# Amazon. uk



## JaneyO (Sep 24, 2012)

Just found out Amazon .co.uk have removed Spain from their list of countries elegible for free delivery. I presume this is to make us use Amazon.es which is nowhere near as good, very limited selection compared to the UK site and they charge for delivery. Living on a small island where local shopping is dire to say the least we've relied on Amazon for years and have always found them brilliant. Wouldn't be so bad if they had a fixed delivery charge like other companies we use eg marks and spencers.eu but you have to go through all the items which are charged separately to find out which is worth sending for. Not a happy bunny!


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

JaneyO said:


> Just found out Amazon .co.uk have removed Spain from their list of countries elegible for free delivery. I presume this is to make us use Amazon.es which is nowhere near as good, very limited selection compared to the UK site and they charge for delivery. Living on a small island where local shopping is dire to say the least we've relied on Amazon for years and have always found them brilliant. Wouldn't be so bad if they had a fixed delivery charge like other companies we use eg marks and spencers.eu but you have to go through all the items which are charged separately to find out which is worth sending for. Not a happy bunny!


The Bosslady says they have always charged for delivery to this Canary island and those other cads you mentioned, Marks and Sparks, will not deliver here at all.

When challenged both sets of plonkers tell us we are not part of Spain nor the E.U.

We have resolved this problem by flying empty to Las Palmas de G.C. and returning stocked up.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

JaneyO said:


> Just found out Amazon .co.uk have removed Spain from their list of countries elegible for free delivery. I presume this is to make us use Amazon.es which is nowhere near as good, very limited selection compared to the UK site and they charge for delivery. Living on a small island where local shopping is dire to say the least we've relied on Amazon for years and have always found them brilliant. Wouldn't be so bad if they had a fixed delivery charge like other companies we use eg marks and spencers.eu but you have to go through all the items which are charged separately to find out which is worth sending for. Not a happy bunny!



our baldilocks posted about it here a while back  

http://www.expatforum.com/expats/la-tasca/159140-amazon-m-s.html


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## JaneyO (Sep 24, 2012)

xabiachica said:


> our baldilocks posted about it here a while back
> 
> http://www.expatforum.com/expats/la-tasca/159140-amazon-m-s.html


ooops sorry, must have been asleep that day!


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## Nugget_Hound (Jun 13, 2013)

Royal mail prices are horrendous at the moment its no suprise they don't offer free delivery.


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## JaneyO (Sep 24, 2012)

Nugget_Hound said:


> Royal mail prices are horrendous at the moment its no suprise they don't offer free delivery.


True enough but they never used Royal Mail to here it was always MSN and the delivery times were brilliant. Gonna miss it but who's going to pay £12 delivery for £20 worth of small stuff like I was quoted today, -sadly not me!


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

JaneyO said:


> True enough but they never used Royal Mail to here it was always MSN and the delivery times were brilliant. Gonna miss it but who's going to pay £12 delivery for £20 worth of small stuff like I was quoted today, -sadly not me!


So have them delivered to a Uk address and then mailed on to you if you think that would be cheaper.
Most Amazon stuff is posted from other countries, such as Germany or Channel Islands, hence the Royal Mail (as you say) dont come into it really


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## Madliz (Feb 4, 2011)

> ...who's going to pay £12 delivery for £20 worth of small stuff like I was quoted today, -sadly not me!


I agree. Will high postal rates be the death of internet shopping - international, anyway? There's a particular book I was searching for yesterday and could only find (and get shipped here) from Amazon.com. It was from a bookstore in Sierra Nevada, sadly the one in the US, so the $12 book needed $19 to ship it here. If it was from here I would have said yes, but I was forced to go without. It was the first book I was going to treat myself to in months. 

There's clearly a need for another way. Perhaps a system whereby people take and collect packages from a central office (like a post office!) would cut costs for both sides? It's the delivery bit that probably ups the costs so maybe that would make a cheaper option?


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## Aron (Apr 30, 2013)

If everyone stopped using Amazon, the cost to that company would be far more than any postage they may gain. The consumer has the option whether to trade with a company who they may feel is being discrimitive if Spain is the only country to lose free postage. If it is across the whole of Europe, then it may well be in Amazon best interest to charge postage, but if it is just Spain, then there may be obligatory reasons, but if that were the case, Amazon should inform their customers the reasons behind the change. After all, the customer is the most important part of their business. Without custom, there will be no business!


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

What is more annoying is the fact that, if we lived in France or even Portugal we could still have free delivery.

