Gear stores in Canada??

[Chris-Ottawa 0]

Hey everyone,

I'm getting ready for the season coming up and I need a couple things. I need a Neptune and an Optima. I want to avoid buying it from the states and having to pay duty. I will likely be going to The Ranch again early in the year and I can get one there, but if I can get it in Canada it will save me time.

Are there any gear stores in Canada that carry these 2 products? I know of 3 gear stores but I want to know if there are any others.

I know of:
Eden North - Minimal info on website (will call today)

Swoop (monkeybrothers) - Website is broken, no info and no phone number, brand new website and no links work???

Atmosphair - Very expensive, $375 (CDN) for a Neptune. Maybe the website is not updated. Will also call tonight.

Hopefully someone can help me find this gear as I want to pick it up shortly, or let me know of other gear sales locations.

Thanks

Chris

"When once you have tasted flight..."

[IanHarrop 42]

Here is a list of Alti-2 dealer in Canada

http://www.alti-2.com/dealers/_Canada.htm

I bought mine through Flying High, but that pretty easy for me - its just down the road about an hour.
I know he also carries L&B stuff, but you won't learn much from his website.

You can email him at flyhigh@agt.net

"Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" Dorothy

[Danger 0]

You could try www.groundrushsports.com. The owner is based in Newmarket Ontario and has multiple dealerships.

Danger

[mdrejhon 8]

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I want to avoid buying it from the states and having to pay duty.

Because of NAFTA, you don't pay duty when importing skydiving gear. However... what you do pay is a rather annoying brokerage/processing charge in addition to 6% GST. It's like charging you just to charge you for GST. But even with that, sometimes it's easier to buy certain skydiving gear from the U.S.

I have bought hundreds of items from the U.S., including my jumpsuit. Email or PM me on how to make costs predictable when bringing stuff from the U.S.

When you order something that is delivered by UPS (or, often, FedEx), you often get an expensive "brokerage" charge, but it is not duty. Instead, ship by USPS, or via a BorderFree-type system, then you only pay exactly 6% more plus a far more predictable fee (in the case of USPS/Canada Post), usually only a few dollars extra.

Yes, I know ordering from the U.S. can result in unpredictable costs. But you can make it so that you're only paying maybe $11 extra on a $100 item ordered from the U.S ($6 GST plus $5 processing fee).... just need to be a little selective on who to buy from and how you let them ship the goods to you... There are cases where the charges are $50.

Sometimes they do make it past the border without any charges - especially when it's a small amount or a gift-like amount...

Don't forget eBay too. (But make sure you know what you're doing). I bought my altimeter (Altimaster Galaxy) off eBay, after all... Brand new, $143 US plus about $10 shipping and I paid only about $14 to get it across the border. So still under $200 CAD. (About 85 cents US per $1 CAD)

Also, don't forget you can also buy stuff from a U.S. gear store. Bring it back to Canada and you only pay exactly 6% GST at the border -- no duty, no processing fee -- just exactly 6% when you drive your new American-purchased gear back into Canada. i.e. $60 if you buy $1000 from a U.S. skydiving store, and drive it back to Canada. Or $15 if you buy $250.

That being said, there are Canadian gear stores you can buy from. Some of those listed work, and you can also order through NouvelAir too (probably the closest stocked gear store to Ottawa), they may have a Neptune in stock. Ordering through your rigger also works. Many riggers, especially if you personally know him, are happy to help you along in exchange to getting you some stuff at insider-type discount rates and selling you at below-retail price.

[Chris-Ottawa 0]

Hey Mark,

I realized it's not duty but taxes on the gear. I bought my rig from the US, 0 Duty, but $500 in taxes. Not happy.

I just want to avoid all of that entirely. If I can get it in Canada, it will be much easier, unless the price just doesn't make sense.

I wasn't away nouvelair had a gear store, anyone have a contact for them or shoud I just call nouvelair?

Thanks

Chris

"When once you have tasted flight..."

[theskydiveguy 0]

Sorry about the site ;)

Here is my contact info -

Jeff Smith
Monkey Brothers
416-992-1704

~Jeff

[Chris-Ottawa 0]

All good man, Thanks for the info.

If I had a contact to tell about the website, I definately would have. I'm glad you came across my question though. I shall call this afternoon.

Actually I'll send a PM for ya instead.

Thanks

"When once you have tasted flight..."

[mdrejhon 8]

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I realized it's not duty but taxes on the gear. I bought my rig from the US, 0 Duty, but $500 in taxes. Not happy.

$500 taxes! Ouch... You must have gotten your rig new, or you got it cleared by a third party brokerage (which tend to rape you).

[IanHarrop 42]

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I realized it's not duty but taxes on the gear. I bought my rig from the US, 0 Duty, but $500 in taxes. Not happy.

$500 taxes! Ouch... You must have gotten your rig new, or you got it cleared by a third party brokerage (which tend to rape you).

Maybe it was shipped up UPS - they're the worst for brokerage charges

"Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" Dorothy

[Chris-Ottawa 0]

I knew UPS was going to rape me, but the only other option that the seller was willing to use was FED-EX.

The whole values of the rig were marked on it, so I paid taxes on $2800 US.

Then I sent the cypres away and paid taxes on the "serivce"

Bah, it's here now, it's basically brand new, and I love it.

"When once you have tasted flight..."

[Blink 1]

I find the postal system VERY unpredictable.

When I bought my container ($500), I paid 15% (tax here in NB), $75.

When I got my Vigil ($1000), not one penny to pay, no dute, customs, GST, nothing. I actually asked the woman if she was sure there were no other charges .

Good luck with your gear search.

[Armour666 0]

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I realized it's not duty but taxes on the gear. I bought my rig from the US, 0 Duty, but $500 in taxes. Not happy.

$500 taxes! Ouch... You must have gotten your rig new, or you got it cleared by a third party brokerage (which tend to rape you).

Maybe it was shipped up UPS - they're the worst for brokerage charges

Ya no kidding there has been a few times for small samples and such being recived and the brokrage being way more then the cost of the product. Glad it was the clients bill and not mine.

Thier new line should be bend over we'll show you what brown can to you.

I use USPS when I can

SO this one time at band camp.....

"Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most."

[IanHarrop 42]

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I realized it's not duty but taxes on the gear. I bought my rig from the US, 0 Duty, but $500 in taxes. Not happy.

$500 taxes! Ouch... You must have gotten your rig new, or you got it cleared by a third party brokerage (which tend to rape you).

Maybe it was shipped up UPS - they're the worst for brokerage charges

Ya no kidding there has been a few times for small samples and such being recived and the brokrage being way more then the cost of the product. Glad it was the clients bill and not mine.

Thier new line should be bend over we'll show you what brown can to you.

I use USPS when I can

I can relate: last year I bout a $30 item and shipper would only send it UPS for which they charged me $20 US. When it got here I was charged $30 CDN by UPS for brokerage fees bit there no - repeat, no - customs or duty on it. So my $30 item was $80 by the time it got here.

I go with USPS Global Express Mail and put insurance on things for a lot less.

"Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" Dorothy

[pchapman 279]

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So my $30 item was $80 by the time it got here.

... and my "free" t-shirt and sweatshirt, sent to me for doing a favour for a US skydiving company, cost me about $15 in taxes and customs fees because their full value was declared.

In another case, I was fortunate that a reasonably well known US gear store was actually willing to mark my almost-new canopy as "returned to owner after maintenance", with a low value for "maintenance", thus keeping the border taxes down.