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  #1  
Old March 22nd, 2011, 10:16 AM
CRC CRC is offline
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Really Miffed at Royal Canin

I'm a long time dog owner whose most recent dog came to us on a diet of Royal Canin. The breeder recommended we stay on the diet which we have done for the past year.

At the beginning of this year we spent a month in Florida with the dog and while there needed to buy more Royal Canin, so went online to find a store. There were a few chains that sold it in stores and online. However, we found the Royal Canin to be almost 1/2 the price in the US vs Canada....this is not a sale price.

When I went to pick up the food I also found it was stamped that it was made in Canada.....in Guelph. So when I returned to Canada I sent off an email to Royal Canin asking them to justify the price difference. They gave me the run-around offering no explanation.

To me there is no justifying this price difference....this is price gouging Canadians!

So I'm wondering if there's some government agency I can complain to...I live in Ontario. Any help would be appreciated!

thx

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Old March 22nd, 2011, 10:34 AM
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Sorry to say but it is a free market in most of the world, unfortunately even big companies can charge what they would like for their products. It may also depend on the local economy in the region. Where I live Royal Canin is not cheap at all, but I would also never use it for any of my pets either because I do not like the quality of it. No one is technically forcing you to buy it either, you do have a choice on what products you would like to buy.

There are other foods members on here would be happy to suggest that may be more affordable for you. Royal Canin tends to use alot of fillers and low quality ingredients.

I use Fromm brand dry food for my cats, and use their wet food along with Wellness, Holistic Select, Weruva, BFF, Avoderm and a few other brands. I am not totally familiar with what all brands are available in your region, but I am sure there would be something that can be suggested that would work out well for you and be more cost efficient.

Hope that helps. I would be annoyed too if I found out my cats food was cheaper somewhere else, but there isn't much that can be done about it anymore than I can be upset over the cost of gas when I am in other states (and the fact that no one is at the stations to pump it for you )
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Old March 22nd, 2011, 10:37 AM
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We do pay more for most things.taxes on things doesn't help much either for us.i was paying in and around 6% in the us.and we pay 13% here.I don't know if there is a goverment agency to complain to.hopefully someone will no for sure.

Depend on where you are in canada to.when i was Acana it was cheaper out west then here in ontario.
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Old March 22nd, 2011, 01:43 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CRC View Post
So I'm wondering if there's some government agency I can complain to...I live in Ontario. Any help would be appreciated!
The best way to "complain" is to stop buying it. There are a ton of much better quality foods out there. The reason breeders often recommend these big brand products is because they get a "breeder" discount from the manufacturer, with the understanding that the breeder will suggest that purchasers of their dogs or cats keep on feeding it. Royal Canin or whoever automatically gets new customers that way. I personally think it's sleazy.
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Old March 22nd, 2011, 01:58 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sugarcatmom View Post
The best way to "complain" is to stop buying it. There are a ton of much better quality foods out there. The reason breeders often recommend these big brand products is because they get a "breeder" discount from the manufacturer, with the understanding that the breeder will suggest that purchasers of their dogs or cats keep on feeding it. Royal Canin or whoever automatically gets new customers that way. I personally think it's sleazy.
I agree that is the best way to complain and perhaps email or write to the company and tell them your feelings and let them know you will no longer buy it and will encourage others to stop as well. There are a lot of other brands with premium human grade ingredients that cost less than Royal Canin available.
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Old March 22nd, 2011, 04:04 PM
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Canadians are gouged for most things, especially when it comes to vet care/pet foods. In fact, I just got back from the states with one of my dogs. It cost me $3088.00 for surgery and *2* ct scans, 2 days in ICU, all medications, bloodwork, cultures, biopsies etc. I was quoted between $6,000-$7,000 just for surgery, $1,000 for an ultrasound (not even a CT scan, let alone 2!) and biospsy and then hospitalization and medications were extra. So basically, at least 60 % less to head across the border.

Makes me very angry as well
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Old March 22nd, 2011, 04:05 PM
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I think this is the first time I've heard of something being better in the states compared to Canada

I'll still take picking up and getting out of here even if it costs more
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Old March 22nd, 2011, 09:52 PM
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A few years back, we fed our dogs a Royal Canin brand food. After the third bag of green molded clumps, we switched manufacturers.

The new brand we switched to was only available by special order so we'd have to phone in our order by Tuesday for a Friday delivery. We did this for about 2 years until I started making inquiries with other local establishments. Turned out that a store near my work sold the exact same brand, 24.00 cheaper per bag!!!

We expressed our concerns to the store that we were loyal to, and it was chalked up to the fact that because the brand was a special order, the extra shipping charges were hidden in our cost.

