Now you can find sweet deals online without spending a dime (upfront)
Posted by: Prashanth Gopalan in: ● February 5, 2010
The human race is constantly plagued by its short memory cycle. Some say it was an evolutionary benefit that allowed us form and further our societies by forgetting the ills of the past. Others have likened it to a natural check on human society from achieving some form of social stability, forcing us to probe and question and push the boundaries of our existence – and often unleashing detrimental effects as a result.
The repeated occurrence of the recession is a testament to the short-lived nature of the human memory. Not only do we forget the precise social conditions that existed in the run-up to recessions past, but we also forget how we had to adapt and drastically alter our lifestyles in order to survive through them.
But that’s exactly the danger of something as widespread and damaging as a recession. Its ability to slowly steal away from the ragged edges of the human memory and then pounce on us when we seem least capable to deal with it is a recurring theme.
This recession witnessed the U.S. government printing vast amounts of money in order save its flailing economy. As any economist will tell you, what this does is weaken the U.S. dollar against other currencies, meaning that those countries bordering the States with an eager pool of dedicated cross-border shoppers (ahem Canada), should all be rejoicing. Heavily.
For the past couple of months, the loonie has slowly been catching up with the greenback, meaning that smart shoppers should soon realize that they have a golden opportunity at their fingertips.
How?
Well, in order to combat the steady inflation, many U.S. brands and outlet malls have aggressively (almost cut-throatedly) slashed prices on thousands of products – meaning savings abound for any adventurous shopper who sleuths for them. But if you’re feeling particularly deterred by the thought of having to wait hours at the border in order to immerse yourself in the frenzy of those Meccas of shopdom, don’t be. Use online comparison shopping and cross-border shopping sites instead.
There are scores of these sites lying around on the internet. Use them! They’re still operating for a reason. Use their comparison tools in order to find those best deals from the comfort of your own home…while others sweat, fume and burn all that gas getting across the border and lugging all those goodies back.
The best thing about these sites is that they usually get direct information from the stores posting these massive sales, so you can bank on these deals being more or less accurate. Like they say, the early bird catches the worm, and since nothing can be earlier than an eager internet shopper swooping in on those sweet deals hours before those tired and dusty road shoppers arrive from across the border, it pays to be hooked up to an ISP with a laptop.
Kapische? (Yes, I spelt it like that on purpose.)
The Right Way to Sell Your Gift Cards
Posted by: Matthew in: ● February 3, 2010
Like many of you, I’ve received a number of gift cards last Christmas. These little pieces of plastic are marketed as the ideal gift by retailers and are bought in record numbers by Canadians. While gift cards can no longer expire in many parts of Canada, statistic shows that up to 25% are never used due to various reasons. If you are still holding on to yours, it is time to think hard about what to do with it.
My last post titled “making the most out of your gift cards” discussed ways to take advantage of them, namely by exchanging them into things you can actually use. Today, we’ll complete the puzzle by looking at how to best sell your cards for cold, hard cash.
Friends and family
Don’t think just because you don’t like the store, that none of your buddies will. Selling your gift card to friends and family can kill two birds with one stone. It allows you to liquidate your card without the hassle of soliciting strangers or paying service fees, it also saves your friends a trip to the store.
Gift card swapping site
If no one you know wants to relieve you of your card, you can seek the service of specialized gift card trading sites (Thanks to Currie for the tip) to trade it in for another card or sell it outright. There are many sites like those but my favorite one is cardswap.ca. These sites provide a convenient place for people to buy, sell and trade gift cards, but you’ll have to pay a transaction fee of 6-10%. Note that it is standard practice to be paid only after you’ve sent the card in, so be sure to only deal with trustworthy sites.
Online classified portals
Sites such as eBay, Craigslist and Kijiji offer an extensive market place to sell your gift card. It will take a little more work to create you listings there but their reach is massive and fees are generally reasonable or free. Note that if you are selling a card that can be redeemed in the USA, you might want to list it as a “But It Now” listing on eBay.com instead of eBay.ca. Doing so will let your potential buyers take advantage of an 8% cashback from Microsoft Bing, netting you a higher price in the end. In fact, I’ve seen gift cards selling for higher than their face value due to this. I know, it’s nuts!
