The UK is one of the most internet-based economies in the world according to researchers at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Worth £121 billion in 2010, it contributes to 8.3% of the UK economy, growing at a faster rate than other countries. The increase of online shopping in the UK is a trend that shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. There continue to be new online stores opening every day, and the sales that these stores are racking up are staggering.
In the online shopping arena, there lies a tough competition between online UK stores that have been dominating the local market for the past couple of years. While there have been many ups and downs for many stores, the leader without a doubt remains Amazon USA, with its vast selection of items and greatest bargain and discounted prices as compared to those available in the local market.
While many Brits are aware of the fact that they can very well shop goods from Amazon USA instead of its local subsidiary Amazon UK, a large number of online shoppers are not in the know of the Amazon Global Service program, which allows international shoppers to purchase, order and ship goods from Amazon US.
Payment Methods
The following methods of payment are accepted by Amazon US for purchases made at its store:
- American Express,
- Diners Club (US billing address only),
- Discover,
- JCB,
- MasterCard,
- Eurocard,
- Visa,
- Visa Check Cards,
- Payment from your checking account,
- Amazon.com Gift Cards,
- Amazon.com Gift Card Claim Codes,
- Amazon Payments Stored Balance, and
- The Amazon Store Card.
Amazon Global
As discussed earlier, Amazon Global is a web service provided by Amazon USA to its international online shoppers so that they too can purchase items of their choice from the Amazon US Store. Not only this, Amazon Global also provides shipping services in three varying methods – Standard Shipping (Cheapest and slowest), Expedited Shipping (Faster and slightly costlier), and Priority Courier Shipping (Fastest and costliest).
To visit Amazon Global, click here.
Additional Surcharge, Warranty Issues And Compatibility Problems
You should keep in mind that Amazon Global will charge an extra fee from you if the item you have ordered is bulky or is of unusual shape.
Note that some manufacturers may not honor the warranty if their product is shipped overseas, so try to find a product which has a valid international warranty. Some product may not be compatible for use in your locality or region, so bear this in mind too.
Amazon USA Or Amazon UK?
While both of Amazon US and Amazon UK are among the top leading retail departmental stores on the world-wide web, one has to give credit to the former for being the first amongst the two, and also for having a much bigger inventory than the latter. Amazon USA is a great choice for serious online shoppers who want a little more variety in their online purchases, with the same level of comfort and trustworthiness that you may expect from the local online store, Amazon UK.