Does the forum allow us to organise a petition? If so, Volunteers, anyone?


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## Nugget_Hound (Jun 13, 2013)

Royal mail have changed their prices recently , it now costs as much to send a 150g packet as it does one weighing 999g , these price rises are bad for a lot of people selling DVDs and other similar items.

I myself never use amazon , I think their website is awful plus they make billions and pay like .5% tax , I don't like paying tax but resent the fact that I pay 15% overall ( don't earn alot ) and they pay ****** all.

Much rather use Fleabay myself.

Cheers


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

Nugget_Hound said:


> Royal mail have changed their prices recently , it now costs as much to send a 150g packet as it does one weighing 999g , these price rises are bad for a lot of people selling DVDs and other similar items.
> 
> I myself never use amazon , I think their website is awful plus they make billions and pay like .5% tax , I don't like paying tax but resent the fact that I pay 15% overall ( don't earn alot ) and they pay ****** all.
> 
> ...


Yes ..... good idea .... errrrrrr 

_*eBay avoids £50m corporation tax bill by channelling payments through Luxembourg
eBay generates sales of more than £800million a year in Britain - but paid only a little over £1million in corporation tax in the country*_


More HERE


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## JaneyO (Sep 24, 2012)

baldilocks said:


> What is more annoying is the fact that, if we lived in France or even Portugal we could still have free delivery.
> 
> Does the forum allow us to organise a petition? If so, Volunteers, anyone?


Sign me up ! I have sent several strongly worded messages but there's strength in numbers, maybe they will think again, worth a try.


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## thegavs (Apr 8, 2013)

Well i've had a look at the rules and i think this is OK as long as i dont post it to death! I run www.facebook.com/dropbox2spain 

we can provide a postal address in the uk to use your Amazon free delivery and we then ship it over to local collection points of which there are 10 between Javea and Torevieja ....and beyond soon hopefully!

So if you live in the Costa blanca, this could be of use to you if you use UK online shopping a alot


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

thegavs said:


> Well i've had a look at the rules and i think this is OK as long as i dont post it to death! I run www.facebook.com/dropbox2spain
> 
> we can provide a postal address in the uk to use your Amazon free delivery and we then ship it over to local collection points of which there are 10 between Javea and Torevieja ....and beyond soon hopefully!
> 
> So if you live in the Costa blanca, this could be of use to you if you use UK online shopping a alot



yes, I've heard about this.... & I'll let the 'ad' pass this time ...........

when's the website coming? You might like to take Premium Membership & advertise properly then


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## JaneyO (Sep 24, 2012)

thegavs said:


> Well i've had a look at the rules and i think this is OK as long as i dont post it to death! I run www.facebook.com/dropbox2spain
> 
> we can provide a postal address in the uk to use your Amazon free delivery and we then ship it over to local collection points of which there are 10 between Javea and Torevieja ....and beyond soon hopefully!
> 
> ...


Can we have one in Menorca? Pretty please????


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## susanspain (Sep 5, 2008)

*Alternatives to Amazon*

admin - hope it is ok to post a link here - please remove if not..

There is a PETITION PAGE for Amazon to re-instate FSD or we will vote with our wallets!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/156366857883113/

Likewise, you can also join the Amazon's own forum, or write to their customer services to complain. But sadly, I cannot see them changing it...
So shop elsewhere - ideas/places on a list on above Facebook page!


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

https://www.myukpost.com/

UK address for deliveries, and then forwarded to you


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## Matrix123 (Apr 3, 2014)

they've also removed the rest of europe as of today


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## webmarcos (Dec 25, 2012)

As a bookstall owner, the higher the postage charges that you incurr with Amazon, the better! 
Having said that, I do sell books using their marketplace.
It's weird though, if someone came into my shop and said "look you have a book here at 6 euros, and there is a similar one on Amazon and in the same condition at only 1 euro 50cents, I'd be ok to change my price - taking into account the 2.99 that Amazon charge for p&p of course!" But no-one ever thinks of haggling.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

If buying books, instead of amazon, try abebooks..
Often there is no chsrge for delivery to Spain


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## GUAPACHICA (Jun 30, 2012)

Hi - the UK's_ 'Book Depository_' also offers 'world-wide' free delivery! I'm still distressed at _Amazon.UK's_ decision to deny the same to Spain. I purchased a microwave/fan oven/grill combo. from them, three years ago, having failed to find a supplier in my adopted Spanish city, where, in any case, all household electrical goods are priced incredibly highly! 