At the store
This is my favorite… going in person to offer the card to someone there who is about to pay using their real money. Some people will look at you with suspicion, but many will welcome your offer provided you are giving them a discount and not look totally shady. If you are doing this, you may have to go checkout with the buyer so they know your card is for real. You should also be careful when the managers are around as some tend to not like this behavior. I’ve done something like this with old textbooks at the University of Waterloo’s book store with great success, but that’s another story.
Tell your friends about Wishabi.ca and get a free $10 gift cards for your favorite stores. Click here to find out more about our free gift cards
Now you can find out what people really think of the iPad
Posted by: Prashanth Gopalan in: ● February 2, 2010
Mashable recently published a “sentiment analysis breakdown” of the effect that the iPad was having on the Twitterati. Based on data from Crimson Hexagon’s analysis of half a million tweets immediately following the unveiling of the iPad last week, you can see the breakdown for yourself:
(Source: Mashable.com)
I guess it just goes to say that no matter how successful your past products, giving your product a name that almost completely echoes the name of a successful product from the past a) shows a lack of originality and creativity (shocking, because Apple has built itself up to THE authority in innovation) and b) is plain laughable.
Why the latter? Because the moment the iPad was announced, EVERYONE jumped the bandwagon and started lampooning it, everyone from women’s groups to MadTV.
Too bad. The iPad does look promising, but it’s functionality too limited – so it’s probably just as well that we wait for the next version to come out.
Diamonds are forever….urrgmh?
Posted by: Prashanth Gopalan in: ● January 29, 2010
A Valentine’s Day Guide
Disclaimer
The writers of this blog post promise to entertain, inform and enlighten, but in no way bear responsibility for any bad outcomes that might stem from the sentiments underlying this post. All comments, well-wishes and/or incisive concerns can be dropped off at the end of this blog post, tweeted @Wishabi, or forever immortalized on the wall of our Facebook fan page.
As above, so below. Or the saying goes. (I don’t even know why I included that phrase). Let’s just say that there are some things you just have to know if you’re planning on going ring shopping for your “other”.
I know that in my last blog post, I cautioned against proposing to your other on Valentine’s Day. It’s a bad idea – agreed? But I never said you couldn’t propose on any of the days roughly in the neighbourhood of that Day. (What happens is that the surrounding days siphon off some of the festive “mood” from V-Day, just not too much to become cheesy like the left-overs from a stuffed-crust pizza). So I feel justified in circling (no pun intended) around ring shopping.
And as for this information, most of my colleagues are married, so as far as I’m concerned, their word is the gold standard. Forward ho!
1 – Ring size depends on the weather
Yep, you read it right. Like cabbage patch dolls, music by Britney Spears and shoddy romance novels involving adolescent girls and one-hundred-year-old vampires, your other’s ring size should also be a seasonal trend.
Unfortunately for you, you have to know that, because if you don’t bother, you might end up picking a ring size that’s not suited to that time of the year.
In hot weather, the skin on your fingers stretch out and your finger diameter increases, and so you’re going to want to find a more loose-fitting ring than you’d normally get. Sticking to the old ring size will probably make it uncomfortable to wear.
In colder weather, you usually see the opposite. Your skin tightens, contracts and generally becomes more compact, decreasing in width, as should the diameter of your ring of choice.
And instead of ballparking a size, take some time to actually find out what his or her ring size really is. (I’ll be posting about that later).
2 – Diamonds aren’t forever
Remember, diamonds are not forever. There’s no overbearing reason for you to go and buy your other a diamond ring. Yes, I know it’s “mandated” by popular culture, but, unless you have a specific way of finding out whether your diamonds are 100% conflict free, you probably don’t want to invest a third of your yearly salary into one of them and indirectly support any illegal diamond mining ventures in Africa for that matter.
6 Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas
Posted by: Jennifer Chang in: ● January 29, 2010
A Valentine’s Day Guide
Not sure what to do for Valentine’s Day? Here are a few cheesy but romantic gift ideas for the helpless (but not hopeless!) romantic. Remember, it’s the thought that counts, so don’t just buy the object and forget the details.
These are just some of my ideas, and trust me, I’m a cheeseball. If you have any suggestions, feel free to write them down in the comments section below!
Note: These are meant to be gender neutral, so if you have any ideas on how to tweak the ideas to apply more to your gender, feel free to do so!
Lyrical Messages
We all remember back in the days when a sweet but cheesy gift to your crush was a mix-tape of his or her favourite songs, or ones that described your true feelings for that significant other. Now to fast forward into the 21st century, purchase an iPod, or any audio device that has a screen and allows you to input lyrics, images, and playlists. Create a playlist (remember to give it a sentimental name!) and to give it an even more personal touch, write a little blurb in the lyrics portion of each song or input a personal image into the album cover. Remember to modify these within your playlist on the device, not in your music library.
