Chapters (almost) Ban Listed

In another mention of an insane price differences - Chapters wanted to charge me $26 for a book which is available on Amazon.com for US$13 including shipping (regularly $17 including shipping). Problem is, Amazon couldn't guarantee shipping into Canada in time for Christmas on the item (even now! - up to 3 weeks to ship it out plus 10 days shipping). Amazon.ca was $17 and could ship it out immediately.

I went to chapters.ca and it has the book for $17 + $2 shipping.

So armed with that info I went into a Chapters store. The book indeed had C$26 on the back of it with US$17 beside it. I went to the check-out and said - I wanted to see what you're charging for the book because it is $17 on your website. The lady at the Chapters counter said "we're not pricing anything off of the US$ price".

So while Chapters store employees have apparently been instructed to say they aren't pricing off the US$, they obviously are on the website where they need to compete with Amazon and other US retailers. I fully understand the ability for firms to price discriminate based on geographic location, but it seems Chapters is talking out of both sides of its mouth - not pricing on US$ in the store, but doing so on the website.

While looking for the book I overheard another customer questioning the huge price disparity on the C$ vs. US$ pricing. He said - look I can go and buy it online for 50% less. The Chapters employee said, and this is a gem, "We don't control the price, the distributor controls the price, we just pass it along". Wow. Who knew Chapters couldn't set their own prices? You'd think they'd control all the sales/specials they have... oh wait, they do.

Anyway, moral of the story. I said I'm not buying the book because of the price difference (the cashier didn't seem to care), then I went home, got online and bought it off Amazon.ca. I probably would have bought it off Chapters.ca but their less than open pattern of communication made me change my mind.

Chapters isn't on the Ban List (yet), but I'm not buying a Christmas gift there this year. I'll take my business to companies that at least recognize the 50%+ price differential.