Shuswap Ski & Board Customer Service Policies
(updated April 2025)
Our commitment to exceptional customer service is intended to guarantee you have an amazing experience on the water or on the court. We have created these policies to ensure you’ve got the right gear to enjoy our sports in a safe and fun-filled manner. These customer service policies allow us to offer you unmatched service and customer care. These policies give us the ability to stock a huge product selection at competitive prices on all the sports you love. Refunds are not standard practice in our store. However, on as needed basis at the time of sale, we can agree to a refund under certain conditions. And with customer service policies like these making sure that you get matched with exactly what you need… it’s almost never needed.
Just click the headings below to read the complete details of that policy!
- Low Price Guarantee – Price Matching any Canadian Authorized Dealer
,just email us the ad or quote!. - Performance & Fit Guarantee – No worries exchanges, “You gotta love it!”
- No Charge Outbound Shipping on orders over $500 – We are testing this policy in 2025 and hope that it will become an ongoing customer option!
- Complementary Repairs – On gear purchased through our stores. If deemed possible and safe to repair. Sorry, we can only work on gear purchased from us!
- Trade Up & Trade In Guarantee – Parents and athletes on the rise love this one! Bring gear purchased from us in the past year (in good condition) back for store credit towards the next size or performance level needed!
- Test Drive - Demo Program– Not exactly sure what will work best for you? Ride it on the water or drive it on the court, to make sure!
- Boat Show Price Match Guarantee - Just email us the ad or quote from any Canadian Authorized Dealer’s boat show event.
- US Price Match Guarantee - Wouldn't You Rather Shop Canadian? – Please note: Current 25% tariffs and price increases, complicate the calculation however, this policy currently remains in effect.
- Expert Advice From Skiers, Boarders, Coaches and Picklers Who Love Our Sports! – Ensure you’re matched with gear that’s right for you!
- Canada’s Largest Selection Of Products Categories & Brands – Don’t easily see what you need? Send us an email!. We probably have it in stock!
- Water Ski Wakeboard Canada Member Discounts – An excellent member benefit and a great reason to join and support WSWC!
- Supporting Our Sports, Events, Clubs and Athletes Across Canada – Giving back to our sports like no other business!
What do you think all this Customer Support is worth? Since 1996, nearly 50,000 customers have put their trust in us and they just might say that our service is priceless. :) We truly believe we offer the best service of just about any business anywhere, so please give us a call, an e-mail or a visit. We want to help maximize your safe and fun-filled enjoyment of our sports by being the source for all your gear today, tomorrow and for years to come!
If you love all that we do for you, please tell everyone you know. If we ever let you down in any way, please tell us, so we can sort it out... it was probably Andrew or Mike that messed it up anyway!
Sincerely,
Mike, Andrew & the Shuswap Ski & Board Team,
Phone Toll-free (Canada or US): 1-866-955-0917
It’s a pretty rare occurrence, however, In the unlikely event that you discover a lower price at an authorized Canadian dealer, we’ll match it. We’ll still have your back, with all our Customer Service Policies and we'll throw in some free swag as well.
Should your equipment fail to meet your expectations or fit correctly, simply exchange it within 14 days from the date of purchase, and we'll gladly swap it out for a comparable alternative. For items bought as gifts or during the off-season, just request an extended grace period by having our staff add a note to your invoice at the time of purchase.
Please note that this guarantee does not extend to fashion items.
Products must be returned in physically and cosmetically clean, working condition, with only normal wear and tear. If your gear shows noticeable or unsual wear and tear it may be subject to a restocking/exchange fee at our descretion.The original bill of sale must be presented in legible condition or kept on file with your customer account! It's essential to keep both your gear and receipt in good condition and keep the original packaging if you think you might need to exchange it! So join the VIP Email club!
Complementary Repairs and Professional Service:
If we deem it possible and safe to do so, we offer no-charge repairs and professional service on gear purchased through our stores,. Sorry, for numerous reasons, we can only work on gear that was purchased from us!
If you run a board into the back of the boat or your waterski fin took a bump on the dock? We are always happy to have a go at repairing your surfboard tip or recalibrating your slalom ski fin setting as well as many other things. If we can help, we will try! Please Note: the repairs are only done on a complementary basis, often by Andrew or Mike, outside store hours. So please plan to leave the equipment with us for at least a couple days and we will do our very best to have it back as soon as possible!