My experience: Yeah, I went all out on this one… I recorded a message to start off, like an audio card, and ended the playlist off with a song I wrote and recorded. It was for his birthday, so for each song in the playlist, I inserted images with me holding up a few letters, the whole list spelled out “Happy Birthday _____!!! 
”. The girl in my also decided to tie a bow around my nano… which to my dismay he took off while carrying it around because he didn’t want to look girly (It’s only natural ladies, don’t feel sad if they don’t appreciate bows and butterflies!). I don’t quite remember what his feedback to my sentiments…hm.
Couples’ Accessories
Couples’ accessories can come in just about any form these days, the most popular being rings, necklaces, watches, keychains, and cell phone chains. Personally, I think the best option is a necklace. It’s not too cheap, comes in a variety of cool designs, and doesn’t have any emotional apprehension strung around it. You can also personalize the items by having them engraved (even Walmart! Just make sure you don’t tell anyone).
My experience: Yup, got the whole couple rings with each other’s names engraved on the inside with a “<3″, no joke (See what I mean by referring myself to the cheesy romantic?). Make sure you’re both ready for something like this, because couple accessories can seem binding. Unfortunately because of the engravings, we had to trade the rings when we broke up. So now I have a large ring sitting somewhere in my drawer with my name on it…
Fragrances
One of sexiest turn-ons is to get your “other” to wear a fragrance that you like. However, they won’t be able to unless you tell them which one you like, or unless you actually go and buy it for them. Go to your local perfume or general store to sample a great selection of different fragrances. Of course they should like it as well, so a way to keep it safe would be to choose one that’s in the same scent category as something they already have. These categories are generalized into floral, citrus/fruity, aquatic, greens, woody, oriental, chypre and fern, but if you yourself don’t know what category their perfume of choice falls into, surreptitiously sneak a few drops away to the nearest perfume retailer, and ask them to find you something similar.
And while you’re at it, make sure they are not allergic to any of the ingredients. That’d probably steamroll any of your chances of making it a memorable day for either one of you.
My Experience: Somehow my ex and I were drawn to the same fragrances, and non-coincidentally had matching ones. I guess it was kinda cute in a weird way. My personal favorites for both men and women series are: Guess (Women Men), CK Euphoria (Women Men), CK One (Women Men).
Scrap-booking made easy
Digital picture frames are popular these days and come in a variety of styles and sizes. All you need is a USB and a database of pictures, and you’re ready to put together tear-jerking set of memories on an LCD screen. Make it even more sentimental and scrapbook-like by photo-editing your selection.
Tickets
If you’re looking for a more interactive gift idea, find tickets to their favorite sports team or concert. It’s something both of you can enjoy together, and it’s great for creating memories. If the event is not on Valentine’s Day, no sweat! Just present the tickets with a card, in a bouquet, or any other creative way, and you’re set. Bonus points if it’s something that they like, but they’re convinced you don’t. After all, love can be painful.
Idea courtesy of one of our founders.
Breakfast in Bed
As they say, the way to the man’s heart is through his stomach. But that’s not just a male-only application; women love the sentiment too. There’s no better way to start off the day than with a delicious meal made with nothing but pure love (and some healthy cooking ingredients). Pay attention to their favorite foods, and if you haven’t had much experience cooking, make sure you practice before delivering your grand finale. Many cookbooks have great ideas on how to spice up a regular breakfast. Oh yeah, and don’t forget to buy a breakfast tray as well.
3 No-No’s for this Valentine’s Day
Posted by: Prashanth Gopalan in: ● January 27, 2010
A Valentine’s Day Guide
Unromantic reality: A regular guy’s guide to surviving this Valentine’s Day
Disclaimer
The writers of this post acknowledge their penchant for exaggeration and/or mass generalization especially on matters pertaining to the affairs of the opposite sex. All comments and clean hatemail are welcome on this blog, but in addition feel free to let us know how we did on Twitter @wishabi or on our Facebook fanpage.
What started off as a discussion on Valentine’s Day quickly morphed into a full-fledged debate replete with divine revelations as well as detailed sermons from some of our most verbose colleagues. It became clear that often what’s neglected in the multitude of blogs, papers and self-help guides tailored around Valentine’s Day are tips telling guys what not to do in order to prevent this day from turning into a disaster.
