If you live in Canada and are thinking about buying a Phantom, pay
attention. I recently bought two Phantoms and here is what I learned
(the hard way) . . .
Lesson #1 - You can save $300 or more if you buy directly from DJI.
If you have a relationship with an authorized Canadian dealer in the
city where you live, you can decide for yourself if you want to pay
hundreds of dollars extra for that convenience. But if you are buying
on the internet anyway, you can save a lot of money -- enough for a free
backpack and extra battery -- by dealing directly with DJI.
The reason for the difference is taxes and exchange rates. I will use the Phantom 3 Pro as an example . . .
ThePhantom 3 Pro at DJI cost $1259 USD, with all taxes and duty
included. At today's exchange rate, that's $1,554 Canadian. The same
model retails in Canada for $1,637, PLUS TAXES. So if you live in
Alberta, where taxes are only 5%, the total price would be $1,719 and
you would save $165 if you buy direct from DJI. But if you live in Nova
Scotia, where taxes are 15%, the total price would be $1,883 and you
would save $329 if you buy direct from DJI. I live in BC and saved
about $300 on my DJI order. That was almost enough for a free backpack
and a spare battery.
Lesson #2 - If you use PayPal, converting currency through PayPal instead of your credit card can save you $75 or more.
If you order with PayPal, you have a choice of converting currency with
PayPal or converting with the credit card company. There are advantages
to converting with PayPal, because if you cancel the order the full
amount is refunded to your linked credit card. However, if you choose
to let the credit card company convert, and then need to cancel or
return, you will get dinged twice for the conversion. Basically, they
charge 3% commission each way. So, with the credit card conversion
spread, a $100 transaction will cost you $103, but if you ask for a
refund or cancellation, you only get $97 back. That 6% on USD $1259
adds up to USD $75.00! You can avoid this double transaction cost by
using PayPal and choosing to pay in Canadian dollars. I learned this
the hard way when I cancelled my UV Filter . . . see this thread for
why:
http://forum.dji.com/thread-18021-1-1.html
UPDATE . . . September 1, 2015 . . .
Since this post the Canadian dollar has nose-dived and DJI has introduced new products. Depending on the product and province of residence, Canadians can now save up to $439 by purchasing directly from DJI. Here are some examples . . .
P3 Standard DJI: $799USD = $1052CDN Price in Canada w taxes = $1177 DJI savings = $125
P3 Advanced DJI: $999USD = $1314CDN Price in Canada w taxes = $1511 DJI savings = $197
P3 Professional DJI: $1259USD = $1657CDN Price in Canada w taxes = $1905 DJI savings = $248
P3 Standard Combo DJI: $1059USD = $1393CDN Price in Canada w taxes = $1623 DJI savings = $230
P3 Advanced Combo DJI: $1678USD = $2208CDN Price in Canada w taxes = $2519 DJI savings = $311
These calculations assume a 12% tax rate in BC. In
Alberta and the Territories your tax rate is lower, but in many other
provinces the tax rate is higher than BC and your savings will be more
substantial (e.g. save up to $439 in Nova Scotia and Quebec).
As
stated in my original post, it is not my intention to discourage anyone
from purchasing from a local dealer, if you are lucky enough to have
access to one. But
if you are buying online anyway, the savings from DJI can be
substantial, because the taxes and duties are included in the
price. This is confirmed by DJI at https://store.dji.com/help/shipping/faq (see the answer to question #5).