For our customers who can’t get something to one of our stores and for those items not purchased from us, we have some great repair videos and how to videos on our YouTube page to help you out.
Trade-In and Trade-Up Policies:
Children can grow way too fast and skill levels can advance rapidly, so larger or upgraded gear can be needed within a year or two. We make it easy to stay current. Parents and athletes who are improving, love this policy! Please make sure your children are in gear that fits! Buy the proper size for now and next year if they outgrow it, trade it in and get a credit towards the next size needed. Wearing life vests that float up around ears can be unsafe. Wetsuits need to fit snugly to keep the water out or they won’t keep people warm and can also be unsafe. Please keep safe and warm, use gear that fits!
(a) For child and youth wetsuits and ski vests, we offer a 50% trade-in allowance within one year from the original purchase date when transitioning to a larger size. We will consider taking items up to 2 years old if they are still in excellent condition.
Having the right fitting and performing products to learn with, immediately enjoy and help improve skills with, is more important than most people realize. Mike has spent thousands of hours observing our sports at every possible skill level, all over the world. He has moved people from less suitable, to the right gear, hundreds and hundreds of times. He will tell you that, even after all these years, he continues to be amazed at what a difference a setup matched to the user makes. Andrew and our staff will attest to how often customers come back in or call, to tell them what a difference getting matched to the right gear has made.
(b) For waterskis, wakesurfers, wakeboards, and bindings, we provide a 50% trade-up allowance within one year from the initial purchase date when upgrading to a higher-tier model of the same type of product. We will also consider trading up items up to a few years old at a reduced trade percentage, if they are still in excellent condition.
Ski, Board & Paddle - Demo Or Test Drive Program:
To ensure you're getting the perfect gear for your needs, we offer the opportunity to try out most of the equipment we sell. We simply sell the product emphasizing the importance treating the gear nicely while you use it a few times. This way, you can be confident it’s exactly what you need. If, after trying the gear, you decide it's not quite right fit for you, we determine what to try next. If you decide not to buy that type of product at the time and the product comes back in great condition, we apply a usage or Demo fee and refund the difference. Our goal is to find you equipment that you will love!
It's extremely rare that we don’t find a great match for our customers with our incredible Performance & Fit Gaurantee. With such a vast selection of products to choose from, we almost never charge a demo fee but should you be unsure on your purchase we will back you up!
Our demo fees on water sports equipment are as follows:
$70 per day or $280 per week for gear valued up to $799.
$100 per day or $400 per week for gear valued from $800 to $1,499.
$150 per day or $600 per week for gear valued from $1,500 to $2,499.
$200 per day or $800 per week for gear valued from $2,500 and up.
Our demo fee on pickleball paddles is as follows:
10% of the regular selling price of the paddle, as long as it is returned in like new condition. Paddles returned showing obvious signs of wear or abuse, will be charged an additional restocking fee. Please be sure to tape and protect the paddle’s edges when trying them out!
All pickleball paddle exchanges or returns must be done within 14 days.
If the type of product that was demoed is purchased within a maximum of 30 days, we allow that demo fee to be used as a credit towards the purchase.
When we ship products, the demo fees apply from the day the product is received until the date you ship it back to us, mirroring the terms if you were to pick up the gear in person.
Products must be returned in physically and cosmetically clean, working condition, with only normal wear and tear (no slider use, no dock/beach starts, no damage from board racks or any other product-damaging activities). The original bill of sale must be presented in legible condition. Therefore, it's essential to keep both your gear and receipt in good condition for at least a year.
Better Than Any Competitors Boat Show Price:
We guarantee to match any competitive price from Canadian boat shows and include a free stuff bonus. This means that not only will get to take advantage of our exceptional Customer Service Policies, most of which not offered by other retailers, but also will enjoy some free swag, along with waived delivery charges and no difference in tax to you. Please note that all sales must be finalized within two weeks of your local boat show. Due to high shipping costs, there may be limitations on applying this policy to certain items in store but always check with us and we’ll promise we will do the best we can.