Needless to say, we now purchase the new brand at the new store--24.00 cheaper!
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  #9  
Old March 22nd, 2011, 09:57 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by klmccallum View Post
After the third bag of green molded clumps, we switched manufacturers.
Wow, are you ever an optimist!!!
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  #10  
Old March 22nd, 2011, 11:14 PM
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klm, that's a bit rude, a huge mark-up. Glad you can get it cheaper. That's a bit alarming about Royal Canin. I swapped my old cattle dog to it when Hills couldn't be bought into the country and he doesn't like it as much, so I am letting the other oldie share it. She's now not eating as well either. Best I take a close look at it, and smell it maybe?
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  #11  
Old March 23rd, 2011, 01:09 AM
SamIam SamIam is offline
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Goldfields, if it is your first bag it can be very hard to tell good from bad, for a human. I went through something similar many years ago with a different brand - The new bag contents looked different, smelled different, but to us not bad, so we served it anyway, they grudgingly ate it, and we ended up at the vet for belly aches with a lesson learned the hard way, and as much at their expense as ours. Listen to the dogs.
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Old March 23rd, 2011, 01:21 AM
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This is getting a wee bit off topic from the OP's question.
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  #13  
Old March 23rd, 2011, 01:36 AM
SamIam SamIam is offline
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<snip>

Truth of the matter is, that's just economics for you. What you charge in each market is what the buyer will pay, and that may be very different in one area from another. It is neither illegal nor unethical, it is just plain economics.

Last edited by Carnac; March 23rd, 2011 at 05:35 AM.
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  #14  
Old March 23rd, 2011, 04:13 AM
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Goldfields Goldfields is offline
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Am I allowed to ask how much CRC did pay for it? I'd convert it to Aussie dollars just to compare to what we have to.
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  #15  
Old March 23rd, 2011, 05:14 AM
aslan aslan is offline
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There is a simple explanation for the increase in price between Canada and The US,,it's the same reason Canadian cigarettes are cheaper in the states than in Canada. Some products are shipped across the border(lord knows why) then when it is shipped back across to the manufacturer a duty is charged,,look at the yellow peel off strip on most brands of cigarettes it says " duty paid" ummm it's made in canada. My ex's dad worked for imperial tabacco and explained it.
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Old March 23rd, 2011, 06:20 AM
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Sib.HuskyMom Sib.HuskyMom is offline
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It's true. And Royal Canin is certainly not the only bag of dog food that's cheaper in the US.
My inlaws are snow birds and spend their winters near Arizona.
Whenever they come home (usually in a few weeks), they'll bring about 7 bags of dog food with them, whatever their boy can eat before the expiry date.
There, they pay about $35 for a 25lb bag of food, whereas here, the exact same bag is almost $80.
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  #17  
Old March 23rd, 2011, 06:29 AM
CRC CRC is offline
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Originally Posted by Goldfields View Post
Am I allowed to ask how much CRC did pay for it? I'd convert it to Aussie dollars just to compare to what we have to.
I am paying over $60 in Canada. In the US its easy to find at $35. I remember I searched online back in January and found it at around $32-33. The USD = .97-.98 CAD.

This is nothing to do with taxes or duty which is why I'm annoyed...and with the response and attitude of the company towards this.

I appreciate the comments above...please keep them coming!!!!
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  #18  
Old March 23rd, 2011, 07:06 AM
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Melinda Melinda is offline
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did you inquire as to how much it would cost to have it shipped to you from the US? you'd be surprised at how cheap it could be.
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  #19  
Old March 23rd, 2011, 11:07 AM
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Hmm. Based on just one 8kg bag of Royal Canin Mobility Support, with our Aussie and Canadian dollar being worth pretty much the same at the moment, I would be paying about $5 more here per bag, that's if we get the 8kg bag, which we don't. I worked it out per 1 kg from my 14 kg bag. I suppose you have to pay freight charges but no doubt we are still getting it at Canadian, not American prices. Never mind, nothing much I can do about it, would you believe Australia doesn't make any of those specialised diets.
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  #20  
Old May 15th, 2011, 07:53 AM
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I've been feeding Royal Canin for the past 8 years, thinking it was a high quality food. I'm in the midst of switching to Acana; glad to join this group and thank you for all the information! Btw, just looked at the price difference: $49 for 4.54 kg of RC vs. $34 for a 7 kg bag of Acana!!
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  #21  
Old May 15th, 2011, 10:57 AM
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I'm just about to give away more than half that bag of Royal Canin I mentioned. I asked my vet's receptionist did she know a worthy cause to donate it to, someone's dog who was already on it and she replied that she had two old GSD's on it. She, or rather, they, are welcome to it. Seems they are again having trouble getting Hills and Royal Canin into the country now. Wonder why our Quarantine service isn't letting it in?
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Old May 16th, 2011, 02:36 PM
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It is common for Canadians to pay more for the same products than Americans. I have written numerous letters but bottom line is it is not going to change any time soon. Let say I bought my favourite perfumes here they are over 20-30 more here in Sephora but in the Buffalo they are the real prices so I drive to Buffalo once I have a list of things I need and go shopping and now with the exchange rate I save even more. Yes I would prefer to shop in Canada but I am sick of being ripped off. If Canadians would stop being such doormats and taking this crap and speak up things may change. But 4 or 5 people writing a letter is not going to change things.
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