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20% off at Maison Birks, Canada's Jeweler

Jambalaya

Ideal_Rock
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Oct 2, 2014
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Hi,

A few weeks ago I posted about buying an item from Canada and importing it into the United States. The vendor was Maison Birks, who I hadn't heard of before I tracked the necklace down (having seen it on a celeb) but who I gather is Canada's high-end jeweler, from the responses in my thread.

I'd been going back and forth about this beautiful diamond maple leaf necklace, and I saw there was a 20% off code if you pay with an Amex card.

I don't have an Amex card.

But the code worked anyway!

I just paid with a regular ole' visa debit card, and the code AMEX20 code worked!

So I just wanted to share that with others. I think it expires end of Jan.

Also, before buying I checked out the exchange rate, of course, and it's really good right now if you are paying in US dollars. It's 0.55 CDN to 1 USD, which is one of the lowest rates since 2012.

Just wanted to share, in case others wanted to take advantage of the 20% off and the favorable exchange rate! www.maisonbirks.com
 

chemgirl

Ideal_Rock
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Is this exchange rate the one charged on your card? If so what a great deal. The current exchange rate is 0.83 USD per CAD. I work at a Canadian business and we are charging 0.85 USD per CAD although I realize that is a bit high.

I live in Canada, but have American clients so 0.55 would be fabulous. I just think you might want to double check...
 

Jambalaya

Ideal_Rock
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Hi Chemgirl,

With this account, you just pay whatever the exchange rate is the moment the transaction goes through. Also, it's the only bank account/card I have that does not charge an extra fee for it being a foreign transaction. For example, Bank of America charges a 3% fee just for it being a foreign transaction, on top of whatever the exchange rate is, and my other bank charges 2% for transactions coming from other currencies. But this one has no fee.

Regarding your question about the rate, interestingly enough I just got a call from my bank's fraud prevention just wanting to check that the transaction was legit, and it came through as $733 USD, from a purchase price of $876 CDN. So the rate was about 0.837. But whether 0.83 or 0.84, this is the lowest by far the Canadian dollar has been in years against the USD (I'm so price-sensitive I actually checked historical USD/CDN exchange charts going back three years to be sure that today's rates are good, in the context of recent years) and luckily I also happened to have an account at one of the only banks around that doesn't impose a 2-3% foreign transaction fee. I'm so pleased with this transaction especially since I got the 20% off for having an Amex card, even though I don't have an Amex card! :lol:

Full purchase price if I'd bought the necklace in Toronto, including 13% Canadian sales tax, would have been $1237.35 CDN, or $1,033 USD at today's rate. I'm so glad I waited for a 20% promo and escaped the foreign transaction fee. Shipping was free, too.

Now I wait to see if I'll be charged customs fees....I ordered another item from a foreign country a few weeks ago and according to the US customs website I should have paid 7% but they levied nothing and didn't even open the package, as far as I could tell when I received it. It just went right through. So it will be interesting to see if anything is charged this time.

I've been dithering about the necklace since I haven't seen it in person, but Maison Birks assured me I could easily return it if I didn't like it.

It will be interesting to see.
 

chemgirl

Ideal_Rock
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Sep 16, 2009
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Sounds like a great deal. Please post pictures when it arrives!!!
 

Jambalaya

Ideal_Rock
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Thanks, Chemgirl! I can post pictures of it on someone else right now....After following the Royal Jewels thread here on Pricescope I started reading other style blogs about the European royal women and their clothes/jewelry/accessories, and I saw this amazing maple leaf necklace on Sophie Wessex who is part of the British royal family, on the website Royal jewels of the World. It's not much diamond weight for the money, but the design is just really lovely. I think the maple leaf shape really stands out due to the inner outline, if you look at it on her, and I've been going back and forth. I reasoned I can always return it if I think it's too small, and when I saw that the 20% worked, I thought I'd go for it.

Here it is on "the model"! I think there's something about the inner shape which is really nice. I bought it more for the design than the diamond weight.

http://i40.tinypic.com/2lu985c.jpg

http://wpmedia.o.canada.com/2013/11/450372091.jpg

Maison Birks link:

http://www.maisonbirks.com/en/maple-leaf-pendant-with-pave-diamonds

It's a lot of money even with the 20% discount/good forex rate/lack of fees, but if I think it's too small, or too much money for what it is, I can always return it. It just struck me as the kind of thing you can wear everyday, and I did look elsewhere for diamond maple leaf necklaces but could find not many, and none as nice a shape.

I will be interesting to see how long it takes to get here! I got the standard free shipping.
 

Jambalaya

Ideal_Rock
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I've never even been to Canada. I just like the idea of a maple leaf necklace.
 

telephone89

Ideal_Rock
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Probably too late you edit your original post, but I don't think the exchange rate is quite 0.55 to 1 haha. It is a beautiful necklace, can't wait to see it on! I'm going to go browse the site now with 20% off in mind...
 

Jambalaya

Ideal_Rock
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telephone89|1421616824|3818555 said:
Probably too late you edit your original post, but I don't think the exchange rate is quite 0.55 to 1 haha. It is a beautiful necklace, can't wait to see it on! I'm going to go browse the site now with 20% off in mind...


You're right. Total brain freeze! I meant to type 0.83.

You have a good ole' browse, and let us know if you get anything! The code only seems to work once you put in your US location, by the way. Not sure if it works on sale goods - I haven't tried.

I like this - it's a double necklace so two pendants in one: http://www.maisonbirks.com/en/birks-musetm-double-pendant

And also these: http://www.maisonbirks.com/en/birks-musetm-drop-earrings

:naughty: :naughty: :naughty:
 

Jambalaya

Ideal_Rock
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Double post.
 

Jambalaya

Ideal_Rock
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Exciting edit: The code works on sale items too! :appl:
 

maccers

Brilliant_Rock
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Sep 19, 2012
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Great deal! For Americans :)

I really like that pendant, feminine but still has presence, KWIM?

As a Canadian, I'm not buying ANYTHING from the US right now even though there are tons of items I'm interested in. :wall:
 

Jambalaya

Ideal_Rock
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Oh nooo! Maccers, I hope the exchange rate soon changes in your favor!
 

CharmyPoo

Ideal_Rock
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Dec 10, 2004
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As a Canadian, I have been saying this sucks too. I usually buy all my stuff from the US but it is just not worth it right now.

If anyone is interested in cards with no forex fees, Chase cards are the way to go.
 
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