Can $ still on the rise... Apple prices too.

[Dartamis]

That works. Waking up at 6 am kind of sucks though, but it's worth it to save the $$$. The only problem is the long wait on the way home.

Or.... you can go during the week to avoid the weekend craziness.

Nah, the traffic won't be bad on the way back to canada until 6-7 pm when all the shoppers are done for the day. At 10:30-11:00 am people will still be in line to get into the U.S. I'll be all alone in the line to go back into Canada that early.

 

[Dartamis]

Breakdown

I just called the credit card company and got some further info on exchange rates and extra charges. The following is based on the stock Mac Pro tower 'as is'.

U.S. Store - $2499
CDN Store - $2799

Master Card gave me the numbers as follows $0.97 for U.S. exchange with a 2.5% conversion charge. So then this is what we have....

U.S. $2499 x 0.97 = CDN $2424.03 (The 15% tax at the border will be based on this number as will the 2.5% charge from the credit comany)

"Buying in the U.S."
CDN $2424.03 - Mac Pro
CDN $2424.03 x .15 = $363.61 - Border taxes
CDN $2424.03 x .025 = $60.60 - Credit Card Charges
CDN $45 - Gas for the Day
add that all up and you end up with CDN $2893.24

"Buying in Canada"
CDN $2799 - Mac Pro
CDN $2799 x .15 = $419.85 - Taxes in Ontario
CDN $3 - Street Car ride to the Apple Store
add that all up and you end up with CDN $3221.85

for a savings of CDN $328.61 if a Canadian purchased the Mac in the U.S.

 

[IJ Reilly]

To spend US dollars you need to be in the US. And this comes as a surprise to how many people?

 

[Rodimus Prime]

well I would say get over it. Add at least 10% of the cost to the fact that almost all if not all major computer power houses are US bases company. Almost all software are computer bases companies. The major computer companies back in the begining was US. So it stands to reason that exports are going to charge extra fees.

 

[Surely]

Surely, I think a very important fact that you're overlooking that IJ Reilly was trying to make is that the changes in the US dollar don't make Apple's goods cost more or less for anyone in Canada, the UK, Australia, etc.

You're paying the same as you were yesterday, the week before and the month before.

Just because your currency is worth more against the dollar than it was a month ago, it doesn't mean it's worth more than a unit of Canadian currency was worth in Canada a month ago. By your logic, the Canadian dollar suddenly has greater buying power, so why not complain about the price of *everything*? If you think a MacPro should cost less today than it did in October, then why not milk or sneakers or newspapers?

Yes, you're right that prices will trend lower with newly released products (as you pointed out with Leopard), but it's far from automatic and not as simple as Apple sitting on sidelines with its finger on a switch waiting to lower prices after the holidays so it can milk its Canadian customers for all it can...

Actually, we are complaining about the price of everything that is imported from other countries. The Canadian dollar does have greater buying power. I'm not ignorant, I know that $1 CAD is still $1 CAD. But $1 CAD is no longer worth $0.67 USD. As I type this, it is worth $1.09 USD.

Sneakers should cost less today than they did 6 months ago. I bought a pair of Nikes for $99 USD at Footlocker two months ago in Buffalo, NY, that were, and still are selling for $139 CAD here at Footlocker. Those shoes don't magically cost more to make just because they are being sold in Canada. The materials or labour does not cost more to make a shoe that is sold in Canada. There may be a mark up due to duties, but not a 40% mark up.

Newspapers, magazines, books, etc, all do cost less today than they did before. The bookstores here are now charging the US prices that are printed on those items.

There is no reason that the prices cannot be brought closer to an equilibrium. It is as simple as Apple pressing a button and changing their prices. They are a very well organized company, they can do it. I was already offered a $60 discount on the purchase of a MacBook when I politely told the Apple sales rep on the phone that it is my duty as a Canadian to complain about the price differences. My guess is that is a new unadvertised policy that sales reps have been told to offer only if a complaint is made and it will save a sale.
As I said before, a good example is the cost of Leopard, which is $129 in the US and $129 in Canada. It can be done.