okay so I know we are not suppose to advertise for companies so I will leave out brand names. I have been looking for a product for my bird for about a year now. In the States it sold for 21$ but in Canada it was on sale on the internet for between 90$ and 120$.

 

I wrote to the company who makes them who only sells to stores. They gave me the name of a Canadian who sells the product. He has no price on his website and wants me to call him long distance (Calgary) to make a deal. He has no Paypal, no information about shipment fees on the website. I decide to search elsewhere in order to avoid adding long distance to all the other fees.

 

I write to a few American companies who all tell me the same thing, border crossing fees are my problem. Having been charged 50$ fees on a 50$ book by an unscrupulous broker after getting the book at the door, I decide to try something else.

 

I go to one pet shop after another here in Quebec looking for the prized item. I wish to put one per cage. Nobody has it every time I ask they look at me annoyed and tell me just to buy what they have. I search for a year. Unfortunately what they have I have tested and it has been rejected by my birds probably because it is made for rats and mice. I try to talk to a manager. Before I can make a complete sentence she says in a very angry tone "what is your point, what do you want". I ask her if she can order this product. She can't do this for just one client "bla bla bla". She is not even sure that her supplier sells it ect.

 

I get in touch with the company who makes the product twice more finally she gets that Calgary is kind of far from Quebec. Then she tells me who supplies one of the chain of pet stores I go to. I write to him. He tells me just go to "this" pet store and the chain of stores all have them. So he is basically telling me that the store I have been going to weekly asking for this carries it, but I know they don't. They have told me over and over. Maybe one of their stores far away buys them. okay in my hundreds of visits for bird food, they never have had them and tell me they don't stock them. I ask him if he knows or can tell me which particular store has them in stock. He doesn't know and says his stock is very low, anyways he can't sell to ordinary people. I call the store who say they will call me back. They don't call back.

 

Finally a store in the States (the very first I contacted about a year ago) changed it's policy and will send them for an 18% charge on the total sum of the bill to cover the border fees themselves. Well I don't know if patience is a virtue but tenacity does pay.

 

Times change, I can remember a time when if a store didn't have something in stock they would call their other stores and get back to you on where to get the item and even have the store hold it for you while you traveled from one location to the next. I hope my birds will love these

Edited June 6, 201312 yr by Phoebes

The pet shop finally got back to me and wanted 52 dollars a piece for the item.They would have had to order it too they have none in stock. I ordered 5 online from the States and with all charges including shipping got them for 147$. The pet shop cost would have been 260$ and because this price is before Quebec taxes the cost would have been higher. These taxes are 5% tps for the first and 9.975% tvq, this would have been charged on top of the 260%. The Canadian and American dollars being almost equal I wonder how it is so much more costly here. I am so thankful for the internet.

I know how frustrating it can be but i'm glad to hear that you are going to get the product.

Sorry I haven't been on as much. I did get the product and I am really glad I didn't give the 100% markup to the store. I can't see why they should make as much money as the factory plus everyone else involved in getting this to my door. They really are greedy.

 

I was surprised to read online that many stores do take a 100% markup. The 147 dollars from the States included the Quebec tax charge.

Edited August 21, 201311 yr by Phoebes