As per a report by IBIS World in ‘A Snapshot of Australia’s Digital Future 2050’, the digital future of Australia will transform a raft of industries including retail trade. According to this report, retail will continue its online revolution with Ebay, Amazon and group buying sites redefining the traditional concepts of high street and shopping center retailing.
There is no denying the fact that out of all international companies offering retail services to online Australian consumers, Amazon is leading the front. For quite some time now, Amazon has continued to dominate international online markets worldwide, but it has been able to do so with the help of its local online stores and warehouses present in the region. With infrastructural facilities like these, it has been able to strengthen its position in the local online retail markets of numerous countries, including UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Japan, China, Brazil and Portugal.
What is very different about the trend in the online Australian market is that there is no official ‘Amazon Australia’ in the region, and yet Amazon is still a big player amongst the local online shopping populace.
Having said that, many online Australian shoppers remain unaware of the simple fact that Amazon does indeed ship its items to overseas countries, including Australia, and due to this misinformation, they miss a wonderful opportunity of experiencing the benefits of online shopping that Amazon USA has to offer.
Speaking of this, Amazon indeed ship internationally to Australia, via its specially dedicated service called the ‘Amazon Global’ program. Once you know that you can get items shipped from Amazon USA, you may ask yourself what benefits you may get from buying an item from its store? Why should Australian online consumers even bother to order something from overseas via Amazon Global from Amazon USA?
Advantages Of Purchasing Goods From Amazon USA
- Amazon.com is based in USA. The products are listed in US Dollar. Considering the exchange rate between US Dollar and AU Dollar, Australian Consumers have a rather noteworthy advantage since products from Amazon would turn out to be actually cheaper than those that are available locally.
- Amazon.com is the biggest online store in the world. This means that you have many choices.
- Amazon.com is a trusted online store. You can transact using your credit card without any worry of getting scammed.
Payment Methods
Amazon.com accepts the following methods of payment 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.
So what exactly is Amazon Global?
Amazon Global is what makes shopping from Amazon USA possible for international overseas online shoppers. It is a special service provided by Amazon in which Australian consumers, or for that matter, shoppers from all across the globe, can browse through Amazon’s vast inventory, purchase and then order items of their choice online, by selecting one of three suitable methods of shipping. These are discussed in the next sections.
You can access the Amazon Global page here.
The following items can be shipped to almost all destinations outside the US:
- Books
- DVDs
- Music
- VHS videos
In addition to this, some consumer electronics, health and personal care, home and garden, jewelry, pet supplies, shoes, software, sporting goods, tools, video games, and watches are also allowed to be shipped internationally to overseas destinations – Australia being among one of them.
Available Items’ Check For International Delivery At Amazon.com
You should note that not all items listed on Amazon USA will be available for international delivery to Australia. This may be the case if you haven’t specified and set the ‘International Shipping’ filter in the search box at Amazon.
To avoid any unwanted surprises, be sure to always visit the Amazon Global page where the ‘International Shipping’ filter is set. If you want to know if a particular product listed in Amazon is available for international delivery, just view its ‘Product Details’ section and in front of the ‘Shipping’ info it should say “This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.”.
Shipping Info in Product Details section at Amazon
If instead the shipping info reads “Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.”, then the item will not be available for international delivery.
Amazon To Australia Shipping Rates, Times And Methods
Amazon Global provides three different methods of shipping to its customers. These are listed below.
A. Standard Shipping
Standard Shipping to Australia takes 18 to 32 business days. It is ideal if you want to save on shipping fees and the item ordered is not needed immediately.
B. Expedited Shipping
Expedited Shipping to Australia takes 5 to 12 business days. It is ideal where one requires a faster transit time without spending too much for it.
C. Priority Courier Shipping
Priority Courier Shipping to Australia takes 3 to 5 business days. It is ideal in cases where time is of the essence and shipping rates are not an issue.
Additional Surcharge
Amazon Global charges an additional surcharge on orders that are especially bulky, heavy and of unusual shape and dimensions. In case the additional surcharge is applicable on your order, you will be notified of this before the checkout.
Here are some brief details:
Warranty Claims And Compatibility Issues
Some manufacturers consider the warranty void if you ship their products internationally overseas. Therefore, when you are ordering any good from Amazon Global, make sure that it comes with an international warranty that is considered valid in your region of Australia.
Other than this, you also need to make sure that the product you are ordering online is perfectly compatible with your usage, operating conditions, rules, regulations and any other technical specifications that may be valid only in your country.
For example, some electrical appliances use a different voltage configuration and power source when they are in the USA as compared to when they are being used in Australia. If the product you have ordered is not compatible, then you may need to order some extra set of power cables, adapters, battery packs or chargers etc., to go with it.
Amazon Australia vs. Amazon USA
Ask any regular online shopper in Australia and he will tell you that the establishment of a local online store ‘Amazon Australia’ would be ideal for the shoppers in the region. However till then, you should know that you always have the option to go for Amazon USA via the Amazon Global service program. With its large inventory, and an established trading and service credibility, you won’t be disappointed.
