Originally posted by G_Money I just noticed that the Dunne & Rundle price of $1428.99 is if you're purchasing a lens at the same time, otherwise the price is $1458.99 + $24.95 shipping = $1483.94. That's only $6 cheaper than eBay's 123easyship which offers free shipping. Since there's no more tax advantage to shopping outside the province (Thank YOU HST, may I have another?) it seems like a wash. Has anyone been able to get a price match on the $1428.99 without buying an extra lens?
Well, since you ask, I got the D&R $1428.99 price without lens, because I snuck in & got it before they adjusted to reserve that price for "+ lens" purchases. But it seems Simons & others' good prices have pushed D&R out of the "cheapest in Canada" category now anyway, so the question is probably moot.
Originally posted by G_Money That's the way it is for you, living in Quebec, you still have separate taxes. But for us in Ontario, it's different now. Go to photoprice.ca and calculate taxes and shipping for Ontario and you'll see. Believe me, I wish you were right, but as of July 1, 2010 we get slapped with the HST, all in one 13%. I got a price of $1399.95 from Simon's today, with $9.95 for shipping. The D-BG4 grip is $249.95. If I could find someone in Alberta to order it for me and forward it back to me in Ontario I'd save about $120 in tax. Gone are the days when I'd happily order from The Camera Store, or McBain's and only pay 5%.
Indeed, my understanding is that HST is operated Federally (I know for Charities getting rebates, provincial rebates are claimed from CRA as a supplement to GST rebates, and I believe remitting taxes works the same way) any seller registered for the GST, even in a non-HST province like Quebec, has to charge HST of the province they're selling to. So an Ontario buyer buying from Quebec has to pay HST since the Quebec business is GST registered & thus HST kicks in, but a sale
to Quebec from any other province (HST or not) does
not incur Quebec PST. That's why it's called "la belle province".
This said, people are clearly confused about PST and HST rules and what any given store does might not follow this rule (if I've even got it straight). As far as I can make out, GST collection seems to be virtually on the "honours system" as I've seen no evidence of enforcement. I know the charity I work for keeps collecting GST rebates without ever providing any evidence to back up our claims, which get rubber stamped (unlike old Ontario PST rebates, which would be picked through with a fine toothed comb, and routinley adjusted to our disadvantage).
To whit: R&D erroneously charged me HST on my K-5, despite saying on the phone when I ordered that they'd only charge GST. To their credit, they had noticed the error themselves and were already in the process of crediting me back the extra tax before I got around to calling them about the mistake. So I'm not complaining about R&D, just noting how confusing & dicey sales tax gets in Canada.
DW