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Amazon Changing International Shipping - $20 off Voucher

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Amazon Changing International Shipping - $20 off Voucher
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highwind on 30/05/2018 - 17:38 files.ozbargain.com.au (5455 clicks)
Last edited 30/05/2018 - 17:41 by 1 other user

Received the following email from Amazon US, stating they will soon redirect all customers in Australia to Amazon.com.au in order to be GST compliant. Good news is, it included a $20 off unique voucher, so I assume everyone with an account would get something similar.

As a result of changes to Australian GST law, on 1 July 2018 Amazon’s international shopping options for Australian customers will change.

While we regret any inconvenience this may cause, from 1 July we will be redirecting Australian customers from our international Amazon sites to amazon.com.au where you can shop for products sold by Amazon US on the new Amazon Global Store, available today. We have taken this step to to provide our customers with continued access to international selection and allow us to remain compliant with the law which requires us to collect and remit GST on products sold on Amazon sites that are shipped from overseas.

Amazon Global Store will allow Australian customers to shop on amazon.com.au for over four million items that were previously only accessible on amazon.com. This selection is in addition to the more than 60 million products that are already available on amazon.com.au across 23 categories, including books, fashion, toys, and electronics.

To welcome you to amazon.com.au, and thank you for choosing to shop with us, we are offering you a $20 voucher to redeem against your next purchase on amazon.com.au of items sold and shipped by Amazon AU. Just include your unique promotional code below at checkout when purchasing eligible items (see full terms and conditions below).

Thank you for choosing to shop with Amazon.

Terms & Conditions of Use: These terms and conditions apply to the offer set out in this email. The email recipient can use the unique promotional code contained herein to receive $20 off their next purchase of any eligible item(s) made via the Amazon app or Amazon.com.au ("offer"). For the purpose of these terms and conditions "eligible items" refers to any product shipped and sold by Amazon AU on Amazon.com.au or Amazon app and excludes products sold by third party sellers (even if fulfilled by Amazon AU or shipped and sold by Amazon US), digital purchases such as e-books, subscriptions such as Prime Video and Audible, gift cards and postage or delivery rates. Amazon's standard delivery rates and policies apply to any purchase made pursuant to the offer. The unique promotional code can only be redeemed once by the selected email recipient on eligible items only. To redeem the offer, once you have added one or more eligible items to your cart, enter the promotional code into the relevant field during the checkout process on Amazon.com.au or Amazon app and your discount will be applied to the eligible items. If you do not add any eligible items to your cart, the promotional code will not apply to your order at checkout. If you return any item purchased using the promotional code, Amazon AU will only refund the price actually paid for the item (that is, less the value of the promotional code) and the promotional code will be invalidated. The promotional code is not transferable and may not be resold. This offer cannot be used on pre-existing orders. The promotional code will not apply to orders placed with 1-Click. If you violate any terms and conditions of the offer, your use of the promotional code will be invalid, and the discount will not apply. This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or code for new customers or Amazon devices. Amazon reserves the right to cancel, amend or withdraw the offer at any time at its discretion. Amazon.com.au’s Conditions of Use and Sale apply. The offer is valid until 11:59PM (AEST) on 31 December 2018.

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closed Comments

    • hadz on 30/05/2018 - 18:15
      +8

      Hey its me your aunties cousin

    • giventofly on 30/05/2018 - 18:16

      Hi, R4. It's me, your long lost cousin.

    • FeZZa21 on 30/05/2018 - 19:56
      +2

      Hey R4, I'm more important than your auntie, I'm a Nigerian prince. Get in touch asap!

    • tunzafun001 on 30/05/2018 - 21:09
      +1

      Everything bought will be labelled as a $2 'gift'.. addressed to "Gerry Harvey" @ whatever PO Box!

  • [Deactivated] on 30/05/2018 - 18:07
    +2

    I hope this means that we are able to buy their fire tablets.

  • Tuffstuff80 on 30/05/2018 - 18:12
    +27

    The Amazon Australian site is the worst. It has more Chinese no name products than Ebay

    • thord on 31/05/2018 - 13:38

      Could be re-sellers? Are they sold by amazon items? Or sold by re-seller items? Re-sellers will open amazon stores and stock them full of crap to get sales, but usually the items sold direct by amazon are quality. Games, electronics, etc. are pretty well priced and fair. I've bought a few switch games from .com.au and they were well priced. Much better than any australian retailer and on-par with the USA site.

      I'm really hoping they step up their game with their new warehouses, because if things keep going the way they are and we can't import as easily as before, we're (profanity).

  • Clear on 30/05/2018 - 18:13
    +2

    Buy up all the 1TB SSDs before they're gone !!!

  • rickb on 30/05/2018 - 18:14
    +2

    Just ship to Shipito or one of their competitors and problem solved, right?

