Floatplane club and Linus Media

[ne0rmatrix]

Is Linus Media and/or Floatplane Club a Canadian or American company? I was  a member of floatplane club for months and was very unhappy as i was being charged in USD and not CAD! When i signed up i was a little shocked to realize i was being charged in a foreign currency for what I assumed was a local business. I mean they are located in the lower mainland which is the same are i am in. I know their audience is mostly american i assumed because they mention american prices when doing reviews and talking about products. But i always thought of them as Canadian.

 

But when months went by and i was having to shell out for floatplane in USD i thought. WTF is going on? Never though i would see the day when a Canadian company started charging for services in a foreign currency. Really surprised this continues still. I have since unsubscribed to floatplane as i find it a little misleading when i see the advertised price and nowhere do i see it identified as being in USD. So i decided that was annoying. But adding the fact i pay a fee again to my bank/credit card company to pay in a foreign currency to a business that is less than 20 miles away just gets my mad on!

 

Would love to be part of floatplane and do miss being a part of it and seeing things early and stuff like the office videos but the deceptive behavior of charging fees in a foreign company by a local company is just too much for me. I wonder if it is even legal to have a Canadian company only have an option for a foreign currency as a payment method? I mean is it not required that they offer a comparable rate in Canadian dollars not American? I apologize if Floatplane is in fact an American company and i am mistaken in thinking a local business is Canadian.

[AlTech]

8 minutes ago, ne0rmatrix said:

Is Linus Media and/or Floatplane Club a Canadian or American company? I was  a member of floatplane club for months and was very unhappy as i was being charged in USD and not CAD! When i signed up i was a little shocked to realize i was being charged in a foreign currency for what I assumed was a local business. I mean they are located in the lower mainland which is the same are i am in. I know their audience is mostly american i assumed because they mention american prices when doing reviews and talking about products. But i always thought of them as Canadian.

 

But when months went by and i was having to shell out for floatplane in USD i thought. WTF is going on? Never though i would see the day when a Canadian company started charging for services in a foreign currency. Really surprised this continues still. I have since unsubscribed to floatplane as i find it a little misleading when i see the advertised price and nowhere do i see it identified as being in USD. So i decided that was annoying. But adding the fact i pay a fee again to my bank/credit card company to pay in a foreign currency to a business that is less than 20 miles away just gets my mad on!

 

Would love to be part of floatplane and do miss being a part of it and seeing things early and stuff like the office videos but the deceptive behavior of charging fees in a foreign company by a local company is just too much for me. I wonder if it is even legal to have a Canadian company only have an option for a foreign currency as a payment method? I mean is it not required that they offer a comparable rate in Canadian dollars not American? I apologize if Floatplane is in fact an American company and i am mistaken in thinking a local business is Canadian.

 

Linus Media Group Incorporated is a Canadian Company.

 

They happen to charge customers in US Dollars for Floatplane.

 

@colonel_mortis

[FrowningHippo]

32 minutes ago, ne0rmatrix said:

Is Linus Media and/or Floatplane Club a Canadian or American company? I was  a member of floatplane club for months and was very unhappy as i was being charged in USD and not CAD! When i signed up i was a little shocked to realize i was being charged in a foreign currency for what I assumed was a local business. I mean they are located in the lower mainland which is the same are i am in. I know their audience is mostly american i assumed because they mention american prices when doing reviews and talking about products. But i always thought of them as Canadian.

 

But when months went by and i was having to shell out for floatplane in USD i thought. WTF is going on? Never though i would see the day when a Canadian company started charging for services in a foreign currency. Really surprised this continues still. I have since unsubscribed to floatplane as i find it a little misleading when i see the advertised price and nowhere do i see it identified as being in USD. So i decided that was annoying. But adding the fact i pay a fee again to my bank/credit card company to pay in a foreign currency to a business that is less than 20 miles away just gets my mad on!

 

Would love to be part of floatplane and do miss being a part of it and seeing things early and stuff like the office videos but the deceptive behavior of charging fees in a foreign company by a local company is just too much for me. I wonder if it is even legal to have a Canadian company only have an option for a foreign currency as a payment method? I mean is it not required that they offer a comparable rate in Canadian dollars not American? I apologize if Floatplane is in fact an American company and i am mistaken in thinking a local business is Canadian.

It is legal for a company to determine the way they you want to charge you in a Country like Canada. Most countries don't have obligations about a certain currency. That would hamper economics and freedom. I feel it's sad that you think floatplane isn't enough value with the exchange rate. You could use something like PayPal to mitigate the banking fees. 

 

Anyway. You can't force a company to just 'do what you like'. You can ask them kindly to support it and show that you are unhappy with your wallet, but most foreign customers have a better value understanding of US dollars compared to Canadian ones (Europeans). 

 

To be blunt, I am not some kind of fanboy, but they mention it often enough during the payment proces. Don't put your negligence on them.

[KhandakeF]

They could be trying something on the actual platform, but don't quote me on this

 

[LogicalDrm]

Linus Media Group is Canadian. Floatplane Media is Canadian. LMG has charged for ALL their store items and campaigns in USD. I believe its mainly because how bad value CAD is than anything else. USD holds value compared to other currencies pretty well. Or would you like to see things in $4 CAD instead of $3 USD?

[ne0rmatrix]

Well thank your for your replies everyone. My concern now is if it is legal for them to behave this way. I always thought Canadian businesses had to accept CAD as a payment option. The fact that a Canadian media company is catering to foreigners and offering the only payment option in another currency is kind of a slap in the face to Canadians. I will check with google then maybe contact the better business  bureau to see if there is any legal action that can be taken to either make them take Canadian currency or shut them down and/or filing suit in a Canadian court.

[LinusTech]

Yes it's completely legal. We could charge in yuan if we felt like IT, but that would be stupid. 

