Now that you have a US shipping address just across your nearest border crossing, what do you use it for? What types of products are worth ordering from a US website or catalogue and having shipped to the border?
While some people that live right along the border cross over for just about everything, the rest of us aren’t going to drive an hour to pick up a gallon of milk or fill up with gas.
So, keeping in mind that we need to drive down and back from the border, what items make the trip worthwhile? Well, lets go over the reasons why we buy from the US in the first place:
- Lower prices
- Greater selection
- US exclusive products
- No Canadian shipping (requires a US shipping address)
- Canadian shipping/brokerage is too expensive
So, with this in mind, the items that make a trip down to the border worthwhile are the ones that fall under more than one of the above points.
Electronics
Consumer electronics is on of the most popular, if not the most popular, category for cross border shopping by Canadians. The reason for this is because consumer electronics more often than not satisfies all of the above points. The prices are much lower, the selection is far better, many products are available in the US earlier (think iPad, 3D TVs…), companies won’t ship to Canada, and if they do, it is far too expensive when brokerage is included.
Where do I get great consumer electronic deals?
Some great sites to order from and ship to a US border location include:
- www.amazon.com (find just about everything!)
- www.vanns.com
- www.tigerdirect.com
- www.newegg.com
- www.monoprice.com (great for ordering cables)
- www.bestbuy.com (find prices that are sometimes 50% lower than the identical item in a Canadian Best Buy)
Car Parts and Tires
Car parts and tires are another category that, if purchased in the United States, could save you thousands of dollars. Almost everyone has found themselves in a repair shop at one time or another being handed a bill worth hundreds of dollars to replace the tiniest part on their car. Just the other week, I had to pay $300 to replace the rear windshield wiper motor on my car, and that didn’t even include the labour! When I got home, I checked the price of the exact same motor on a US website and found it for $120. If I had ordered it from the US, I would have saved 60%!!
Another great area where you can literally save hundreds of dollars is on tires. We all know how important winter tires can be when a big storm hits, but we also know how much local dealers charge for them. Luckily, a 5-minutes search online can save you hundreds of dollars on a set by comparing US prices to Canadian. Remember, this is after factoring in the currency costs too.
Where do I get great car part and tire deals?
So, if you know you need to replace a part on your car, need a new set of tires, or are restoring that classic in your garage, check out these sites to make your budget go even further.
I have a clothing business in Ont. Can I have my wholesale purchases sent through you and if so do I avoid any brokerage or duty feesÉ
Hi David,
You sure can! When you ship to a US border KinekPoint you save on brokerage and international shipping. 99.9% of the time you are not charged duty, so the only thing you can expect to pay at the border is tax.