Accessories

3954 Views 22 Replies 6 Participants Last post by T.Nguyen, Feb 3, 2002

Pierre

Discussion Starter · Dec 18, 2001

Fellow Canadians,

I just purchased the cargo liner from my dealer in Calgary. Two issues:

1) Dealer tells me that there are no instructions with the package. Not a big deal, since it's easy enough to figure out and install, but I thought it should come with instructions nontheless. I called ACURA Canada this AM, and, guess what: there's a 4-page instruction package (which HO faxed me)! Turns out that I as unaware that a couple of tabs needed to fit in the seat backs, so it was a worthwhile call. I will be showing this to my dealer tomorrow.

2) I did not get a storage bag with the liner. I know this bag exists, since some US posters showed it in the Gallery on this site. Dealer again pleaded innocence. ACURA Canada rep was unaware of it when I talked to him this AM (promised to get back to me after he talked to the parts guys), but mentioned that it is possible for US accessories to be different in their offerings than Canadian ones. What?????? It's the same accessory for the same vehicle built in the same plant!!!! If he gets back with a "sorry, no bag for Canadians" explanation, I'm sending a FAX to ACURA Canada H.O. The kicker: the instruction sheet lists a storage bag as a part included in the package!!!

I took advantage of the call to ask him about the weeping mirror TSB. I had asked the dealer about this last week; again, he claimed innocence. The ACURA Canada rep was unaware of one, even as I read him the TSB from our site. Here again, he mentioned that not all TSB's are applicable on both sides of the border. Looks like it's up to us to make a fuss with the folks at ACURA Canada H.O. My FAX is off to them right after I'm done with this note. Suggest as many of us as possible do the same! ACURA Canada toll free FAX # is 1-877-939-0909. TSB for the weeping mirrors is 01-032A, Operation# 820002 title "Water Drips From the Outside Mirrors".

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1 - 20 of 23 Posts

Wongster

· #2 · Dec 31, 2001

Pierre,
I shared your frustration, some dealers here in Canada are pretty ignorant (sales, services, parts). I have experience with 1 dealer in Quebec and 2 in Ontario = all I can say is they all need some kind of training/retraining, especially on customer services and product knowledge.
I don't have the cargo liner but I find it qutie lame to say there is a different between Cdn and US accessories. I too didn't receive any installation instruction on my cargo net and cover, I ended up going to Hondacuraworld site to find out the proper way to install it.
Anyway you can always refund your liner and then order it from Tim. Let us know your experience with Acura H.O.

Happy New Year.

admin

· #3 · Jan 2, 2002

I agree, lack of dealer's knowledge was very frustrating when shopping around for the MDX. Some of them where even making things up when they didn't know an answer to a question. It felt weird knowing much, much more about the vehicle then they did. It was just plain wrong.

However, when it comes to service I found the dealership near me (North Toronto) to be very pleasant. They are always going out of their way to make their customers happy. And I didn't even purchase my MDX there!

zesuesdx

· #4 · Jan 3, 2002

This is news to me! I bought the cargo liner when I picked up my MDX last April - nothing regarding tabs for the seat backs or a bag was ever mentioned. I'll be contacting Acura Canada as Pierre suggested.

In fact I had one fellow in the service department at my dealership in Calgary admit that I knew a whole lot more about the vehicle than he did!! SCARY...

I referred him to this site!

T.Nguyen

· #5 · Jan 28, 2002

sup.. to the calgary mdx owner.. i got one question.. when you bought your mdx.. how much was the air and wheel tax?? thanks
which dealership was it in calgary? silverhill?

Pierre

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jan 28, 2002

Not sure about the taxes (see, we're not used to paying much of those here in Alberta...). I think the (federal excise) air conditioning tax was $100, and the (provincial environmental) tire tax was $4 per tire. GST was 7%, as everywhere else in the country, but the PST was 0 ('cause we don't have one)!!!

Dealer was Northwest Acura.

T.Nguyen

· #7 · Jan 28, 2002

thanks... you are lucky.. here in vancouver we got to pay gst.. pst.. and i think a luxury tax of 3 % .. thats an additional 10 % .. oh god.. i think im gonna fly down to calgary and buy it there.. its worth it!

)

Pierre

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jan 28, 2002

T,

The provincial govt.'s one step ahead of you. If you buy a vehicle outside of BC and import there, you'll be assessed every tax you would have paid had you bought it there in the first place. This is done at the time you register the vehicle.

If you're gonna fly, go to Hawaii, where the loonie won'y buy you a hell of a lot, but at least it's warm....

Stargazer

· #9 · Jan 29, 2002

T.Nguyen said:
and i think a luxury tax of 3 %

The legislation in BC was changed in July 2001. You only have to pay the luxury tax if the vehicle is more than $47,000.

Since the MSRP on the MDX is $48,000, all you need to do is have some kind of trade-in and the price will drop below the limit and you won't have to pay the luxury tax at all.

Here's the PST that applies for vehicles in BC:

Purchase Price = Tax Rate
Less than $47,000 = 7%
$47,000 or more, but less than $48,000 = 8%
$48,000 or more, but less than $49,000 = 9%
$49,000 or more = 10%

This pdf file explains it all: http://www.rev.gov.bc.ca/ctb/publications/bulletins/042.pdf

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T.Nguyen

· #10 · Jan 29, 2002

thanks a lot guys.. very helpful! i guess thats the price to pay for living in nice weather.. lol and not living in -30 winters... oh well..
what about the pst?? is there one??