 

We use USD because the world generally understands how much it is given how many other online services use USD. 

 

As for an equivalent in CAD, we can't because it would change all the time. 

[SansVarnic]

@ne0rmatrix

It is very common for a company with worldwide influence to utilize USD as the currency for business as it so happens USD is the most commonly used currency for trade. This would not be any different in this use case either. USD is regarded as a more stable foundation to base currency rates. The USA does not receive a "royalty" for the use of USD not is "catering" in any manner to a foreign country. 

As for now with the current volatile nature of CAD it would put a big strain on LTT to have to constantly keep up with the change in rate in order to properly charge for the service. LTT would almost have to hire a full time employee just to stay on top of this one issue so that members are charged properly.

 

I will ask this of you; are you really this hung up on such a very minor and inconsequential issue that you are willing to hurt LTT just to make a point will little disregard to the consequences of your actions and the apparent lack of or mis-understanding to how currency in trade works?

 

Just food for thought.

 

( @LinusTech apologies if I am stepping on toes here)

[ne0rmatrix]

1 hour ago, LinusTech said:

Yes it's completely legal. We could charge in yuan if we felt like IT, but that would be stupid. 

 

We use USD because the world generally understands how much it is given how many other online services use USD. 

 

As for an equivalent in CAD, we can't because it would change all the time. 

Thank your for reply. I will drop this topic now. I was mad about it. Not enough to do anything about it mind you. Just wanted to rant about something that puzzled me. I really wish and hope in the future that you can offer floatplane club in Canadian dollars. I understand it may be an issue in logistics and you are not set up and/or too small a company to offer payment in local currency. I will re-sub to floatplane when it becomes available in local currency. I really do appreciate the responses. Have a good week.

[ne0rmatrix]

51 minutes ago, SansVarnic said:

@ne0rmatrix

It is very common for a company with worldwide influence to utilize USD as the currency for business as it so happens USD is the most commonly used currency for trade. This would not be any different in this use case either. USD is regarded as a more stable foundation to base currency rates. The USA does not receive a "royalty" for the use of USD not is "catering" in any manner to a foreign country. 

As for now with the current volatile nature of CAD it would put a big strain on LTT to have to constantly keep up with the change in rate in order to properly charge for the service. LTT would almost have to hire a full time employee just to stay on top of this one issue so that members are charged properly.

 

I will ask this of you; are you really this hung up on such a very minor and inconsequential issue that you are willing to hurt LTT just to make a point will little disregard to the consequences of your actions and the apparent lack of or mis-understanding to how currency in trade works?

 

Just food for thought.

 

( @LinusTech apologies if I am stepping on toes here)

My concern was that i was paying to convert Canadian funds to a foreign currency for a Canadian company. I thought that was odd. As to hurting or damaging the company it never was a factor. I have no resources and/or plans to do anything beyond moan about it on the forum here and see what reply i get from Linus Media/Floatplane club employees. As of now i am done moaning and complaining. I fully admit i have no clue as to why or how things are run in your business or any other. I am completely ignorant of the factors and decisions made in matters like this.

[asus killer]

19 hours ago, ne0rmatrix said:

Is Linus Media and/or Floatplane Club a Canadian or American company? I was  a member of floatplane club for months and was very unhappy as i was being charged in USD and not CAD! When i signed up i was a little shocked to realize i was being charged in a foreign currency for what I assumed was a local business. I mean they are located in the lower mainland which is the same are i am in. I know their audience is mostly american i assumed because they mention american prices when doing reviews and talking about products. But i always thought of them as Canadian.

 

But when months went by and i was having to shell out for floatplane in USD i thought. WTF is going on? Never though i would see the day when a Canadian company started charging for services in a foreign currency. Really surprised this continues still. I have since unsubscribed to floatplane as i find it a little misleading when i see the advertised price and nowhere do i see it identified as being in USD. So i decided that was annoying. But adding the fact i pay a fee again to my bank/credit card company to pay in a foreign currency to a business that is less than 20 miles away just gets my mad on!

 

Would love to be part of floatplane and do miss being a part of it and seeing things early and stuff like the office videos but the deceptive behavior of charging fees in a foreign company by a local company is just too much for me. I wonder if it is even legal to have a Canadian company only have an option for a foreign currency as a payment method? I mean is it not required that they offer a comparable rate in Canadian dollars not American? I apologize if Floatplane is in fact an American company and i am mistaken in thinking a local business is Canadian.

 

from a strict economic sense:

 

most customers are americans so it makes sense.

 

for you it's irrelevant if you think about it, you pay in CAD, not USD. The bank converts it.  May have charges (have no idea i'm neither american or canadian), it's the only drawback i see and it's on you of course, but hey it's business that's usual 

 

in general it gets a stronger currency into canada, which in fact it's good for canada.

 

But i get your point, it's weird for a canadian to pay a canadian company in canada in other currency than CAD.

[LogicalDrm]

12 hours ago, ne0rmatrix said:

... I always thought Canadian businesses had to accept CAD as a payment option.

 

They probably do have to. Which is why you can pay in CAD, but there will be conversion at some point. Whether its done by your bank (cheap option) or PayPal and other handlers (rather expensive option), is your choice. I'm paying in USD and let my band do conversion from EUR to USD (which is then converted to CAD by LMG's bank)

 

Using currency vs another is just about conversion and conversion rates used by banks and handlers. Only ones getting money are those through which money goes. So if you are paying FP fee, you will be paying to your bank, to PayPal and to LMG's bank along with LMG. And for that payment most of the money will still go to LMG with PayPal having 2nd biggest share. US government will get only tax money paid by PayPal, a US based company. Canada will receive most of the tax money. From LMG, LMG's bank and your bank.