So in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day, keep an eye peeled for posts under the title of “Unromantic reality: A regular guy’s guide to surviving this Valentine’s Day”. We hope these articles keep you equal parts entertained and well-informed, so here goes:
1 – Do not propose to your girlfriend
As a society, we’re ingrained with the mentality that Valentine’s Day carries a little extra weight even though it’s just one day out of 365(.25) other days. Though that seems a bit reductionist, think about it – all you get are high expectations, especially on the part of women, which sets the bar higher for men to do something that’s so eye-catchingly special, that it actually makes an impression on his significant other and stands out for its originality amongst the rest.
See the thing is that women kind of half-expect something special on Valentine’s Day, so if you want to surprise them, you’ll need to go above-and-beyond in originality to counter their expectant nature and still dish out a surprise.
The first thing a women does when proposed to, is tell her friends about it. All her friends. The next she does is show off her ring, which you obviously want her to appreciate because you only spent your last 3 months of salary, not to mention search effort, travel time and stress finding that one perfectly cut stone to adorn her slender digits. So you want to make sure that when she does tell her friends, and she does show off her ring, she’s the only one doing it.
Chances are someone she knows might also be proposed to on Valentine’s Day, so if she has to compete with her friends for short attention spans in making her good fortune known, she’s probably not going to appreciate it. If everyone’s comparing rings at the same time, then what’s worse is that you’ll (yes, the blame will fall on you) be “blamed” for somehow detracting from her moment of specialty. If you are going to propose (or if you’re not), avoid Valentine’s, but be sure to gift her with something she values – perfume, chocolate, flowers, and scented candle are seasonal favourites.
But if you do choose to propose to her on Valentine’s Day (though we fervently wish that you don’t), the onus is on you to make it a blisteringly memorable event that outperforms even the best of all her friends’ stories. Good luck!
2 – Do not do nothing
This one’s for the married couples out there. There have been too many instances when the wife has usually said something on the lines of “Don’t do anything for Valentine’s Day this year honey [insert possible reason – RRSP payments etc]”. Should you listen to her? A resounding NO!
Do something – take her out to dinner, watch a movie – because if you don’t, she’ll be mad. If you’re married, you want to make an extra special effort to remind her that you do, in fact, remember the special days (thereby hinting to her that you will make a special effort to remember the wedding anniversary). Remember, to you it may only be one day in 365(and 0.25) but to her, it means something more, so you want to make it special for her, and chances are, like most women, she’ll end up talking about it for a week, so make it good. Again, pamper her with gifts and presents, but not too many. And while you’re at it, make them meaningful and not gimmicky. A brand new smartphone, bottle of perfume, or even the new Apple iPad would all be welcomed, while chocolates and flowers would all be standard, and expected.
3 – Do not screw up on timing
For example, don’t buy and deliver flowers to her in private. Always go for the public route. If you’re shy and don’t want to deliver it to her in person, at least make sure that it’s there for her in public, so that everyone knows she’s loved and cherished.
A colleague compares women to marinated meat. If you want to be prepared, you don’t hastily marinade (i.e. prepare) the meat (your “other”) right before you want to prepare a meal (i.e. treat her to a wonderful time). You have to instead prepare her…um I mean the meat… in advance. Start earlier in the day, take your time to flatter her and pamper her. Make her feel good. Have flowers delivered to her in her workplace so that she feels special (this also makes sure that she’s in a good mood even after she comes back home) and then do whatever it is you’ve planned to make the day special.
Don’t buy her flowers at the end of her day. First of all she’s going to be miffed that you didn’t do anything to cheer up her work day, and if she finds you hastily mollifying her when you come home, you’re going to look disorganized and careless, which in turn will convince her that you don’t really care about Valentine’s Day…you can see where this might lead.
Timing and patience is key if you want to make it good. Butter her up throughout the day, and be sure to send her just the right number of presents and treats. Not too much because then it’ll look tacky, but not too little that she appears neglected when she relates her experience back to her friends afterwards.
WEIRD: 6 zany products that you can bring into Canada duty-free
Posted by: Prashanth Gopalan in: ● January 22, 2010
Government documents aren’t always a source of amusement. They take months to crunch the numbers, weeks to churn out the report and days to run the gauntlet of editorial scrutiny. And even after they’ve been through the countless fact checks, rewrites and resubmissions, they end up so dry and informative that they you often find yourself using one as a pillow.
