VH Footwear/TRUE by Scott Van Horne

[Monty22 833]

Site prices are in CAN, at least when I ordered in October.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

Site prices are in CAN, at least when I ordered in October.

Hmm now would be a good time to order then :)

[Hills 712]

Order now get them in time for SJ?

[IPv6Freely 2092]

Order now get them in time for SJ?

Would be awesome but at this point I'm more likely to buy VH goal skates :)

[Hills 712]

Would be awesome but at this point I'm more likely to buy VH goal skates :)

Why not both!

[IPv6Freely 2092]

Why not both!

haha maybe at some point! :P

[avery16 5]

Does anyone know if the skates cost 900 CAD or 900 USD? It only says dollar on their site

i was told cad for canadian addresses.. usd for us addresses.

[Hank_33 9]

Site prices are in CAN, at least when I ordered in October.

Hmm now would be a good time to order then :)

That's what I was hoping for

i was told cad for canadian addresses.. usd for us addresses.

That would mean us customers pay about 25% more than canadiens for the same product. That can't be true

I'll send Scott an email and ask him since I have a few other questions anyway

Edited March 10, 2015 by Hank_33

[mc88 160]

When I bought my skates a year ago, it was CAD+shipping to States. Don't see any reasoning behind charging more just because a customer lives outside of Canada.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

When I bought my skates a year ago, it was CAD+shipping to States. Don't see any reasoning behind charging more just because a customer lives outside of Canada.

Other than higher shipping charges, but that's reasonable.

[avery16 5]

i should add.. they said with cad pricing you have to add tax and shipping fees.. works out to a few bucks less then in usd with no tax or shipping.

[flip12 715]

Wheeler's been in Bauer since coming back from his leg injury.

[Hank_33 9]

So, I send VH an email asking about the price and this is what I got:

ME: Is it 900 Canadien Dollar or US Dollar?

ROB: if shipping to Canada, cost is in Canadian dollars with applicable Provincial Sales Tax. If shipped internationally, cost is in US dollars.

ME: Just one follow up to make sure I understood correctly:

So, you're saying for me, ordering from and shipping to germany, the skates will cost 900 USD + shipping, but for a canadien customer it will cost 900 CAD + shipping, which

is essentially roughly 730 USD?

Don't you think it's kind of unfair and a double standard to charge your customers different prices for the same product?

ROB: If the order is shipping to Canada, the applicable sales taxes are added to the order, which adds on average 13% to the order. If you have a Canadian shipping address, by

all means we can charge you in Canadian Dollars.

I didn't answer back yet.

So they are really charging international customers about 25% more than canadien customers for the same product, which I think is unacceptable.

I don't understand the reasoning, as I'm not sure about the canadien sales tax, if it has only to be paid for sales within canada or also for international sales, but nevertheless it would still be a higher price for international customers.

Site prices are in CAN, at least when I ordered in October.

When I bought my skates a year ago, it was CAD+shipping to States. Don't see any reasoning behind charging more just because a customer lives outside of Canada.

@ mc88 and Monty22: you are in the US and paid 900CAD+shipping, right? So it wasn't always like this

i should add.. they said with cad pricing you have to add tax and shipping fees.. works out to a few bucks less then in usd with no tax or shipping.

maybe, but afaik shipping is not included in the 900USD, they said shipping to germany will be 80$

Edited March 11, 2015 by Hank_33

[kadayo 9]

I am in the USA. When I ordered my skates back in September of 2013 the price was 898.00 CAD$. The total that was charged to my credit card was 877.47 US$, The exchange rate back then was much different. Everything on the invoice was clearly marked as Canadian currency. I hope that this has not changed because I have been contemplating ordering a second pair as a backup. The exchange rate now is much better and I would be getting a bargain. Roughly 715 US$.

Edited March 11, 2015 by kadayo

[mc88 160]

I'm severely disappointed in their new business practices... Was considering buying a second pair, but looks like I'll have to pass.

[vhhockey 1]

Hi All, I thought that I would post on here to see if I could clear up some questions/information. We generally do not post, but every now and again I look through the forums - it gives me some perspective on what is going on in the industry, and what some passionate skaters think about our products, and the good products offered by many other companies.

