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: buying a tv from the states?


Rikaro
06-24-2009, 04:23 PM
Seems like the TVs in the US are a lot cheaper than canada.

Looking for buy a Sharp LC46D85U and the cheapest one I found in Canada is Best Buy which is going for 1479 right now.

If I get one from the states, does anyone know how much the taxes are? Is it just 12% on the item?

asian_XL
06-24-2009, 06:58 PM
shipping cost is like $200+

and they will charge duty

also, there's no warranty

Not really racist!
06-24-2009, 07:31 PM
if you're gonna do it..

pray your tv never has any problems..

Manic!
06-24-2009, 09:19 PM
if you're gonna do it..

pray your tv never has any problems..

Or get a mack 3rd party warranty.
Also the sharp still has banding issues.
Check out this US deal on the Panasonic G10

Best buy has a 46 inch 1080P Plasma for $999.
http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=752324

They also have this deal coming up.
http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=755521

aznrsx1979
06-24-2009, 09:37 PM
If you go down to Washington state to purchase it, the state tax is about 10%...depending where in the state you make the purchase.

johny
06-24-2009, 11:24 PM
If you go down to Washington state to purchase it, the state tax is about 10%...depending where in the state you make the purchase.

state tax + GST + PST + duty... = around 30% or so :eek:

or stay down for week or 2 :P

StylinRed
06-25-2009, 01:14 AM
ship it to the border (free shipping) and go and pick it up


i dont know what the duties are on tv's

but you will have to pay the tax and likely the environmental fee (as you would up here)




or ship it into canada its like $150 shipping by USPS

asian_XL
06-25-2009, 01:43 AM
ship it to the border (free shipping) and go and pick it up


i dont know what the duties are on tv's

but you will have to pay the tax and likely the environmental fee (as you would up here)

or ship it into canada its like $150 shipping by USPS

no, I tried it, USPS won't take any LCD TV... unless you lie about it, but still they won't accept any box that is as large as a 32"

too risky, don't try it.

shipping it to the border is bad...I have seen people being asked to unwrap the whole thing just to check the model number.

Rikaro
06-25-2009, 11:26 AM
alright. Then I wouldn't bother doing it then.

Anyone know where I could find a good price for the LC46D85U? I heard the serial # that starts with the 9 doen't have banding issues anymore

syee
06-25-2009, 12:23 PM
i dont know what the duties are on tv's

but you will have to pay the tax and likely the environmental fee (as you would up here)


Duties on foreign made TV's is 8%. Probably the only exception is if the TV is made in US or Mexico (which is probably unlikely). You'll also need to pay GST and PST (12%) so the total hit will be 20% to the Canadian govt.

If you're buying online, just make sure the seller isn't in WA state and you can save on the sales tax.

You won't have to pay the environmental fee. It only applies to products sold in BC. (as it is the seller's responsibility to collect the fee) CBSA isn't going to collect the fee on Encorp's behalf.

Rikaro
06-25-2009, 01:41 PM
actually I believe some of the Sony televisions are made in Mexico. I wonder if you have to pay tax for that.

q0192837465
06-25-2009, 01:59 PM
actually I believe some of the Sony televisions are made in Mexico. I wonder if you have to pay tax for that.

Taxes yes, Duties no

Amuse
06-25-2009, 08:05 PM
alright. Then I wouldn't bother doing it then.

Anyone know where I could find a good price for the LC46D85U? I heard the serial # that starts with the 9 doen't have banding issues anymore
Check Sears, they might have this model.

Canada Computers in Toronto has it for $1399.99
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=021035&cid=200.27

syee
06-25-2009, 09:23 PM
Check Sears, they might have this model.

Canada Computers in Toronto has it for $1399.99
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=021035&cid=200.27

Except they only are in Ontario and do not ship.

If you're still looking for one in the states, Tigerdirect (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4531717&SRCCODE=GOOGLEBASE&cm_mmc_o=VRqCjC7BBTkwCjCECjCE) in the US has it for $899 + $99 shipping (no taxes as TD isn't based out of WA).

$998USD converted to CDN @ 1.17 is $1167. Duty+GST+PST will put you at $1401 CDN taxes in. Not a bad deal, as CanadaComputers was looking for about the same, but that price didn't include taxes and shipping. However, it's a bit more hassle to go down and get it and bring it back home.

skholla
06-25-2009, 09:41 PM
go with Panasonic, they are made in Mexico so there will be no duty, just 12% for GST + PST. personally i think that LCDs suck balls and plasma TVs are the only way to go, way better colours and blacks... unless you have a room where direct sunlight will hit the screen and cause glare. also dont buy into that 120hz or 240hz crap... we have been watching film based video forever and motion blur is natural to the human eye, all these technologies try to counter motion blur.

keep in mind that you have to pay exchange, about 18-19% when using a credit card these days. check out Costco.COM, they have way better deals and selection than Costco Canada and you can go to the ones in Washington to pickup your product and save on shipping fees. also tax in Washington state is 8-9%. if you do plan to have your TV shipped then check out these guys, they are great!!!! http://www.pacificmailandparcel.com/

warranties are another issue, Costco might be a great choice because of this but i am not sure so make sure you call first and ask. as for straight manufacturer warranties those will vary, do your research first!

also one more way to save money is to forget about 1080p, just get a 720p plasma and call it a day. if you buy a 50" or smaller TV the difference is pretty much impossible to tell when sitting at the PROPER DISTANCE FROM THE TV. at this distance the human eye can not tell the difference, if you sit closer than you should, closer than what the manufacturers recommend, then YES you will see a difference. in the stores you will because you are always standing very close, at home with a proper setup you wont. if you are buying a TV that is larger than 50" then 1080p is a must, at that size range you WILL see a clear difference.

also think that one more expensive TV may look better in a side by side comparison but when you buy just one TV and take it home it will look awesome, even more so because you are not comparing it side by side to another model that is $1000 more!

skholla
06-25-2009, 09:49 PM
The G10 Neo PDP plasma TVs are out, check them out... Goodbye LCD TVs!

http://hdguru.com/panasonic-tcp50g10-50-plasma-review/416/

http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0926HDS0010121034&catid=28399

http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0926HDS0010122354&catid=28399

asian_XL
06-25-2009, 10:02 PM
LED TV is still at 3g+ ...

next year will be a perfect time to buy :)

StylinRed
06-25-2009, 10:16 PM
buy a Mitsubishi, they're made in Mexico (at least their dlps are)

and bhphoto.com ships tvs to canada through usps

i dont see why usps would refuse shipping a tv...

