Is S&W ripping Canadians off for the model 22A?

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Go online to any number of U.S. shops- from Cabela's to a mom-and-pop shop- and you can get an S&W 22A for $199.

Factoring in the exchange rate....maybe $210-215 CDN?

And yet, we're looking at well over $300 for even the most basic model in Canada- 50% more!

Now I know we're a smaller market, but it sill P***es me off. I don't really blame the retailer- and I suppose the economies of scale do enter into it for the Canadian distributors too.

Guess there's not much we can do about it... but I do want to vent!
 
Keep in mind that the Canadian distributor that your Canadian dealer is buying form probably bought that gun many, many months ago for S&W USA when the dollar was not at par... Not to mention the cost of export permits (from the US) as well as the import permits, etc. All of that gets factored into Canadian retail prices for guns. It sucks, but most guns are priced a lot higher here than the equivalent US price...
 
There are some extra costs in bringing these into Canada. Paperwork done by paid employees needs to be recovered. And since there's an extra importer that then acts as the Canadian distributor we have to pay for their building storage, intrest payments on money spent up front to purchase the guns to come to Canada only to sit until someone wants them and likely other processing costs. And of course the Canadian distributor is in it to make a profit so there's that as well.

But still, since the cheapest 22A I've seen is $380 compared to $199 that does seem like a lot. But we can chalk some of that up to higher volumes in the US and bulk purchasing by the big box stores such as Cabela's that allows for discount prices. So perhaps the price gouging here in Canada isn't as bad as it seems.
 
BCrider and Krausb, I hear what you're saying, and I can agree with a lot of it. And yet, I'm still a bit skeptical at times.

Take Cabela's, as a specific example, why isn't it bringing us product at a better price?

I'd think that because of the economies of scale they achieve with their U.S. operation, they'd be able offer prices that would be great for Canadian consumers.
 
Life is painful when you think too much. Understand our importer didn't pay the same wholesale price as Cabela's or other big gun supplier in the State. I am quite sure that we did pay a lot more wholesale price. than there are all sort of other fees and labour cost. Please don't ask people do this for free. Blame our own gun maker don't look after us and we have to beg people sell us guns.

Trigun
 
lots of good reasons why things cost more in Canada. all justifiable. don't expect people to work for free, bureaucracy costs money, etc. etc.

but at the end of the day, does it bug me to pay 50% more?

yup.
 
"...we're a smaller market..." About 1/10th the size of the U.S. market with massive government interference and higher costs of doing business in Canada.
 
So perhaps the price gouging here in Canada isn't as bad as it seems
.

Well the smaller market definately plays into this up here but as he said 50% more....seems a bit high and yes this kind of thing pisses me off as well.

On a bit of the same note and I can see it not really applying to guns but
Canadian business seems to always have an excuse for higher prices. Just look at books.
Our dollar has only been below .80 cents US for a short time in the past few years yet most books are 25 - 40% higher priced than American. I recently bought a book from Amazon.com for $30 US ( large, glossy color pages on Egypt ) and this same book was $50 Can on Amazon.ca and $65 at Chapters. Makes no sense ???

With our dollar being so close to par, I am buying more and more out of the states as I am sick and tired of being charged tons more because I am buying something from a Canadian business. IMO it is a scam.
 
oh boo hoo we pay about $CA800 down under. Some places get ripped even worse, basic economics is not kind to buyers of highly restricted items in tiny foreign markets unfortunately :(
 
Nobody is ripping No one.

It doesn't matter if it is a gun or a car or anything else.

The way company's set prices is base on market, $ value is only 25%.

If the market can support a higher price, why not charge more.

This is not a personal attack, so don't take it personally.

People get paid $6 /hour to work in the US, since the $ is at PAR, would you work for that price in Canada

I guess your answer will be a big NO.

Depending what do you do for a living, you think that you will hesitate to charge a customer 2,3, even 10 times more for your services if you can.
 
As a general rule, we do pay more for things in Canada.

And we usually have less money too- taxed more heavily, frequently not paid as well for the same job.

That's among the reasons that in the U.S., the Camry and the Accord duke it out for best selling car, and in Canada, it's Corolla vs Civic.

So yup, basic free market theory- charge what the market will bear.

BUT, there's always the possbility to sell MORE if you manage to lower the price... and that could increase your revenue.
 
Yes canadians DO get ripped of big time

this week i recieved some parts for my mercedes benz ordered from a MB dealer in the usa

fuel filter 43.23 usd in canada $178.87

cabin air filter 20.99 usd 43.00 canada

thermostat 27.69 usd canada 87.00

oil filter kit 11.82 usd 27.00 canada (and in canada all they sell are paper NOT the orig fleece MB calls for...)


so why is the fuel filter more then 4 times more expensive in canada and most other parts at least twice as much as the usa

why because the importers and the retailers think canadians are stupid and will pay any price they set

which is why i order everything thats legal and i dont need right away from the us
 
Yes canadians DO get ripped of big time

this week i recieved some parts for my mercedes benz ordered from a MB dealer in the usa

fuel filter 43.23 usd in canada $178.87

cabin air filter 20.99 usd 43.00 canada

thermostat 27.69 usd canada 87.00

oil filter kit 11.82 usd 27.00 canada (and in canada all they sell are paper NOT the orig fleece MB calls for...)


so why is the fuel filter more then 4 times more expensive in canada and most other parts at least twice as much as the usa

why because the importers and the retailers think canadians are stupid and will pay any price they set

which is why i order everything thats legal and i dont need right away from the us

So did you buy your Mercedes in the US, and if NOT why?
 
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