If you're a Canadian like me, you'll soon find out how difficult it is to get a Bell STi. I went with the STI because of the stealth technology.
If you call Beltronics directly they will not ship to 8 of the 10 provinces (I don't remember which ones, but Quebec, Ontario was not on the list). What's even sadder is that there was a warehouse in my own city of Montreal...and they told me they can that the current provincial laws prohibit them from selling to anyone in Quebec (eh??).
So I decided to start checking Beltronics authorized dealers. One thing was for sure, there are lots of fakes, refurbished units out there. Beltronics stated to me that they will only service units that are registered and certified. Since I'll be dishing out over $400 for a radar detector, I wanted to make sure I had the proper warranty in case of a bad unit or for repairs, plus if I have to spend the same amount of dollars, I rather buy the real thing.
Beltronics has a website that will list all the Unauthorized dealers for you (
Unauthorized Reseller List - Beltronics USA). They also told me that ALL ebay sites are not authorized. For a authorized list, go to
Radar Detector and Accelerometer Dealer Network - Beltronics Professional Series.
So, I started calling various authorized dealers and much to my surprised most of them don't want to ship to Canada due to the "extra" customs forms needed to be filled out. Just for the record (for all you US dealers out there), this is barely a form. it's a little blue "sticky" provided to you by the local carrier with 3 lines to state the value of the unit, description and if it's a gift. This "sticky" is placed directly on the package. Anyways, I couldn't find the right dealer, and the right price. One dealer was going to charge me over $50 for shipping (eh?), but most of them didn't want to ship. Anyways, you can do your own research and try calling every dealer on the authorized list.
One thing is for sure, buying a Bel STi, isn't as easy as I thought. ..until, I found what I was looking for. I found
Direct MotorSport International, LLC (866-849-0103) from a radar forum website (
Radar Detector Forum: Reviews and Laser Jammers ). I called Beltronics and they verified that they are authorized and they were also on the authorized dealer list. Then I contacted them and spoke to a "David" who was very helpful and guess what? HE SHIPS TO CANADA!! The shipping rate was extremely fair (I paid $15). They were extremely helpful to me as I am a picky shopper. I probably asked just under a million questions, but David was very cool and answered every one. I placed my order and Viola! I got my new Bel STi..correction, my new AUTHORIZED Bell STi. I had no problems registering it on Bel's website (you'll get a free cap if you do).
My only regret is that I didn't find them (dmi-sport) sooner.
For all you Canadians out there, you also have the option of shipping the unit to a US forwarding address near the border. If your in Montreal, there is one at the Lacolle border called FreePort (518-298-8582) (on the US side). You can have your package sent there. They charge a one-time fee of $2 per box. Since Radar detectors are illegal in Quebec, I was curious to know what will happen at the border. So I called Canada Customs and they told me, as long you so don't import guns or explosives, just pay the taxes and your on your way. Canada Customs are not law enforcements. They just want to collect the taxes and your free to go!!! So, if the Bel STi costs say $450 (US), you'll be required to pay $67 in taxes (federal and provincial) and that's it! If you want to be creative, have the dealer list the unit price lower (on that "sticky" form) and you'll pay taxes based on that amount...just make sure they don't see the invoice.
I hope this helps someone out there..
Thanks
-Julius in Montreal (Julius911)