But now and then, if you’re lucky, you can find nuggets of pure amusement. I found these in the 2010 Canadian Border Services Agency Customs Specifications report. So here goes, 7 random things that you can bring into Canada duty-free:
1 Human Hair – Don’t laugh, maybe that’s why hair transplant clinics are booming.
2 Slag and industrial waste – unless you’re running a roadworks business, I wouldn’t worry about this too much.
3 Used rags – maybe it’s because ShamWow’s doing so well.
4 Military helicopters – just in case you wanted to start a coup or something.
5 Imported aircraft – I suppose they’re desperate to clear up foreign aircraft depots, but whose walking around with a million in cash these days?
6 Radioactive isotopes – hey, they closed down Chalk River didn’t they?
6 Tips for Safer Online Shopping
Posted by: Jennifer Chang in: ● January 20, 2010
In many aspects, online shopping is far safer than shopping in person. You can never get into a car accident, and no one will ever hassle you for change. While the web is more secure than ever before, there is no such thing as excessive precaution when it comes to your safety. Here are 6 quick safety tips to keep in mind when looking for deals online.
1 – Be Selfish with personal information
Do not give away personal information unless there is something worthy in it for you. Many potentially fraudulent websites will ask you for various personal information, and then use it for nefarious purposes or sell it to someone who may. When prompted for data, ask yourself whether this is truly necessary to complete the transaction. If a site is asking too many non-essential questions, then a red flag should go up for more careful investigation.
2 – S for “security”
You don’t have to be an internet veteran to know that at the beginning of any web address is the famous sequence “http://”. There’s no harm in it when you’re only browsing, however, when you’re giving out any important personal information, such as credit card numbers, it’s important to make sure that it reads “https://” instead. The ’s’ represents a secure website, and therefore it’s safe to use.
3 – Read, read, read!
The “I accept” button is a very attractive way to skimp over reading the Terms and Conditions provided by many programs and sites. Aiming for the button has turned into an automatic response for many, however when dealing with security and payment information, it’s important to known exactly what you’e getting into. Make sure you read the terms of the agreement and how your personal information is used. If necessary, consult the company’s privacy policy for more information.
4 – Update Regularly
Ensure that your browser and operating system are updated regularly to prevent new viruses and spyware. We all want instant gratification and those pesky “update available” dialogs can be annoying, but just know companies such Microsoft are spending big bucks on these updates and they are definitely on your side. The best way to keep your browser and system up to date is to enable their auto-update feature and accept any updates that come.
5 – Verified by Visa
Visa is now providing a ‘global online authentication’ service, dubbed “VbV”, that detects fraudulent services. It also allows customers the opportunity to protect their Visa Card even further if they register a username and password. Only users with the combination will be able to make purchases online with the card. Merchants that are registered with VbV display the logo at their checkout station along with the other payment methods. Take advantage of this extra layer of security when available.
6 – If it looks too good, it probably is…
This last tip is probably the most important. If something looks too good to be true, it probably is. Is this deal for real? Are there strings (or razor wires) attached? Don’t get me wrong, there are some amazing deals out there and we find them here at Wishabi every day, but something that looks amazingly good always deserves added attention, even if it is just to verify and share with your friends =)
Happy shopping!
Deal Hunters Help Canadians Shop
Posted by: Prashanth Gopalan in: ● January 13, 2010
Wishabi showcases millions of products from over 350 stores across Canada and the US. Making sense of all these data requires a massive data processing machine. But there is more to it than bits and bytes. Each day, a community of deal hunters shares hundreds of deals with Canadian shoppers. Who are these people? What do they do to help Canadians shop smarter?
Who are the Deal Hunters?
Deal Hunters embody our passion for finding sweet deals, sharing them with us so that everyone can benefit. These shopping sleuths are drawn from the ranks of shopping enthusiasts such as yourselves, and are readily committed at improving the shopping experiences of fellow Canadians. Deal Hunters scour flyers, monitor online forums, and stack coupons and rebates in order to find deals no matter how obscure. Our top deal hunter (PatriGirl) of 2009 has posted almost 20 thousand deals so far!
How does Wishabi deal hunting work?
