30% exchange rate, really? Give me a break, weight watchers!

November 13, 2009 8:36 AM

WeightWatchers Canada vs WeightWatchers United States -- is there a difference, besides price, for the online version?

I'm thinking of joining the online version of WeightWatchers. The main site (the .com), has three months for $65 USD. The canadian version (.ca) has the same three months for $85 CDN. Last time I checked, it's been years (decades?) since the exchange rate was 30%. Does anyone know why on earth I should sign up for the Canadian version? Assume I'm not interested in their real life meetings at all. Do they not take Canadian credit cards? Is there a difference between the programs, or does one take canada-specific products into account? Do they just assume canadians are suckers?

posted by cgg to Health & Fitness (3 answers total)

Best answer: I looked into this for work (no, really). The problem with using the US site is that they accept US-based credit cards or PayPal with a valid US addresses and nothing else. You can click through the link on this page* and get 3 months for $79 CAD, which I realize is only $6 off the base price, but also seems to be the best deal available. Usually I check Retail Me Not for coupon codes but it looks like WeightWatchers.ca has blocked them.

Another alternative would be waiting until January, as they tend to release their best offers then (to take advantage of all the newly-resolute). To answer your other question, I did Weight Watchers in Canada and I did find the materials to be catered pretty nicely towards the Canadian market.

*if you just copy and paste the URL for the landing page, the price is $85 -- if you click through, it's $79. Oh Weight Watchers, you vex me.
posted by kate blank at 8:59 AM on November 13, 2009

This sort of thing isn't all that new.
posted by one more dead town's last parade at 11:57 AM on November 13, 2009

Yes, there is also 13% HST in the Canada price, so Weight Watcher is only getting 75 CAD, or $71 USD. So you aren't getting gouged that badly, you're getting the advantages of Canada!
posted by smackfu at 1:57 PM on November 23, 2009