396T Owners

[Rouse]

I was just wondering where you guys purchased your radios. Durham Radio or Radio World seems a little expensive. Is it worth the boarder hassle to buy in the States?

 

[Rouse]

Nobody in Canada bought a 396T?

 

[electricsheep]

Nobody in Canada bought a 396T?

Patience! The only people I know with 396T got them from the US (Scanners Unlimited).

 

[FoeHammer]

I got mine from durham , fast shipping good service, ya pricey but ...what can you do.....

 

[mciupa]

Is it worth the border hassle to buy in the States?

In what sense, do you mean having to declare the radio or taking a chance
and hiding it (smuggle) from Border Inspection ?
You could always do mail-order.

Looking at the two examples mentioned in this thread.
Durham is selling for $799 Canadian.
ScannersUnlimited is selling for $549 US or around $658 Canadian
But depending on how it's shipped,you can add a few more bucks to
what looks like a better deal. I bet the difference will diminish somewhat after the add-ons are totalled up.

 

[Rouse]

Patience!

Got a little excited there sorry.

 

[Rouse]

In what sense, do you mean having to declare the radio or taking a chance
and hiding it (smuggle) from Border Inspection ?

What I meant by hassle was how much more in duty it would cost, and whether there was any legal issues ordering it from the states and how long they hold it at the boarder.

Thanks for the replies though!

 

[woody_461]

Nevermind...

BTW, Durham Radio are cool.I've ordered some things from them.Never a problem.

 

[Forts]

I've purchased my last 3 scanners from the States... A BC250d, Pro-96 and a BC246T. Never had any problems with customs or having them shipped here. The last 2 I purchased from Scanners Unlimited were shipped UPS for about $40, and that included all brokerage charges (so there were no nasty surprises in the mail a month after you get your radio). With the going exchange rate being half decent these days, a $550 USD radio is only about $665 CDN. Still waaaay ahead of $800 +15% from the local boys. Just my $0.02.

 

[Jay911]

I have ordered every scanner I own (that I did not buy from Radio Shack) from US companies such as Scanner Master, Grove, National Electronics, etc. I have never had any "legal" issues, including during the purchase of a BC250D, BC796D, and BCD396T (all of which crossed the border).

I have never made a purchase from any of the Canadian retailers. The only grief I've had in trying to make purchases or import of the new line of scanners is when certain USA scanner retailers refuse to sell to me, or any other Canadian.

I would wager that the price I paid from Scanner Master for my 396 was, after the duties/broker fees collected by the UPS guy at my door, comparable to the price you guys are quoting from the Canadian retailers outright.

 

[mciupa]

Also when purchasing from the self-described Canada's Premiere Radio Store , you must be a qualified buyer. Not all of us are.
Don't see that proviso on Durham's website.

Anyways, life is short.. enjoy yourself and spend... no point being the richest man in the graveyard.

 

[woody_461]

*Canada's Premiere Radio Store*

LOL! I like that quote.

 

[ragma]

Is this the best scanner today to monitor Toronto emergency services, Pearson Airport etc?

 

[mciupa]

Is this the best scanner today to monitor Toronto emergency services, Pearson Airport etc?

I would say that the BCD396T is the best to monitor anything at the moment.
But if your scanning doesn't involve listening to the OPP you could look at other handhelds
that are non-digital. Check out www.radioshack.com or www.uniden.com for their product lines.

 

[ajc165]

new purchase

hi ,,,i got one last week ,,,i was on vacation in the u.s. ,,,i paid 550 u.s.