Automaton???

[Matrix_Holder]

I won't buy from a private seller charging in usd either, that's just asinine.

[chinaman99]

The weak Canadian dollar is hurting both Canadian consumers and retailers. I was surprised when Automaton was switching to USD but then I saw the exchange rate was 1 CDN = 0.80 USD. I didn't realize it was THAT bad. So I totally understand where they are coming from, it just makes good business sense.

Automaton did send out an email that they were making the switch the week before, perhaps you have to be signed up for their newsletter. They probably should also have sent it out to any one who had an unpaid pre-order. I quickly paid for my outstanding pre-orders before the switch.

I did some quick calculations and Automaton prices on the 4 figures I checked were the same as TFsource. TFsource was charging 40$ shipping where as Automaton was 13$. Assuming you can avoid duty, it evened out in the end with the stupid HST/PST/GST.

That being said, I always had a great experience whenever buying from Automaton. Mario is super nice and quickly replied to my emails. He has also helped me get replacement parts in the past. Service is top notch.

I really hope the CDN dollar recovers soon. There are so many cool 3P figures coming out that I want them all but not at 150$ CDN each

[Pgianos]

When the dollar goes up I don't see retailers giving gold back to the masses. They pocket the difference. But when it goes down I pay in USD. Sounds fair.

[Matrix_Holder]

There is also the hidden fee of the conversion where it can be anywhere from 2-4% depending on who you pay with. Ontario taxes plus that is 15-18 % on top of listed price.

[pandagfx]

Gotta pay to play. Canadians have had it quite good for the last couple of years, with a very favorable exchange rate.
The late 90's were absolutely shitty, when it reached as low as 63 cents to the US dollar.

With the dollar around 80 cents now (the historic norm), you have to be more choosey on what to buy. Granted, there are more enticing things now, such as Masterpiece TF and 3P products, but in the long run, they're still toys.

I don't mind that Automaton lists their pricing in USD, the majority of the competition lists in USD anyway, makes comparision shopping easier. It's more convenient to buy some things from Canada, while other items will save you money if you buy overseas.

[NeoMatter]

I'll still be keeping my preorders with Automaton. I also like to support Canadian retailers whenever I can. However, I do shop abroad only if I can't find a retailer here that carries the product I'm looking for.

I do have a BBTS order that just shipped. Should arrive in a few days going through FedEx. At least I have the $10 ancillary fee waived off and just pay the taxes.

[Pascal]

Originally Posted by Matrix_Holder

I won't buy from a private seller charging in usd either, that's just asinine.

I use the same list for both TFW2005 and this site, so USD pricing prevails, it's just easier, especially when most Paypal balances are in USD funds, even for Canadian members. Adjusting each and every price according to the current exchange rate to accommodate Canadian buyers is just too time consuming, especially when 99% of the PMs I get on this site are from people that never follow through (the pit of excuses to bail at the last minute is apparently bottomless). It's easier to just convert the shipping price to USD once a deal is confirmed.

[FreedomGundam]

Originally Posted by Matrix_Holder

I won't buy from a private seller charging in usd either, that's just asinine.

Originally Posted by Pascal

I use the same list for both TFW2005 and this site, so USD pricing prevails, it's just easier, especially when most Paypal balances are in USD funds, even for Canadian members. Adjusting each and every price according to the current exchange rate to accommodate Canadian buyers is just too time consuming, especially when 99% of the PMs I get on this site are from people that never follow through (the pit of excuses to bail at the last minute is apparently bottomless). It's easier to just convert the shipping price to USD once a deal is confirmed.

Going kinda off-topic here, but it's funny how I do it: like Pascal, I use the same sales list for both here and TFW. The way I have it, Canadians pay me in CAD, Americans pay me in USD. Same number. I like to keep it that way as a bonus to us fellow Canadians.

[Pascal]

Originally Posted by FreedomGundam

The way I have it, Canadians pay me in CAD, Americans pay me in USD.

I stopped doing that a few months ago, I was losing too much money on the more expensive items. Exchange rate hasn't been 1:1 in quite some time now...

[FreedomGundam]

Originally Posted by Pascal

I stopped doing that a few months ago, I was losing too much money on the more expensive items. Exchange rate hasn't been 1:1 in quite some time now...

Oh, I usually gauge my prices in CAD to begin with; the price in CAD is the baseline for me. So it's really the Americans who are paying a bit more (though nowadays it would be "a lot more") than the Canadians.