If you are going to participate in the thread, please read the original post.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPhone SE (2020) Canadians are getting hosed on iPhone prices
- Thread starter Robospungo
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I would never pay full price for the SE at $599 CAD.
Yes, it has a fast processor, but it really looks quite dated.
I'd look at some carriers who are discounting them for as low as $10/month for 24 months (of course you need to sign up for a phone plan though).
I think the OP has to take a step back.
The US price is the US price and the Canadian Price is the Canadian Price. You can’t compare the two and immediately declare one price is a “rip off” compared to another price. There are a lot of factors that can influence the price of any product in a given country. There could be additional tarrifs Apple pays to import the product into Canada since it is technically from China. There could be higher operating costs for Apple operations in Canada to comply with Canadian law. The list can go on.
You can always buy it in the US though if it works out cheaper in your specific case then buy Apple Care+ to convert your warranty to a worldwide one and smooth sale on out.
The US price is the US price and the Canadian Price is the Canadian Price. You can’t compare the two and immediately declare one price is a “rip off” compared to another price. There are a lot of factors that can influence the price of any product in a given country. There could be additional tarrifs Apple pays to import the product into Canada since it is technically from China. There could be higher operating costs for Apple operations in Canada to comply with Canadian law. The list can go on.
You can always buy it in the US though if it works out cheaper in your specific case then buy Apple Care+ to convert your warranty to a worldwide one and smooth sale on out.
The US doesn’t have a Value Added Tax (VAT). We have sales taxes that vary by state (and often times counties in an individual state). VAT is quite a lot different than Sales Tax so it isn’t possible to distill it down to a cross the line comparison.
Please Noooooo!!!!! Don't get the self-serving, greedy politicians involved. When they get involved, they are the only ones who benefit. The rest of us get screwed!!! No political commentary on Biden or Trump here. It's been this way for decades.
Yeah, afaik apple products price in US don’t include taxes, which varies greatly between states. People don’t often remember that, and automatically assume overseas price is a ripoff.
Strictly speaking 10.5% (Santa Fe Springs, CA). Plenty of cities around Los Angeles that are 10.25%.
Yep. And to add extra fuel up why comparisons aren’t so simple. Canada has both a VAT and a sales tax system. So the Apple price must include the VAT in it, among other things.
Taxes are not included in the price of any Apple products in Canada.
Taxes (GST and provincial taxes) are on top of all prices listed.
The iPhone SE is $599 CAD plus tax.
It does actually look worse if you add GST on top. I went to the Apple Store Canada and added one to my basket for collection at the Apple Store in the Eaton Center, Toronto.
I did the same for the US store but to pick up from Charleston SC (as I know the zip code for there - don't ask)
Finally I did the same for the UK store for pick up in my nearest Apple Store, which is New Street, Birmingham.
Things are worse elsewhere in the world. Look at Brazil....It is what it is I'm afraid. Very little you can do other than do what I do and buy stuff whilst on holiday in the US.
I won’t pretend to understand taxes in Canada. As it has both a VAT and sales tax then they throw another layer on with the whole HST thing.
You just can’t compare the price as apples to apples across countries.
There are only two taxes: provincial and federal. HST just combines the two into one number. It’s a similar structure as the U.S.
You can compare the prices directly. In this case, Apple simply charges more in Canada.
They aren’t the same that’s the thing. The Federal tax in Canada is a Value Added Tax not a Sales Tax. The provincial tax is a Sales Tax and not a Value Added Tax.
Goods and services tax (Canada) - Wikipedia
None of the examples provided in this thread are considered “clean” because of potential import duties and sales taxes.
The only place in the world where it is a free port and no sales taxes in Hong Kong.
Apple charges $438 in HK vs. $399 in US. So at minimum, Apple charges a 10% premium even if the conditions are perfect.
The only place in the world where it is a free port and no sales taxes in Hong Kong.
Apple charges $438 in HK vs. $399 in US. So at minimum, Apple charges a 10% premium even if the conditions are perfect.
You can compare between the US and Canada, as the price of items in both countries are advertised pre-tax.
The SE is $599 plus 5% GST and 8% provincial sales tax (Ontario).
Last edited:
Sales taxes have zero relevance to this discussion, as they are applied on top of the advertised price in both Canada and the US.
You’ve got some research to do because it’s not just about simple currency conversion.
Explain the PS5. The XBOX Series X. The iMac. The Mac Mini. Hell, explain previous iPhones.
Yes, the cheapest model SE costs the same here, south of the border - $553 USD ($10,999.00 MXN) with the current currency exchange rate, so in Mexico we get screwed even harder than the Canucks, hehe, even though we both share a border with the U.S. Funny thing is that those three North American countries have a trade agrement (USMCA). Another thing I find very unfair is that theft & loss is only covered in the U.S. through Apple Care+.
That's because Theft & Loss protection is covered by a different insurance company: AIG.
I've heard enough horror stories regarding claims that I prefer to stick with normal AppleCare+ handled in-house by Apple.
It’s the same here in Britain and has been for quite a while. It’s probably why the cheaper iPhones sell so well compared to the Pro models.
Lol, here in South Africa a iPhone SE 2020 64GB goes for the equivalent of USD $643.