Manic!
06-26-2009, 01:37 AM
Just found out that sharp TV's are banned in the US because of a patent lawsuit buy Samsung.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601204&sid=a1Lq_4_uB31c

oh_juicy
06-26-2009, 01:50 AM
taxes are mostly 0.8400% in bellingham.

Rikaro
06-26-2009, 02:01 AM
Check Sears, they might have this model.

Canada Computers in Toronto has it for $1399.99
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=021035&cid=200.27


I checked Sears today. The chinese sales rep was rude. They also don't have them anymore because he said it was discontinued. (Don't think they're actually discontinued until October) Anyway The 1399 price seems nice, but I'd rather support the locals and I doubt FS or BB would price match since Canadacomputers doesn't have an actual store. I also found that the tv's cost is approx 1500, which leave them really not much margin of profit. They want to get rid of them.

Amuse
06-26-2009, 06:14 AM
I checked Sears today. The chinese sales rep was rude. They also don't have them anymore because he said it was discontinued. (Don't think they're actually discontinued until October) Anyway The 1399 price seems nice, but I'd rather support the locals and I doubt FS or BB would price match since Canadacomputers doesn't have an actual store. I also found that the tv's cost is approx 1500, which leave them really not much margin of profit. They want to get rid of them.
Canadacomputers does have actual stores, but it's all the way in TO. You can try to PM.

syee
06-26-2009, 06:32 AM
taxes are mostly 0.8400% in bellingham.

I think your decimal place is in the wrong position. 8.4% sounds a bit more correct.

Gumby
06-26-2009, 09:51 AM
I think your decimal place is in the wrong position. 8.4% sounds a bit more correct.
Haha or he should have left out the % sign. :)

Rikaro
06-27-2009, 09:01 AM
well guess what guys, I end up getting the Sony KDL46V5100 for $1599 plus tax. They're doing a clearance at the Sony Store in Oakridge.

Manic!
06-27-2009, 11:24 AM
well guess what guys, I end up getting the Sony KDL46V5100 for $1599 plus tax. They're doing a clearance at the Sony Store in Oakridge.
It's a O.K. deal
http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/sony-kdl-46v5100/4505-6482_7-33485092.html

Should have gone with the Panny it was the same as there Z80 and that was just below there top of the line TV from last year.

Rikaro
06-27-2009, 11:28 AM
If you find something LOCAL that's cheaper than mine then I'll be impressed. Lowest price I bargained at all shops is 1730. The Canadian cost of the tv is 1650 as far as I'm concerned.

JLC
06-28-2009, 07:50 PM
Guys get your facts straight..
you do not have to pay duties on it because there are no duties on electronics..It doesnt matter where it was made

You will only pay GST and PST when you bring it back to Canada

asian_XL
06-28-2009, 08:31 PM
^ you are right...
but I have encountered numerious custom officers charged dutie$ on electronics.
you can either go home and print the evidence, which not many people would do....or pay the duties..lol

http://www.aacb.com/tools/tariffguide.htm

syee
06-28-2009, 10:23 PM
Guys get your facts straight..
you do not have to pay duties on it because there are no duties on electronics..It doesnt matter where it was made

You will only pay GST and PST when you bring it back to Canada

Take a look at Asian_XL's tariff guide. Category 4 states that televisions show an 8% duty for a non US made device.

Whether the officer charges it or not is a whole different story but if it is by the book, you're going to be dinged 8% duty on top of your GST and PST.

asian_XL
06-28-2009, 10:37 PM
^ I got taxed 17% on my motherboard for no reason, I hate custom officer who knows nothing. lol



Category 5...it says Computers and related equipment
• Display units

^ LCD TV can be used as computer display unit...so yeah, you can try to argue that.

TRDood
06-28-2009, 11:22 PM
duties on televisions are zero.
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/trade-commerce/tariff-tarif/2008/t2008-01/ch85-eng.pdf

so you pay GST+PST
also, you won't get any warranties though. so good luck!

syee
06-29-2009, 08:50 AM
duties on televisions are zero.
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/trade-commerce/tariff-tarif/2008/t2008-01/ch85-eng.pdf

so you pay GST+PST
also, you won't get any warranties though. so good luck!

That link just refers to the individual components of the TV, and not a whole TV in itself. If you want to build your own TV, you probably can get away with no duties.

Here's the list that CBSA provides you with your Nexus TDC. Gives a general guideline. It's the same list that AsianXL provided. Television is listed in Category 4

http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/1500/tariff1lb2.jpg http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/4834/tariff2fa3.jpg

aznrsx1979
06-29-2009, 09:49 AM
taxes are mostly 0.8400% in bellingham.

Bellingham sales tax is 8.5%.
http://dor.wa.gov/Docs/forms/ExcsTx/LocSalUseTx/LocalSlsUseFlyer_09_Q3_alpha.pdf

It all depends what county and city you're in. Taxes can vary between 7.5% to 9.5%.