Here is some perspective on our company. We are small (7 people right now). We are manufacturing in North America. We have customers all over the world - including skaters in the very best leagues in the world. We like to think that our product is unique, and that it is a product that has helped many hundreds of skaters. At the premium price point that we value the product at, we will not be for everyone. We are continuing to strive to do things better - all while meeting demand - and trying to do so in a way that will allow the company to grow, thrive, and be around for the long haul. We are not in "big company territory" yet

Having said that, we are not in the position to be currency "hedgers". For the majority of VH Hockey lifespan over the past 2 1/2 years or so, the Canadian dollar and the US dollar have pretty much been at par. Since the New Year, we have seen a spread in the currencies. This has significantly impacted our business model and fundamentals, as all of our material costs are in US Dollars. A relatively simple way for us to conduct business is to invoice customers in the currency to where the items are being shipped. Because we are located in Canada, for Canadian customers we are obligated to charge PST and GST (generally 13-15%), plus a shipping and handling charge. For customers that we are shipping to in the US, we do not charge a sales tax, and currently because we are making a better margin on US orders - we are not charging for shipping and handling. International orders are done in US dollars. Because we cannot take advantage of currency hedging or volume materials purchasing - this is a relatively simple way for us to operate without having to have a complex understanding or model for currency fluctuation. Any of our US Authorized Dealers that carry any type of stock or place orders do so in US currency.

Many folks feel a need to post their business dealings and correspondence with us verbatim in this forum, and for sure, that is your prerogative. I offer this post only to clarify. We will make some mistakes during our business tenure, and we will do some great things. I am sorry that some of you feel that this is an extremely negative development. However, we have never produced more skates than we are now, and we are grateful for all feedback - positive or negative - as we believe that we continue to make an extremely high end skating product for both speedskating and hockey.

As for pros that are wearing the skates, I admit that we often find out about who is wearing them from you before we actually know There are many players that are trying the skates, and we fully expect some players to go on or off of the product. To my knowledge, we are the only company that does not pay anyone to wear the product. Thanks for contributing, I enjoy reading when I get the chance.

Garth Smith

Vice President, Sales & Marketing

VH Footwear Inc. (Hockey Division)

[Sputnik20 46]

Just received confirmation that my skates have shipped...3 weeks from day of order on the nose.

Do I care whether I paid in USD or CND? Not really. Unlike a lot of people (maybe) I do not disassociate USA and Canada as foreign countries, even though they are. It's true that I love the US a bit more than Canada, but I also love New Jersey a bit more than New York.

The above being said, I really hope that these skates will solve a lot of the fit issues I experience with every single retail/stock skate. And if they do, I will be super proud to wear a skate made on this side of the world, by people I can reach out and talk to. What's the difference in $$?? So I may have to skip a few burrito bowls at Chipotle next month, although not likely.

That's the bottom line for me. I want to be comfortable in my skates. For decades I have struggled with fit, even doing the custom route previously a number of times. I will pay whatever. The idea of paying $900 for skates should pain me more than most. For 17+ years I have managed or owned pro shops, so my skates were always free. Since I quit the biz, I now have to buy skates at or close to retail, but thankfully my size 5.0-EE's are usually half the price of the senior sized counterparts. And I gleefully dropped the $900 for a chance to be pain free.

Edited March 11, 2015 by Sputnik20

[chippa13 1844]

So, if I am reading this correctly. The price for a US buyer would be $900 USD. Based on today's exchange rate that translates to $1,148 CAD. Even if you factor in $50 CAD of free shipping and handling for US consumers the company is still making an additonal almost $200 CAD on a pair sold to a US buyer versus a Canadian buyer.

Since they seem to spend most of their materials dollars in USD, it makes sense to keep the US price steady because then you are matching revenue and expense dollars. With the exchange rates as they are, the company is essentially losing money on CAD sales revenues since they are paying out USD. This is the dilemma of Canadian based NHL teams and a big reason why the last iteration of the Winnipeg and Quebec NHL teams moved south of the border.

