other option would be a Weirauch pal/non pal.

ymmv
 
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an interesting question would be if i cross the border for a week and find a good deal on say a 1200 fps crosman airgun and return home with it, do i have a problem if it has a scope on it or comes with it? as scopes are regulated i believe..
 
Mine was free. Made a trip through the US recently. Stopped in to visit a friend. He has bought a 392 on sale from a Walmart for $120., and ran into 2 problems. His shoulder overuse injuries wouldn't let him pump past 4x, and his house dogs didn't like the sound. So he gifted it to me. I have a PAL and reported this to customs both directions. No problem. If I'd known these were so fun to shoot, I might have driven over to buy one long ago.
 
Sounds like a few of you are ready to open an Airgun Store. Can't wait for the rock bottom prices, I will be the first to order.
 
One big missed thing is to sell something in Canada it must be labeled in French and English and shipping in Canada is crazy compared to the USA.
 
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