T.Nguyen

· #11 · Jan 29, 2002

nm.. i missed the pst part.. dayam .. if i dont trade in my car.. im gonna have to pay 10% pst.. ( cause of all the accessories... ) 7 % gst.. and 3 % luxury tax???? am i correct?? cause that is just sick!!!!!!!!!! 20 % if you dont trade in your car and if its 50g + ??

Stargazer

· #12 · Jan 29, 2002

If you don't make any trade-in and the cost of the car is over $49000, then the taxes you would pay are: 7% GST and 10% PST (17% total) --plus air and/or environmental levies. I think I paid $100 for air.

Here's info on the levies:

A $3 levy applies to each new pneumatic tire sold in the province for $30 or more. This includes both inflatable tires and solid spare tires (doughnuts). Retreaded, recapped, or used tires are not subject to the levy. A $5 levy applies to all new lead-acid batteries weighing 2 kg or more. Rebuilt, reconditioned, or used batteries are not subject to the levy.

Environmental levies apply to new pneumatic tires and new lead-acid batteries sold separately or sold with a new or a used vehicle.

T.Nguyen

· #13 · Jan 29, 2002

thanks for your help.. i wish there was a way around this... i dont understand why i cant buy it in calgary and say i have to move to vancouver and avoid the 10%

(

Stargazer

· #14 · Jan 29, 2002

Taxes really suck, and governments really know how to suck it out of you

.

The problem with buying a car out of province is that you have to pay taxes on it when you register it in BC

.

Pierre

Discussion Starter · #15 · Jan 29, 2002

T.Nguyen said:
thanks for your help.. i wish there was a way around this... i dont understand why i cant buy it in calgary and say i have to move to vancouver and avoid the 10% (

If you could do that, then everyone would buy in a lower-taxed province and ship the vehicle to their home province. Governments would lose out on tax revenue, dealers would be put out of existence and the local economy would go in the tank (is that possible in BC???). The same rationale holds true for your residence status as an employee. If you could register with your employer as living in a lower-taxed province (via a PO Box set up there, for example), the amounts deducted at source would be the lower-taxed ones. That's why it's illegal to do it!

Wongster

· #16 · Jan 31, 2002

The provincial gov't is not dumb - when it comes to tax, at least they can count better than their counterpart at the federal level.

Pierre, just wondering if you have any luck with Acura Canada in claiming your cargo liner bag, any good news?

Pierre

Discussion Starter · #17 · Jan 31, 2002

Wongster said:
Pierre, just wondering if you have any luck with Acura Canada in claiming your cargo liner bag, any good news?

Rien (nothing)! Promised return calls have not been delivered. The Acura product is awesome, its customer service (H.O.) awful. l'm at the point where it's not even worth a bother anymore...I'll just use an old duffle bag and let Acura Canada know how I feel next time they send me a survey (do you think anyone actually reads those things, anyway???).

Wongster

· #18 · Jan 31, 2002

I still have the dealership survey (after purchase) from Acura sitting in my drawer. I have completed it to the best of my knowledge and as trueful as it could be = i.e., I have very little good things to say about my dealership and my purchase experience. I have not mailed it out because of 2 reasons: 1) my mom taught me if I have nothing good to say, better say nothing; 2) I wonder if anyone will ever take it seriously, will it ever change anything? I probably will get labelled "whinner," and the dealership will "fix my waggon" next time I go for service. Anyway it is a lose-lose proposition, therefore it is not going anywhere - at least for now.

T.Nguyen

· #19 · Feb 1, 2002

ahhh.. i can not.. and refuse to let the bc liberals take 10 % off me like this!!! ive been thinking for the last couple days...
and some questions i have to ask you guys are:
k... would there be all these taxes if it were a private sale???
say this was the situation.. i have my dad buy the car.. and insure it under his name for a certain amount of time.. and drive it here.. say 5-6 months later.. i get a bill of sale under my name.. and then.. register it under ICBC.. then will i avoid the 10%????
what do you think of my new.. " master plan" or if you got any better ideas let me know.. of if there are any holes in my new plan.. let me know aswell .... thanks
.. and do any of you work for the government?? lol cause id be asking the wrong peepz if this were the case.. since you all know about this so well..

) i hope you are on my side!! lol not theirs..

Stargazer

· #20 · Feb 2, 2002

It's not really 10% tax that you're trying to avoid. It's the 3% luxury vehicle surtax. You'll have to pay the other 7% no matter what.

I did a bit more reading on the gov't web site and it seems to me you have to pay PST to ICBC when you register the car in BC.

If your dad lives in Alberta and buys the MDX for $48000, he'll pay whatever taxes, etc. that apply in that province.

Let's say after a few months, you buy the vehicle from him. It's a used vehicle and it's value would be less than what he paid. Maybe he put a lot of mileage on it, or there is extra wear and tear or damage, so you were able to buy the car for $40000 (it'll have to be fair market value I'm sure.) You would then only have to pay 7% tax on the $40000. Presumably, your dad already paid GST on it so you wouldn't have to pay it again.

Your other option would be to move out of BC and take up residence in Alberta for 6 months, buy the MDX and then apply for a tax exemption when you move back to BC

.

Either way, it sounds like a lot of work

.

(P.S. Take everything I say with a grain a salt because I don't really know what the applicable laws are and I'm just reading the information that I found online.)

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