Hacking Shoptemp-like online stores in Canada?

[Vertimyst]

Hi,

I'm looking to repair my sister's DS Lite touchscreen. So far I know I need the replacement touch screen, and a tri-wing screwdriver, as well as some other screwdrivers I already have. I see Shoptemp sells what I need, and the prices are awesome, but considering that it's located in Hong Kong and I'm in Canada (about an hour from Ottawa), I'd prefer ordering from a Canadian vendor.

Does anyone know of a Canadian store I can order from that has the same sort of stuff (preferably with cheap prices and optionally, free shipping available)? Or if not, one in the US that's close to Canada?

 

[Terminator02]

Shoptemp can ship for free within 2-5 weeks... and they accept paypal

 

[Vertimyst]

Guaranteed free shipping even to Canada? And, what concerns me is import/border duty fees, and possible problems with things like that. I don't have much experience ordering overseas.

Is there anyone here from Canada who's ordered from Shoptemp that can confirm there should be no issues of that kind? Or how much the border fee would be?

 

[TM2-Megatron]

I've pre-ordered a DSTWO from Shoptemp, but obviously I won't get that until they're released. I have received Hong Kong Registered Airmail before, though, and I don't recall them being hit by customs any of the times I dealt with it.

Another store, Console Source, ships from within Canada (Ontario, specifically). I've ordered from them before, and they seem reliable as well. ShopTemp purchases support the community, though, but ultimately it's your call.

http://www.consolesource.com/ecomm/catalog/index.html

 

[Vertimyst]

Thanks TM2-Megatron - well, pricewise at least it looks like Shoptemp has the upper hand, at least for what I need right now (replacement DS touch screen), plus they sell the tri-wing screwdriver at a good price. Combined with free shipping and supporting the community by buying from there, the only downside is (possible) customs interference and wait time.

I don't have much cash on me at the moment, having recently been laid off, so Shoptemp looks to be my choice for now. Might check out Consolesource when I need something quick though.

 

[zuron7]

There are not many canadian vendors but you can try realhotstuff.com
If I we're you I would have bought from ShopTemp.

I feel so lucky that I don't have to buy from online sites.
I just wait for my vacation's when I go to my Grandmother's house where I can buy carts in the local market.

 

[Vertimyst]

There are not many canadian vendors but you can try realhotstuff.com
If I we're you I would have bought from ShopTemp.

I feel so lucky that I don't have to buy from online sites.
I just wait for my vacation's when I go to my Grandmother's house where I can buy carts in the local market.

Yeah, I actually ended up ordering from Shoptemp. Can't beat the prices, and I just like the site, really easy to navigate and I love how it tells me what I need when buying certain items (and offers to bundle). Lucky that you can buy locally though.

 

[Lily]

You won't be hit by customs fees when ordering items that arrive via HK post, unless you've ordered something very expensive and the true value is declared on the customs label. Everything I've ever received has been marked 'gift' or 'sample' with a less than $20 value.

There are a couple of Canadian sites for future reference -- Consolesource is located in Oshawa Ontario, and offers $4.95 flat rate shipping across Canada. They have top-notch service and support, although I admit I only use them for more expensive parts that are unrealistic to order from overseas.

There's Gamersection which is located in Quebec. I've used them a few times. They got my order wrong once, but quickly sent out the proper products without requesting that I send them back the wrong product. I find their shipping sucks -- they use FedEx and charge by weight. However, they carry a lot of products that other stores don't.

There's Kickgaming, which is located in Richmond Hill, Ontario. They've always had a fairly barebones selection, but their customer service is incredible. They also offer $4.95 shipping across Canada.

Last but not least there's Modchip Central which is located in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Great deals on modchips -- they even still stock PS2 and Xbox 1 chips!

Happy shopping, keep supporting those Canadian stores.

 

[Vertimyst]

You won't be hit by customs fees when ordering items that arrive via HK post, unless you've ordered something very expensive and the true value is declared on the customs label. Everything I've ever received has been marked 'gift' or 'sample' with a less than $20 value.

There are a couple of Canadian sites for future reference -- Consolesource is located in Oshawa Ontario, and offers $4.95 flat rate shipping across Canada. They have top-notch service and support, although I admit I only use them for more expensive parts that are unrealistic to order from overseas.

There's Gamersection which is located in Quebec. I've used them a few times. They got my order wrong once, but quickly sent out the proper products without requesting that I send them back the wrong product. I find their shipping sucks -- they use FedEx and charge by weight. However, they carry a lot of products that other stores don't.

There's Kickgaming, which is located in Richmond Hill, Ontario. They've always had a fairly barebones selection, but their customer service is incredible. They also offer $4.95 shipping across Canada.

Last but not least there's Modchip Central which is located in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Great deals on modchips -- they even still stock PS2 and Xbox 1 chips!

Happy shopping, keep supporting those Canadian stores.

Awesome, just the kind of post I was hoping for. Amazing, I had no idea there were any at all in Canada, only ones I had ever heard of were in Asia somewhere.

 

[Sabregod]

I prefer not to order on Canadian vendors. Because of the High Price + Taxes. I prefer to order outside like Leetmod or ShopTemp. They don't go to Customs which mean it can't be taxed

 

[Vertimyst]

I prefer not to order on Canadian vendors. Because of the High Price + Taxes. I prefer to order outside like Leetmod or ShopTemp. They don't go to Customs which mean it can't be taxed

Why would you order from Canada anyway? Your location says you're in the Philippines. And do you mean stuff ordered from those places (Shoptemp and Leetmod) don't ever go through Customs? Why not? They'd have to if the shipment's coming across a border.

