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As for the software, I stress there is no other quilt design software on the market like EQ7 and it is worth every penny; however, it has become more expensive over the years and this gives small businesses pause for thought - particularly here in Canada.
The Electric Quilt Company has always shipped its orders by US Air - which is expensive (just visit some Australian online shops and see how that shipping has affected their EQ pricing!). When the shipment arrives at the border, Canadian customs tacks on the GST and a handling fee. Yes, businesses can eventually get back that GST payment but until you submit the forms you are carrying that extra expense. I have not placed an order since the HST took effect in BC and Ontario and wonder if Customs will be collecting the provincial tax, too, on wholesale orders. Probably. Then there is the exchange on the dollar which has become so volatile - one week it is near par and the next drops by six cents. All these factors make stocking EQ software and products an expensive proposition for the average little quilt shop.
Therefore, I think it will be a challenge to find EQ7 in your Canadian internet searches. I tried it myself the other day and didn't get many results. Of course, there is another reason for this, too, and it has always left me scratching my head. If you go to the retailer section of The Electric Quilt Company website, you can find lots of Canadian shops listed by province who by their presence says they carry EQ software; however, if you go to their websites, there is not one mention of EQ software. Hello!! Hey, dear business owner, your site will not show up in searches if you do not mention the product on your website!! Therefore, the only way to find out if they have the software is to email them and that really defeats the purpose of the internet.
Therefore, to prevent customer frustration, I have emailed the Electric Quilt Company today to ask that 'Three Ducks on a Roof' be removed from their list of online Canadian retailers. However, it will take a bit of time for their database to be updated to remove my listing - and I do apologize to those on the search for this fantastic software.