US Price Matching - Apples To Apples - Wouldn't You Rather Shop Canadian?:
We will match prices with any authorized international dealer! We just do have to add all the additional costs of getting the item to Canada, to determine its real cost, in Canadian dollars. We do reserve the right not to sell products below our cost.
Over the years, too many customers have told us they wished they had never purchased items from the U.S. We’ve heard that they paid too much, that they didn’t get what they ordered, that something was missing, that it arrived damaged, etc., etc. With the really weak Canadian dollar it seems to be happening less and less and here are just some of the reasons why.
U.S. Price Extra Cost - Currency Exchange & Extra Credit Card Charges: It currently costs about $1.40 Canadian to buy a U.S. dollar. In addition, if you check your statement you’ll find the credit card company has charged about an extra 3% over current exchange rates. So a $100 U.S. item charged to your credit card, will be on your statement at $143 Canadian.
U.S. Price Extra Cost - Import duties: Canadian import duties are charged on products made outside of North America that range from 8-20%, and almost all watersports’ products incur import duties with high end slalom skis being one of few exceptions. Even on products made in the U.S., import duties can be charged if a proper NAFTA form is not included with the shipment. We've seen numerous situations where duties were charged on U.S. made goods or warranty replacements because of paperwork errors.
U.S. Price Extra Cost - Import/Brokerage Fees: There are higher shipping costs as well as brokerage fees charged by UPS and other freight companies on shipments cleared into Canada. This information is taken directly from the UPS Canada Rate & Service Guide. These rates are as of January 2024 and are up about 10% for 2025
https://www.shuswapsnb.com/PDF/2024CanadianCustomsBrokerageFees.pdf
U.S. Price Extra Cost - 2025 Tariffs & Price Increases: We apologies for the hassle and uncertainty in dealing with these tariffs and price increases. We are doing our best to minimize the impact on our customers. No charges will be applied to any product we did not have to pay extra for. If tariffs or price increases effect something we sell, we will only pass on a portion of the tariff or price increase percentage. Anyone purchasing something where extra will need to be charged, will be advised ASAP and will have the option of a full refund or paying the charge. Unfortunately our software does not offer us a better way of dealing with these challenges online. Here’s a link to the complete explanation of what these extra costs are and how we’re handling them.
U.S. Price - No Warranty in Canada: To support Canadian dealers all major distributors have taken a strong stand on the warranty issue. They will not warranty anything not purchased from a Canadian authorized dealer, opting to send people back to where they bought it. Should any warranty problems occur with your new gear, it will need to be shipped back to the U.S. at your expense, as warranties only cover one-way shipping. Of course, when your repaired/replaced item is shipped back to Canada there is another opportunity for hassles and additional cross border charges. It’s not uncommon for import duties as well as HST/GST/PST to be charged on gear coming back from the U.S,, even when all the paperwork has been completed properly.
We believe setting a fair 10% value on Canadian warranty for Price Matching purposes. This allows you to shop with confidence and gives us the ability to offer the premium service, selection and prices you have come to love at Shuswap Ski & Board.
U.S. Price Example 1 O’Neill Slasher vest typically advertised for 154.95 USD$:
$154.95 + 42% (exchange charged by credit card) + 15% (import duty on vests) + $33.55 (UPS brokerage fee) + $15 (extra shipping cost from U.S.) = $2 as a typical landed cost for the Slasher. Unfortunately, you don't have a warranty in Canada on gear purchased in the USA. If we set a 10% value on Canadian warranty, our US Price Match is about $330 CDN. The O’Neill Slasher has a Canadian MSRP of $225.95 (before our VIP discount) … but don't worry, we won't charge you the extra $100+!!
U.S. Price – Example 2 Radar Vapor Pro Slalom Ski typically at $1,999.99 USD$:
1,999.99 + 42% (exchange charged by credit card) + + $127.05 (UPS brokerage fee) + $50 (extra shipping cost from U.S.) = $3,017 therefore, our Canadian MSRP of $2,699 (with shipping included and before VIP discount) looks far lower than buying from the U.S. and there isn’t any price matching to be done! Please note: Radar Vapor skis are made in the U.S., so no have import fee, but currently have a 25% Tariff as a U.S. made product. Please also note: If we have to pay the 25% tariff, we will only charge an extra 12.5%. For complete details on 2025 tariffs and price increase click here.