Edited March 11, 2015 by chippa13

[mc88 160]

I'd be inclined to agree with Garth, however, VH does not operate in the U.S. and we (U.S. consumers) are not buying or even ordering from an authorized U.S. dealer/reseller. Therefore, it doesn't make sense to charge dual currencies. Since VH is based and operated in Canada, they should be charging CAD. If they were like, for example, Easton who operates and has factories/head quarters spread all over the world, then it'd make sense to have a set currency amount and ban exporting of their products to prevent currency leveraging (which is exactly what they do).

I don't know, I feel that this an attempt at punishing international consumers, while making an unwarranted profit. If the cost of materials has increased (due to currency changes), then it makes sense to raise the cost of your product for all.

Edited March 11, 2015 by mc88

[Hank_33 9]

So, if I am reading this correctly. The price for a US buyer would be $900 USD. Based on today's exchange rate that translates to $1,148 CAD. Even if you factor in $50 CAD of free shipping and handling for US consumers the company is still making an additonal almost $200 CAD on a pair sold to a US buyer versus a Canadian buyer.

Since they seem to spend most of their materials dollars in USD, it makes sense to keep the US price steady because then you are matching revenue and expense dollars. With the exchange rates as they are, the company is essentially losing money on CAD sales revenues since they are paying out USD. This is the dilemma of Canadian based NHL teams and a big reason why the last iteration of the Winnipeg and Quebec NHL teams moved south of the border.

Which means us and international buyers basically subsidize the skates of canadien buyers

I'd be inclined to agree with Garth, however, VH does not operate in the U.S. and we (U.S. consumers) are not buying or even ordering from an authorized U.S. dealer/reseller. Therefore, it doesn't make sense to charge dual currencies. Since VH is based and operated in Canada, they should be charging CAD. If they were like, for example, Easton who operates and has factories/head quarters spread all over the world, then it'd make sense to have a set currency amount and ban exporting of their products to avoid currency hedging (which is exactly what they do).

I don't know, I feel that this an attempt at punishing international consumers, while making an unwarranted profit. If the cost of materials has increased (due to currency changes), then it makes sense to raise the cost of your product for all.

I agree, feels like being punished for not living in canada

Edited March 11, 2015 by Hank_33

[chippa13 1844]

By charging Canadian buyers a fixed price in CAD, yes, that is what is happening. But it would be a tough business decison for them to increase their CAD prices because the incomes of Canadian buyers don't fluctuate with the exchange rate. If the CAD exchange drops then Canadian businesses don't increase what they pay employees to make up for it.

[mc88 160]

There's really no argument here. If you're a business that operates in a single country, you'll be charging that country's currency. For example, if I own a business in the US, and I sell my products in USD for US consumers, I can't then turn around say international consumers (regardless of the location) will pay in British Pounds (GBP). Doesn't work that way. If the cost of importing a material goes up, then the cost of the product goes up as well.

In light of this new development, I'm going to withhold recommending VH skates to friends and potential customers.

Edited March 11, 2015 by mc88

[chippa13 1844]

You realize that you are complaining about how every company that does business on both sides of the border prices. You have to think of this as if they had 2 store fronts, one in the US and one in Canada. None of the other hockey companies fluctuate their prices to account for exchange rates. There is a reason that the major players put restrictions on sellers on either side of the border from making sales on the other.

[mc88 160]

You realize that you are complaining about how every company that does business on both sides of the border prices. You have to think of this as if they had 2 store fronts, one in the US and one in Canada. None of the other hockey companies fluctuate their prices to account for exchange rates. There is a reason that the major players put restrictions on sellers on either side of the border from making sales on the other.

"If they were like, for example, Easton who operates and has factories/head quarters spread all over the world, then it'd make sense to have a set currency amount ($799.99 USD, $799.99 CAD, $799.99 GBP...etc) and ban exporting of their products to prevent currency leveraging (which is exactly what they do)." They (VH) don't have two store fronts nor multiple factories, shops, nor resellers/dealers present around the world. They operate and work under a single currency (they buy materials in CAD, pay their employees in CAD, and pay taxes in CAD).

Edited March 11, 2015 by mc88

[chippa13 1844]

I guess you decided not to read the line of the VH post that stated all of their materials costs are in USD. Just because a company is based and has its operations in one country, that does not guarantee that all of their costs would be in that country's currency.

Edited March 11, 2015 by chippa13