Any Wishabi member can become a deal hunter by posting deals to items listed on Wishabi from Canadian stores. You simply find the item you want to post for, then click “Post a deal”. In recognition of their efforts, we split a pot of cash with our deal hunters every month. The pot size for January 2010 is $650. Your share of the pot depends on the number of points earned by you as a percentage of the community’s total earnings. Every time you bring in a top deal, you can earn up to 8 points depending on the popularity of the item. Additional points will be awarded if you post deals form special merchants, and every time a unique shopper visits your deal.
Wait! There’s more!
Great deals require great accuracy, and so we verify the validity of every deal that has been posted. The more accurate your deals, the better your standings, and the more the community benefits. We convey our gratitude by giving out an additional $20 bonus to the most accurate Deal Hunter who has posted at least 25 deals that month. This Deal Hunter may not have posted thousands of deals, but was the most accurate in their postings.
So there it is – Deal Hunting at its finest. Do you have what it takes to be Deal Hunter? Whether you’re sure or not, be sure to check out the Deal Hunting page on Wishabi. We’re sure you won’t be disappointed.
Cheers
Understanding Online Cross-Border Shopping
Posted by: Matthew in: ● January 6, 2010
Canada and USA have always been each other’s biggest trading partners. With the Canadian dollar hitting a multi-year high at 0.965 USD, there are definite potentials for bargains south of the border. But do stores ship to Canada? And how much would we really save once the taxes, duties, exchange, and brokerage are all factored in? I want to share some insights on frequently asked cross-border shopping questions so we can better understand the rules of the game and play to win.
Do they ship to Canada?
An increasing number of stores in the US have realized that Canada is an important market and would be glad to ship items here. However, you should still find out as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. The best way to do this is go through check out with the exact item you want. This will tell you whether they ship here and how much it is going to cost. Note that some merchants have agreements with their suppliers that prevent them from exporting certain products or brands, so if they do not ship one item to Canada, it doesn’t mean they won’t ship something else you want. Finally, if you see something you absolutely cannot live without and the store doesn’t know what Canada is, you can still get it with the help of proxy shippers. These companies will set you up with a US address that you can use, and then forward the package to you in Canada.
Exchange and payment
You can usually pay using your Canadian credit cards without too much trouble when cross-border shopping online. The exchange rate is usually fair, but you may be subject to 2-3% foreign transaction fee that will be applied even if the purchase is denoted in CAD. Some US merchants will accept CAD as an option, but their exchange rate tends to be outdated. Generally, exchange and payment are not a big issue, but if you plan to do a lot of cross-border shopping, it may be worthwhile to get a US based credit card.
Cross-border fees and exemptions
Once you have determined that a store ships to Canada and found a way to pay them, the next step is to understand the cross-border fees such as duties, taxes and brokerage. Unlike trips you personally take, different rules for exemption apply when doing cross-border shopping online. Generally, items under $20 CAD are exempt from all taxes, duties and brokerage. Items marked as a personal gift are usually exempt up to $60 CAD. It is not unheard of for people to request an item marked as a gift in an attempt to take advantage of the higher exemption, this is especially true for purchases from classified or auction type sites.
Duties
Duties are special import taxes collected by the government that apply to items entering the country. They can range from nothing at all (0% for digital cameras) to seriously expensive (20% for rubber boots). The rate varies depending on the category of item, material it is made with, where it is from, and its intended use. Canada Border Services has a 1700+ page document detailing duty rules for everything from computers, to fertilizers, and even battleships. Fortunately, the team at Wishabi has done the work and the estimated duties are included in all cross-border deals from US merchants.
GST/PST/HST
All non-exempt items shipped from the US are subject to GST and HST. They may not be subject to PST if they entered the country in a province different from the one you live in. However, since you do not usually control or even know where the items enter Canada, it would be safer to assume that you would be responsible for the entire GST+PST or HST when cross-border shopping.
Brokerage or clearance Fees
Unlike duties and taxes which go to the government, brokerage fees are charged by the shipping company for the privilege of carrying the goods for you across the border. Yes, I know you’ve already paid shipping fee, but this is just how they spin it. It is something you have to pay special attention to as it is often not included in the checkout page break down and will be demanded when you receive the item. Brokerage fee depends on the cost of item, the shipping company and, the type of service used. It can range from nothing at all (Fedex International Priority), to a small reasonable fee (USPS), to something that will make you cry (UPS standard). Here’s the clearance fee rate table for Fedex and UPS. Always call to confirm if the brokerage fee is not explicitly stated.
None of us know just how long the high Canadian dollar will last. So arm yourself with the proper knowledge and take advantage of the savings and selections south of the border while you still can.