U.S. Price – Example 3 Phase 5 Model X Surf typically online at $899 - 999 US:
$899 + 42% (exchange charged by credit card) + $111.700 (brokerage fee) + $45 (extra shipping cost from U.S.) = $1,432.62 as a typical landed cost for the Model X. Phase 5 will offer warranty to Canadians buying from the U.S. but the board would have to be shipped to Phase 5 in Florida, at the customers expense. A replacement with be shipped back at Phase 5’s expense. The Phase 5 Model X has a Canadian MSRP of $1,370 and is on our website at $1,260 Canadian, with shipping included. Please note: Phase 5 wakesufers are made in the U.S., so no have import fee, but currently have a 25% Tariff as a U.S. made product. Please also note: We have hundreds of their boards in stock. However, if we have to pay the 25% tariff, we will only charge an extra 12.5%.
For complete details on 2025 tariffs and price increase click here.
At first glance, it's easy to see how the US price looks tempting online but again, wouldn’t you rather shop Canadian?
Expert Advice from Skiers, Boarders, Pickleball players and Coaches:
When it comes to providing the best advice to our customers, we believe we have a huge advantage. We have observed thousands of athletes using various equipment over many, many years through our waterski school (did you know Shuswap Ski & Board's roots are in the driver seat of the coach boat?). Collectively, Mike and Andrew have 10,000 plus hours behind and in the boat as a coach, official, athlete and spectator, gaining first-hand insight into what works best for different styles and abilities. Mike is also a past-president of the Calgary Pickleball Club, one of Calgary’s original IPTPA certified pickleball coaches and been courtside to see the best players in the world in action.
However, we don’t want this to scare anyone off or have them worried that they’ll be dealing with snobby, condescending pro shop staff. We like to live the “The only dumb questions are the ones you don’t ask!” and we happily apply that to ourselves and customers. We’re happy to be in the boat or on the court with folks of all skill levels and love to make sure they can share the enjoyment we get from playing.
The staff we hire are enthusiasts of the sports we love. Through on-going training, study and review, we channel that enthusiasm into a fantastic team who are dedicated to showing our customers the best products to match their needs. As often as time permits we enjoy getting on the water and on the court. Building this expertise may require significant time and effort. However, the satisfaction from all the positive feedback our customers give us, as well as the personal enjoyment of getting to play with all the best gear, while participating in the sports we love make it so worthwhile :)
Huge Selection of Product Categories, Specialty Competition Gear & Every Major Brand:
“I can’t believe how much stuff you have!” is probably the most common customer comment when they walk into our stores or call us after browsing online. We maintain a wider selection, and more gear on hand, than any other retailer in Canada, including unique items you won’t find elsewhere. Even when our inventory is at it’s lowest, it rarely gets below $1,500,000 in stock, and will be double that in the early season.
Within that huge selection we can cover all price ranges and product levels. And, as Canada’s largest retailer in our field, we are competitive with big box stores and national retailers. When visiting those retailers, we’ve been amazed to see inferior products being sold at higher prices than our gear. Sadly, those retailers almost never have staff who know anything about our type of products, if you can even find someone to talk to.
Our broad involvement in competitive watersports and competitive pickleball allows us to stay on top of the latest innovations, trends, and product advancements. We can confidently state that we actively provide feedback to our sports manufacturers to enhance their products, year after year. Quality equipment makes a huge difference as it facilitates positive learning, minimizes downtime, and just making things more fun! :)
With many active competitors on our sponsored athlete team, we understand the difficulties they face in accessing specialized gear for competition. We are constantly expanding our selections in this area. We've also know that nationwide, many athletes, weekend warriors and causal enthusiast's can benefit from our guidance with these unique products.
Waterski Wakeboard Canada (WSWC) Member Discounts:
As a long-time supporter of Waterski Wakeboard Canada and its members, we extend a special discount off our regular equipment prices exclusively to WSWC members. Please note that a few select products are exempt from these discounts. Membership proof to WSWC through your provincial sport organization (WSWA, WSWBC, etc.) must be provided at the time of your customer account creation.
Click here to submit your WSWC member number and activate your account.
