Cross Border Rip Off

I want to take a few minutes away from my role as a spot news videographer to highlight an injustice. Canada is a great country but our retailers are taking advantage of us on a daily basis. It’s like they are taking money right out of our wallets. It’s just not right.

With our dollar now closing above or near par with the greenback on a regular basis, we continue to be overcharged for our purchases, paying substantially more for the same products in Canada as they do in America. In Toronto we sit one hour away from the US border but our retailers refuse to lower prices and charge Canadians fairly.

We already pay significantly higher taxes north of the border. Some would argue that we are better serviced by our government in return. We are left with much less “after tax” income and we have our buying power further eroded by corporate greed at the retail level.

Here are just a few examples of how we continue to be gouged by retailers. I for one have decided to hold off on any big purchases and just shuffle off to Buffalo when I need anything big.

Maytag
Maxima 5.0 cu. Ft. High-Efficiency Front Load Washer
Model: MHW6000XG

Home Depot Canada $1498
http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatalogSearchResultView?D=922814&Ntt=922814&catalogId=10051&langId=-15&storeId=10051&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntx=mode+matchall&N=0&Ntk=P_PartNumber

Home Depot America $989.10
http://www.homedepot.com/Appliances-Laundry-Clothing-Care-Washers/Maytag/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xg1Z6Zbv3qZz2/R-202584128/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

Maytag
7.4 cu. ft. Maytag Maxima Electric Dryer
Model: YMED6000XG

Home Depot Canada $1198.00
http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatalogSearchResultView?D=922817&Ntt=922817&catalogId=10051&langId=-15&storeId=10051&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntx=mode+matchall&N=0&Ntk=P_PartNumber

Home Depot America $989.00
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&productId=202584106&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&MERCH=REC-_-product-1-_-202584128-_-202584106-_-N&locStoreNum=121&marketID=1

Dyson DC25 All Floors Upright Vacuum Cleaner

Sears.ca $599.00
http://www.sears.ca/product/dyson-11-amp-dc25-all-floors-bagless-vacuum/620-000669044-15279-01

Sears.com $382.54
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_02038525000P?prdNo=2&blockNo=2&blockType=G2

Gold's Gym 480 Treadmill

Sears.ca $599.00 (advertising $600 off until Jan 28 Reg. $1199.00)
http://www.sears.ca/product/golds-gym-trainer-480-treadmill-15chp/606-000097485-GGTL39608

Walmart.com $377.00
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Golds-Gym-480-Treadmill/11993389

Avatar Extended Collector's Edition Bluray 3Disk Set

Best.ca $49.99
http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/avatar-2009-blu-ray-blu-ray-disc/m2184778.aspx?path=13568dc7274f66897b424be6e0f4e9e5en02

Walmart.com $27.46
http://www.walmart.com/ip/15172927

Amazon.ca $30.15
http://www.amazon.ca/Three-Disc-Extended-Collectors-BD-Live-Blu-ray/dp/B0045Y1ONE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1294523620&sr=8-2