Has anyone from Canada ordered products from Alienbee

Has anyone on this site ordered products from Alienbee???? I am wondering how much the brokerage fees run. Trying to decide if I should have product shipped via the regular UPS or the expidited UPS service. Apparently, if you order regular UPS you pay the brokerage fees ... if you order expidited UPS (higher shipping cost) you do not pay brokerage fees. So, I am trying to determine what is the cheaper of the two and the unknown factor is the cost of the brokerage fees.

Less shipping cost means more equipment ....LOL

Oh yes, does anyone know if the alienbees are CSA approved? If not, it could run into an insurance issue if they shorted out and caused a fire or something stupid.....I should send them an email with that question...but if anyone knows, that would be helpful

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Permalink Reply by Sherry Webb on September 17, 2010 at 6:40pm

I sent an email to alienbee and they got back to me right away...I'm impressed. The question was if their flash units were CSA approved; the answer received is as follows: (copy and paste)
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Thank you for contacting us. None of the Paul C. Buff Inc. lights, AlienBees or White Lightning are agency approved. The units all are, however, designed and built using approved components where applicable and according to generally accepted good engineering practices. We have thousands of our units in operation throughout Canada and we even have a repair center in Mississauga Ontario called KHB Photographix.

If you have any questions at all or if you need any additional info just let me know.
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I am on the fence at the moment if this is an issue for me or not. I am sure from all of the feedback re the quality of alienbee, that these are top notch, well constructed appliances...I will need to contact an insurance guru however to figure out the business risk. Apparently, if you are using the flash units in your home and a fire or other property damage occurs that they can TRY to attribute in anyway to the flash units...the home insurance company will probably not void the insurance contract but, they may adjust the payout downward.

If you are running a business however (this is where it becomes a grey area for me) and are using non agency approved equipment, the business insurance may be compromised or voided and/or could possibly open the business owner to lawsuits. This last statement needs to be confirmed or denied by an insurance professional or someone with knowledge of these matters. From what I've read, this is the conclusion I have personally come up and it is strictly assumption.

I also wonder, from a couple tidbits that I read on the internet, if this can be avoided by using a power bar that is equipped with CSA approved surge protector/GFI components to it...sort of intermediary between the electrical outlet and the actual non agency approved appliance.

If anyone has any knowledge of this subject, I would be very interested to hear about it.

Please note, I am NOT knocking alienbee in any way I am sure their products are top notch. What I don't trust is the insurance aspect....insurance companies are not in the business to payout..if they can avoid it in anyway