The machine was delivered, within the week, at the exact time promised - and the van driver carried it up two flights of stairs to my flat's front door! Amazing service - much praised by all of my astonished Spanish friends, LOL!

BTW, Hepa; I've a Canarian friend in Las Palmas, GC. who's also lamenting the withdrawal o_f Amazon UK's _ free delivery service. You've [posted that you head there to stock up. Are you referring to goods from_ Amazon.UK_ or_ Marks and Spencer's ..?_ The friend concerned bought, previously, all of his English language medical text books from either _Amazon.UK _or the _Book Depository_ - delivered free, from the UK! 

We'd both love to order from Amazon.es, but, as another poster has already stated, the Spanish website has nowhere near the number of products available, yet - sadly! I'd prefer, always, to buy my English language teaching materials from our local Spanish bookshop, which stocks many titles - but the cost is prohibitive, as there's usually a doubling of the publishers' prices (60 -70 euros, for a 30 euro text book!!!). Neither I, nor my Spanish students, can afford to pay such a huge mark-up!

Saludos,
GC.


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## JaneyO (Sep 24, 2012)

GUAPACHICA said:


> Hi - the UK's_ 'Book Depository_' also offers 'world-wide' free delivery! I'm still distressed at _Amazon.UK's_ decision to deny the same to Spain. I purchased a microwave/fan oven/grill combo. from them, three years ago, having failed to find a supplier in my adopted Spanish city, where, in any case, all household electrical goods are priced incredibly highly!
> 
> The machine was delivered, within the week, at the exact time promised - and the van driver carried it up two flights of stairs to my flat's front door! Amazing service - much praised by all of my astonished Spanish friends, LOL!
> 
> ...


You are so right about the extortionate textbook prices, nearly had a heart attack when I took my grandaughter in to buy a small school book that would have cost a tenner max in the UK. Amazon have lost so much business over this we used to spend hundreds a year with them. Wouldn't mind if they charged a flat rate for a delivery like other companies do, I think M and S is about £7.99 or thereabouts. I wanted a small pack of over the counter pills I can't get here, small envelope size, no weight, cost £8 they wanted another £8 to deliver. Ok I'll get two packs while I'm at it, no chance the postage went up to £16! Rip off.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Awesome Books charge a flat rate of £2.99 for delivery to Spain, however many books you buy. They have quite a good selection of new and second-hand books at very reasonable prices, and lots of special offers including "magic bundles" - three books from the same author or genre for £6.99.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

GUAPACHICA said:


> We'd both love to order from Amazon.es, but, as another poster has already stated, the Spanish website has nowhere near the number of products available, yet - sadly! I'd prefer, always, to buy my English language teaching materials from our local Spanish bookshop, which stocks many titles - but the cost is prohibitive, as there's usually a doubling of the publishers' prices (60 -70 euros, for a 30 euro text book!!!). Neither I, nor my Spanish students, can afford to pay such a huge mark-up!
> 
> Saludos,
> GC.


Spain still has an equivalent of the Net Book Agreement which means that booksellers aren't allowed to offer discounts. It's really time to get rid of this, as they did in the UK. But as for your local shop (Qorum?) doubling the prices, that's insane! Have you tried complaining to the publishers?


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## webmarcos (Dec 25, 2012)

Alcalaina said:


> Spain still has an equivalent of the Net Book Agreement which means that booksellers aren't allowed to offer discounts. It's really time to get rid of this, as they did in the UK. But as for your local shop (Qorum?) doubling the prices, that's insane! Have you tried complaining to the publishers?


I think we are talking about two things here.
With second hand books (I run a bookshop in Madrid) I offer to match or beat amazon prices for the same quality book, if you take into account the 2.99 shipping charge. so if a book that is "muy bueno" is on sale on amazon at 3 euros, and someone points out my copy of a similar condition is 7 euros, I will then reduce to 5,90 (beating the 3 + 2.99 on amazon).
I don't sell new text books, but can understand why the designated bookstores have their mark-ups. Those books tend to only sell at certain times of year, can go out of date, and there is a cost of shipping books (if from a UK publisher). The bookshop has to pay rent and staff the rest of the time. Put it another way. I can buy a beer in the supermarket for just 40 centimes - but I'd expect to be jumped upon if I entered a pub where it was sold at 5 or 6 times that price. The establishment has to pay rent, cost of staff, electricity etc etc etc.


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## webmarcos (Dec 25, 2012)

I meant to say "but I'd expect to be jumped upon if I entered a pub and opened that can where it was sold at 5 or 6 times that price." Hope that was clear!


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