Supporting Our Sports , Events & Athletes Across Canada
Long before the founding of Shuswap Ski & Board, our founders were deeply involved in all aspects of the sport, including coaching, competing, judging, driving, event sponsorship, and dedicating countless volunteer hours. Since the start, we’ve provided financial and manpower support to foster the development of our sport and its athletes. Now our busy summer schedule as Canada's #1 water sports pro shop limits our volunteer activities. However, we consistently increase our contributions to our sports in Canada, as well as our support for Canadian athletes. In 2012, our athlete sponsorship took another big step forward as we added several professional athletes to the Shuswap Ski & Board team. These days, between the number of water sports and pickleball events, athletes, coaches, clubs, provinces and community centers we support, it’s become hard to keep track. What we can tell you is, that without a doubt, we know of no other organization that puts as big a chunk of their business back into their sports as we do. And we are dang proud of it too! :)
If you would like to know how you can support our sports with your financial and/or manpower resources, please e-mail mike@shuswapsnb.com. We would love to have more contributors to the support of our sports and we will be happy to consider working together, in any way we can.
No Charge Outbound Shipping on orders over $500:
Beginning April 15th, 2025, we are offering NO CHARGE OUTBOUND SHIPPING ON ORDERS OVER $500 (before tax). We are testing this policy for 2025 and hope that it can be a long-term customer benefit.
We do not call it “Free Shipping” because, it’s not free. The shipping companies are, of course, charging us. What we are being charged will be listed on your final invoice in the “List Price” column, with “0.00” shown in the “Our Price” column, indicating that there has been no shipping charged on that invoice. In cases where there are extra shipping exception costs, such as oversized/weight or beyond destination courier charges, the total shipping cost will be shown in the “List Price” column with the extra exceptions cost, the amount being charged to the customer, shown in the “Our Price” column.
Please note: The actual shipping cost, that is shown on the invoice included in your parcel, will not be credited or refunded on returns.
NO CHARGE OUTBOUND SHIPPING on orders over $500 (before tax), will apply to most Canadian destinations on most products. We are striving to have as few exceptions as possible. However, very heavy weight/very large box dimensions and remote delivery destinations will cause some exceptions on certain products. For example, there are “Beyond Destination” charges for shipments to Tuktoyaktuk, NWT (apologies to our Tuktoyaktukian friends!) :) In cases, where there is additional shipping charges we will contact customers to advise them of those extra costs and will offer immediate refunds of anything that’s been charged if they choose to not go ahead with their order. There are also some products that can not be shipped easily with any of our couriers, like rigid stand up paddleboards, roll up foam water carpets, and 20+ foot water trampolines, as none of the couriers we use will accept them due to size. Items like these are limited to in store pick up and you should be notified in the shopping cart when trying to make a purchase on the website.
For orders under $500, after the customer has entered their shipping address information, the shipping cost will be shown at the checkout screen with various couriers offered for you to choose from. We have established discounted shipping rates from all of the companies offered as choices and continue to seek the best rates possible. Most orders are shipped via Purolator and you can enter your tracking number here
International Shipping
We have shipped product all over the world, including Gabon, West Africa. We’d never heard of Gabon before we received that order, but we got the wakeboard boots there!! :) Through our support of international tournaments, events and our own staff’s travels, we have water sports and pickleball friends all over the world! However, shipping to countries outside Canada and the U.S., tends to be on the pricey side and our website is not capable of calculating it very well. So please email info@shuswapsnb.com with exactly what you would like to purchase and exactly where in needs to be shipped and we will get you a shipping cost and final quote.
Please keep in mind, that although we do not charge Canadian sales taxes on international orders, many countries have their own import duties and the shipping couriers usually have fees for shipments crossing borders. The customer is responsible for any international import duties/fees/taxes associated with their own country.
Processing Times
Our Team is pretty amazing at getting gear shipped out quickly and most orders are shipped out within 1 business day. However, during peak times like going into summer long weekends, we can get pretty swamped and take an extra day or two. Orders are shipped Monday to Friday (except holidays). Orders are shipped in the sequence they are received. Curious about your orders status? Email salesteam@shuswapsnb.com for a tracking update
Shipping/Delivery Times
Once your order has been packed, well protected and assigned a shipping waybill, you will receive an email from our sales team with tracking information. You can then track your order online through the shipping courier’s website. Please note, Canada Post’s tracking information is not as detailed as Purolator or FedEx.
