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As I am considering an iPhone SE for my wife, I thought I'd compare the OWC refurbished price (U.S. dollars) with the price of a new phone at Apple Canada (Canadian dollars). What a shock.

A new iPhone SE at Apple's U.S. site is $399.00 USD and at the Canadian site is $599.00 CAD, but the exchange rate for the American phone only generates an increase to $490.38 CAD. So, Apple could be charging $499.00 in Canada. Instead they are pocketing an extra $108.62. Sheesh!

I assume there are similar skinnings at other countries.

I'm confused... You went from "I thought I'd compare the OWC refurbished price (U.S. dollars) with the price of a new phone at Apple Canada (Canadian dollars)" to "A new iPhone SE at Apple's U.S. site is $399.00 USD and at the Canadian site is $599.00 CAD...."

What happened to the original comparison you intended to make?

Also, on the US site it's "starting at $399," so I've got to ask if the Canadian SE you looked at had the same specs.

• OWC (used phone) $289 USD - with shipping, taxes and duties $322 USD, which is CAD $396
• So, I thought that the Canadian site (no exchange rate) might have a new phone CAD price close enough to consider

But the difference in new phone prices was:

• American Apple price $399 USD = $490 CAD
• Canadian Apple price for exactly the same phone $599

I will concede that there will be some duties in Apple's $110 difference but, given OWC can collect taxes, duties and shipping for $33 USD, I have to think that the $110 difference is excessive.

On Amazon an untethered rebuilt iPhone SE (U. S. version) costs $284 USD ($420.94 Canadian), with 128 GB storage the price rises $365 USD ($447.95 Canadian*¹), and peaks at $429.97 USD ($527.69 Canadian) for the $256 GB model. The prices also vary significantly if the phone is tethered and what carrier it is tethered to. So be sure your are comparing Apple SEs to Apple SEs unlocked and with the same storage capacity and not just Canadian to U.S.

*¹ Conversion rate courtesy of PCCalc updated as of 16:00 CDT 06/27/2021