[Bandaid]

Just picked up the latest issue of WCI and I have to question why the Canadian prices have not changed over the last few issues seeing as in the recent months the US and Cdn dollar are relatively the same. In Canada we are still paying a 25% premium for the magazine. Surely the shipping cost isn't $2.00 a copy to the newstand.

[Bandaid]

I thought by now someone from the magazine would have done me the courtesy of a reply. Apparently I was out of line.

Reg

[Eddy Smiles]

Suggest you email the WCI customer service staff. Seems like a better medium to find out the kind of information that you are seeking.

[Donna_T]

Bandaid,
WCI staff can't read every post, every day. We moderators try to do that as best we can and respond to questions that we either have an opinion or know the answer.

I'd suggest you writing a private message to Bob Duncan and ask him that question. He'd be the best person to answer it. Sometimes he is gone several days in a row to work on projects, so it's not unusual for him to answer immediately---or for it to take a few days

Carving.

Donna T

[Shannon]

Sorry Bandaid - As Donna mentioned, we don't have the chance to view every post on a daily basis - and things have been a bit hectic here the last week or so - we're just getting an issue of our sister magazine, Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts off to the printer.

The main reason for the difference in price is not the currency exchange rate - as you touched upon - it has to do with shipping. It definitely does cost us much more to send an issue to Canada than to the US. There is customs, GST, postage and even the increased cost of gas to consider.

US customers will note an increase on the cover price beginning with the spring issue. The magazine will now cost $6.99 to purchase a single copy on the newstand. Canadian cover price will remain at $7.99. SUBSCRIPTION RATES ARE NOT INCREASING. If you are curently a US reader purchasing your copy on the newsstand - it may be a good time to consider a subscription!

I know that explanation doesn't make it any easier to shell out $7.99 for an issue when the US dollar is so weak - but there really is much more involved than just the currency exchange.

[Irish]

Hey Bandaid!

If you go over to www.USPS.com , our P.ostal Service, you can check the costs yourself. The books that Mike and I sell can go into a Priority Mail envelope which has a set price to them. Our shipping cost to US customers costs $4.50 but for our Canadian customers its $9.00 and the UK pays over $11.00. Same book, same envelope and your address may be only one mile over the border but it's double the price.

Now we have the same problem with our Canadian artists that send prints to us for our dog art site. We pay about double the price for the actual shipping costs then have a 'broker's fee' placed on top of that by Canada. So we can see a cost about 4 times the amount that we would have paid for an American artist to send us prints! And I will not even go into Custom delays on either side of the border ... AH!

OK .. so .. I placed a phone order to a Mail Order specialty foods company yesterday to have a spiral cut ham delivered as a Christmas present. We got through the item cost, taxes, shipping costs and the Order Gal tells me "and there is a 13 cent fuel cost surcharge per pound of shipping weight to offset the rising cost of gasoline" .... AHHHHH!

Susan

[Bandaid]

Thank you all for the replies. I must admit that I wasn't aware of all the hidden costs ( taxes, customs etc.). Sorry for the rant.

Reg