Most orders are shipped from our Calgary store location and transit times vary depending on the destination. Typical transit times are: Alberta, BC, Saskatchewan 1 or 2 days; Manitoba 2 or 3 days; Ontario 3 or 4 day; Quebec 4 or 5 days; and Maritime provinces 6 to 8 days. Major city centers are at the quicker end and more rural areas may take a day or two longer. Expedited shipping is also an option, and the website shopping cart will calculate the express shipping rate for you when creating your order. However, next day delivery is usually only possible to major city centers, as rural areas will require at least one additional day. Please keep in mind that shipping times can not be guaranteed.... we guarantee to process, pack and ship your order as fast as we can, but we cannot control what happens once your package leaves our store.
Returns and Exchanges
We are dedicated to making sure our customers get gear that matches their needs and back your up with our Performance & Fit Guarantee. Even after you have used that new board or ski on the water once or twice! (Just be careful!) We ask that all exchanges be made within 14 days of purchase. However, gifts and off-season purchases may be offered an extended exchange window, just have our staff add a comment to the purchase invoice so we know what to expect.
Good communication creates good relationships!! :)
For example... Are you thinking about buying dad a new waterski for Father’s day but you want to buy it in the offseason and find some last season deals? No problem! We will make sure he loves it come summer!
Refunds are not a standard practice with us. The possibility of a refund may be agreed to at the time of the purchase, with certain conditions attached and must be clearly noted in the invoice’s “Comments” section. If the possibility of a refund is arranged, any cost of shipping is not refunded.
For products that may need to be shipped back, be sure to contact us prior to shipping anything back. There are many situations that can be easily resolved with a phone call or email and avoid the effort of a return. For example: The way vests and gloves fit is a common misunderstanding. Surfing vests and waterski gloves stretch at least one size, often 2 sizes when they get wet and have been used a few times. We can explain the steps to confirm sizing easily over the phone. By contacting us we can also get alternative product set aside or on route to you right away and reduce the risk of something being sold out in the busy summer season. Another reason to talk to our team first, is that we may be able to arrange a return shipping label, saving you time, as well as money, with our lower commercial shipping rates.
Once we confirm a return is appropriate, we will issue a return authorization (RA) number to be included with the returned product. Please reach out to info@shuswapsnb.com to obtain an RA number.
Products shipped back without an RA# risk not being tracked properly on your customer account and will result in delays in completing the process.
If a refund is an option, all returned products MUST come back looking the same as when it left the store and show no signs of wear or damage.
We may still allow products that have been used to be exchanged under the perameters of our Performance & Fit Guarantee, with a usage/restocking charge if necessary. Product being shipped back must be packed carefully to insure no damage in transit. We strongly recommend that a carrier with detailed tracking capabilities is used for all returns and/or the purchase of insurance on the return shipping. A signature should also be required, as we can not be responsible for lost or damaged returns.
Please note: The cost of shipping from the original purchase is not credited on returns and customers are responsible for the cost of shipping on all products being sent back for a return.
The primary return address is:
Shuswap Ski & Board
521 - 58 Avenue SE, Calgary, AB, Canada, T2H 0P7
Toll-free: 1-866-955-0917
Email: info@shuswapsnb.com
From May to August, items purchased from the Sicamous store, can be shipped to:
Shuswap Ski & Board - Attn: Sicamous store
302A Main Street, Sicamous, BC, Canada, V0E 2V
Toll-free: 1-877-322-0081
Email: info@shuswapsnb.com
Damaged Items
We are not responsible for parcel loss or shipping damage once your parcel has been picked up from our store and given to the courier. Should you see any physical damage to the packaging you must note that with the shipping company when you receive the package. You also have the right to inspect the contents while the shipping company is present or refuse the shipment due to the appearance of damage to the packaging. Should you have any questions regarding the condition of your package upon its arrival, please contact us at info@shuswapsnb.com immediately, as we may need to initiate a claim on your behalf with the shipping courier.
Warranty
Warranties vary by manufacturer and are at the discretion of the manufacturer, in accordance with their warranty policy. We do understand that Canadian summers are short, so we do our best to help in any way we can. Unfortunately, some manufacturers will only allow customers to deal directly with them. Please contact us at info@shuswapsnb.com with any warranty related questions.
