Canadians, where do you get your CR123's

[moosehcky]

hey, I live in Canada and want to buy about 20-30 cheap but good quality cr123's. The 2 battery stores that advertise here have crazy shipping costs. Where is the best, Canadian friendly place to order batteries?

 

[Black Rose]

Have you checked Fenix Store? They sell Panasonic Lithium CR123A cells, and offer free international shipping.

https://www.fenix-store.com/index.php?cPath=53_59

Not sure if those prices are in your range, but you can't go wrong with Panasonic batteries.

 

[LumenHound]

I would suggest checking out Battery Station or Lighthound.
Both of them will ship via United States Postal Service so you will only get charged a flat $5.00 CDN brokerage fee on this side of the border.
Avoid ordering from a US based vendor who ships via UPS to Canada. UPS's outlandish brokerage fees will wipe out any savings you may have gained by ordering primary or rechargeable batts in bulk.

You will have to pay GST and PST on the stated value of the batts when they get delivered to your door. Same as buying from a local vendor where you live.

I've ordered from both of them and never had any problems whatsoever.
USPS is very reliable when it comes to shipping to Canada.

I was in the same predicament you are now in some years back and found that the best and cheapest way to go was with a reliable US vendor like the 2 I've mentioned when buying a dozen or more CR123A's at a time.

Battery Station has a superb deal on US made CR123A cells for CPF members here.

 

[LEDninja]

Whereabouts in Canada are you?
Take a look at this thread CANADA good deals
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=170044

http://www.j2ledflashlight.com/batteries-and-rechargeables.html
Not listed on the website but they sell Panasonic CR123As for $3 each.

http://www.fenixtactical.com/tenergy-cr123a-battery.html

http://www.tetragon.ca/Products.cgi?sku=surebatt3v

Please note Canada Post charges $8 and up and that will be passed on to you. So if you live close to a store that sells them you can try to arrange pickup.

For those suggesting US companies note the airlines are no longer carrying lithium batteries as cargo (that includes checked luggage). So post offices no longer accept them (the customs declaration is a dead giveaway). As a result many companies are using courier services. SURPRISE $30-$50 CUSTOMS BROKERAGE CHARGE on top of of the hefty courier charge.

 

[LumenHound]

Whereabouts in Canada are you?
Take a look at this thread CANADA good deals
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=170044

http://www.j2ledflashlight.com/batteries-and-rechargeables.html
Not listed on the website but they sell Panasonic CR123As for $3 each.

http://www.fenixtactical.com/tenergy-cr123a-battery.html

http://www.tetragon.ca/Products.cgi?sku=surebatt3v

Please note Canada Post charges $8 and up and that will be passed on to you. So if you live close to a store that sells them you can try to arrange pickup.

For those suggesting US companies note the airlines are no longer carrying lithium batteries as cargo (that includes checked luggage). So post offices no longer accept them (the customs declaration is a dead giveaway). As a result many companies are using courier services. SURPRISE $30-$50 CUSTOMS BROKERAGE CHARGE on top of of the hefty courier charge.

LEDninja, the brokerage fee for a USPS shipped item is still just $5.00 CDN for a ground shipped parcel post item. If you have your item shipped USPS Priority Post then the brokerage fee is $8.00 CDN

You can get more info regarding the different brokerage rates by calling Canada Post toll free at 1-866-607-6301. Make sure you tell them you are asking about fees for United States Postal Service shipped items only.

Good point about the brokerage fees for non USPS shipped packages. It's why I mentioned it in my first post.

The ban on transporting primary lithium batteries by air in the US is for comercial passenger flights only. It's my understanding that a few of the private couriers in the US may still transport them by air under very strict conditions.

Not that it really matters, USPS suface shipping to Canada is still pretty good if you don't mind the additional wait time to get your batteries.

There is a USPS max weight restriction on packages of primary lithium cells of no more than 5 pounds but that is still a very large quantity of lightweight CR123A batteries.

More info about shipping hazardous goods via USPS can be found here.
Scroll down to Hazard Class 8 - Corrosives for info on primary CR123A cells.

 

[Black Rose]

I've been fortunate. I have not had to pay a brokerage fee for any USPS shipped item in the last 8 years.

Even when I used FedEx, I only had to pay the GST and a $7 fee for FedEx paying the tax on my behalf.

Avoid UPS like the plague....their brokerage fees are insane!!!

 

[ZuluWhiskeyFox]

The Battery Station has worked for me.

http://www.batterystation.com/cpf2.htm

cheers,

zwf

 

[tcc]

What about rechargeables?

AW is great :thumbsup:

 

[My3kidsfather]

Hi from Alberta. I found CFR light's Titanium batteries at US $1.00 each to be the best deal I could find, even after adding the added shipping costs. I personally order at least twenty at a time in order to be cost effective with shipping costs.

http://www.cfrlights.com/servlet/the-316/lithium,-battery,-cr123a,-photon,/Detail

They give good service too.

 

[moosehcky]

That is awesome. I'm not sure what your are talking about with the shipping. it seems to me that shipping is FREE. Are these batteries good?

 

[My3kidsfather]

That is awesome. I'm not sure what your are talking about with the shipping. it seems to me that shipping is FREE. Are these batteries good?

You are right, shipping is free. Good service too.