 

[TM2-Megatron]

I prefer not to order on Canadian vendors. Because of the High Price + Taxes. I prefer to order outside like Leetmod or ShopTemp. They don't go to Customs which mean it can't be taxed

The OP is actually in Canada; which is why he was asking. Obviously it wouldn't make sense for you to order from here. As for the taxes, I don't really mind so much if it means people here don't have to take out second mortgages on their homes (or just go under completely) if they need major medical treatment or the like. To each his own, though.

 

[lukands]

I don`t think your going to beat the price of Hong Kong, China, etc.. Just think where does the Canadian store get its stuff? If its a real Canadian business your going to get stuck paying sales tax and most likely shipping. But I can respect shopping where you live!

 

[SchrodingersCat]

So just to make sure, bottom line: If I order this $31.95 AK2i + 4GB MicroSD + reader kit from leetmod and I live in Canada, they'll doctor it up to get through Customs without me paying taxes & brokerage fees?

Because I've ordered things from the States before where they didn't do this, and I ended up paying $60 for the fees & taxes, which obviously negates any savings on the product or shipping compared to an item shipping from Canada...

 

[TM2-Megatron]

So just to make sure, bottom line: If I order this $31.95 AK2i + 4GB MicroSD + reader kit from leetmod and I live in Canada, they'll doctor it up to get through Customs without me paying taxes & brokerage fees?

Because I've ordered things from the States before where they didn't do this, and I ended up paying $60 for the fees & taxes, which obviously negates any savings on the product or shipping compared to an item shipping from Canada...

$60 for customs!? What was the value of the order? In the hundreds? It wasn't shipped using UPS, was it? You only typically get a charge like that from a courier like UPS or FedEx, and their fees have almost nothing to do with customs... I'd be surprised if 3% of their "brokerage fees" and the like actually go to customs. Their fees and policies are practically criminal, and there's absolutely no reason to use them instead of regular postal services for most items. The excessive fees dissapear when you get into their premium services... but unless it's your intention to ship engines for something like an Airbus A380, it's silly to use couriers.

The few times I've been hit by customs on shipments from the US (using the United States Postal Service and Canada Post), I've only ever paid around $6-15, depending on the value of the order (sometimes as high as a couple hundred).

 

[SchrodingersCat]

$60 for customs!? What was the value of the order? In the hundreds? It wasn't shipped using UPS, was it? You only typically get a charge like that from a courier like UPS or FedEx, and their fees have almost nothing to do with customs... I'd be surprised if 3% of their "brokerage fees" and the like actually go to customs. Their fees and policies are practically criminal, and there's absolutely no reason to use them instead of regular postal services for most items. The excessive fees dissapear when you get into their premium services... but unless it's your intention to ship engines for something like an Airbus A380, it's silly to use couriers.

The few times I've been hit by customs on shipments from the US (using the United States Postal Service and Canada Post), I've only ever paid around $6-15, depending on the value of the order (sometimes as high as a couple hundred).

Now that you mention it, it was UPS I think. It was like $200US worth of eyelets (jewellery). I was absolutely floored, since I could have bought the same pieces from a Canadian retailer for about 20% more that the US company's list price, and ended up paying about 80% more once I factored in the fees. Definitely learned my lesson on that one! Amazon.ca uses UPS, but they ship from Canada so it's no problem. Also, since I'm rarely home during the day, the couriers can never get a hold of me, so Canada Post is actually 100x more convenient to pick up from (since the UPS depot is on the other side of town and is only open from 4-6pm... talk about ridiculous).

Another time, we had our wedding rings shipped from Winnipeg to Saskatoon, paid extra for Saturday delivery so that I would be home... FedEx ended up sending them to Calgary by accident, then Calgary screwed up by sending them back on a truck that didn't get here until Monday. You would think that a package insured for $10,000 would be treated with a little more care! And then to boot, the customer "service" rep said there was nothing she could do, and basically just kept saying it wasn't her fault that someone screwed up. I was like, you're *FEDEX* ... I don't want to hear whose fault it wasn't, I want to know what your'e going to do to fix it...

 

[TM2-Megatron]

Yep... UPS are terrible for shipments between countries. Amazon.ca also uses Canada Post, depending what option you choose. I've always chosen "free shipping", and gotten my stuff within 2 or 3 days, at the most. They ship from Mississauga most of the time, and I'm in Toronto.. so even the free shipping is incredibly fast. And comes through Canada Post. Even for domestic shipments, I flat-out refuse to deal with companies like UPS due to their fees for international shipments, which I think should be treated as criminal extortion.

Of that $60 or whatever UPS charged you for that shipment, I'd be surprised if even $10 of it went to Canadian Customs. That's all you probably would've paid if it had been sent through the US Postal Service (and that's only if Customs had decided to charge you, which they often seem not to), since Canada Post and the US Postal Service have agreements to handle eachother's mail. Nearly all the fees from UPS and other similar services are for the services of brokerage agents, who supposedly negotiate the parcel's acceptance through customs, which isn't required with national postal services.

Couriers usually provide a terrible experience. The fees go away on their more expensive shipping options (but like I said, these are usually only useful for industrial shipments, or whatever), but almost any online store that uses UPS will use their basic Ground Shipping, which involve massive "brokerage fees".

 

[Vertimyst]

I just received my order from Shoptemp, and there was no problem with customs or any other fees after the usual charges when ordering. I ordered on the 12th, and my stuff shipped around the 15th/16th, arrived today - almost a week. I think I'll definitely be placing most of my future orders with Shoptemp unless I need something quickly.

 

[nycsam786]

I would personally order with Shop Temp especially after hearing all the rave reviews from the feedback thread.

 

[Kueh]

I've dealt with Modchip.ca. Good service and order/shipping times.