    • hadz on 30/05/2018 - 18:15
      +10

      nah, we usually just use r4's auntie https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/381343#comment-5996877

    • garage sale on 30/05/2018 - 18:35
      +2

      to save $30 gst on a $300 drive and pay postage in the usa then usa to australia ….. false economy.

      it will be more for light items of high value eg $800 items like laptops ….

      time to get that last amplifier from amazon germany.

  • petry on 30/05/2018 - 18:15

    same old same old - lament of I didn't know - didn't realise …………dross

  • gembel on 30/05/2018 - 18:15
    +2

    It's gonna be like this (seller Amazon US)
    https://www.amazon.com.au/ORICO-Aluminum-External-Enclosure-…

    • doweyy on 30/05/2018 - 18:24
      +1

      That's not too bad then, only about $2 AUD more than buying from Amazon US so pricing currently doesn't seem different. But will probably change come July 1.

  • Hoju on 30/05/2018 - 18:23
    +2

    I can’t imagine amazon Australia will survive.
    They are desperately filling inventory with Chinese sellers half of which for some reason won’t ship to my Metro Sydney address.
    Took me half an hour to find four simple products for my cart, then at checkout 3 couldn’t be shipped to me (with no reason given). Trying to find a use for a $20 voucher but no luck :(
    The same search takes 5 minutes on eBay, who I think will eat amazon alive

    • garage sale on 30/05/2018 - 18:37
      +3

      ebay is fairly good, i buy more chinese made stuff from ebay than from amazon ….amazon i use for stuff from usa, germany or the uk.

  • STENDEC on 30/05/2018 - 18:24
    +11

    If this is the case, then F*** Amazon and the government. Sounds like we're getting shafted the same way as India was about a year and a half ago:
    https://www.firstpost.com/tech/news-analysis/amazon-global-s…

    In other words, it'll have a pathetically tiny fraction of what's available on the US (and presumably every other Amazon) site with a healthy 30%+ markup. All for the f***ing convenience of being slapped with an extra 10% fee for the GST.

  • baldur on 30/05/2018 - 18:29
    +1

    What a genius idea not to let customers pay gst. Simply, amazon suggests don't make purchases if you don't wanna pay gst. Lol.

  • whzzz28 on 30/05/2018 - 18:31

    The Amazon Global store can be viewed by selecting "Amazon Global Store" in the grey box in the search field.
    No - it does not have access to all of the same products as amazon.com does (excluding items not fulfilled by Amazon.com).

    So unless they plan to expand the selection, it means your days are numbered ordering from amazon.com, without using a drop shipper.

    Example:
    https://www.amazon.com/Tamiya-Models-10-Thunderbolt-Model/dp…

    Sold by Amazon.com

    Searching Amazon.com.au global store:
    https://www.amazon.com.au/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=srs%3D5684651…
    We didn't find results for "tamiya A-10" in Global Store

    All I can think of is if the product exists on the Amazon.com.au store (not global store), then you wont be able to buy it from the global store, since its available locally. Makes sense in a way, but sadly this seems to include third party sellers (as per "tamiya A-10" example above, Amazon.com.au do not fulfill this in AU), so prices are sky high locally.

    • Nousernamehere on 30/05/2018 - 21:15
      +3

      Umm yes they can. They already charge the sales tax for different states in the US.

  • grasstown on 30/05/2018 - 18:34

    This may be good for small businesses in the US. Couldn't they put items on their own website without GST, so users can search Amazon, they try find their online store that is GST free? It may create a new market. I can't imagine GST applying to small US sellers.

  • carlJack on 30/05/2018 - 18:43
    +8

    It wont be the same. What a sad day

  • hollykryten on 30/05/2018 - 18:45
    -3

    This has to be so much a scam email. Notice how it addresses the person as just Dear.

    If it was real it would be addressed to the actual persons name.

    • HentaiEnjoyer on 30/05/2018 - 18:47
      -1

      Sarcasm? Probably is, but

      <- If not then pic related.

    • highwind on 30/05/2018 - 19:15
      +2

      It's called censoring. I removed my own name lol. Do you want be to use a black box instead of white?

      It's signed and verified to be Amazon.com

      • hollykryten on 30/05/2018 - 19:44
        -3

        How was i supposed to know that the pic was photoshopped in that way.

  • PinzVidz on 30/05/2018 - 18:46
    +3

    Close enough(NSFW).

  • user01 on 30/05/2018 - 18:47

    Does this law only apply to big player like AMAZON US? or it applys to all oversea sellers? what about AliExpress?

    • Detective Pikachu on 30/05/2018 - 19:35
      +2

      It applies to all low value import goods as far as I'm aware, so not exclusive to Amazon, but because multi-nationals like Amazon and eBay already have a presence in Australia and meet the GST registration threshold, they have been handed more responsibilities I assume to meet the same local businesses' responsibilities, even if the goods are from elsewhere, hence this incoming re-structure.

      Update:

      Treat re-deliverers as the suppliers of low value goods if the goods are delivered outside of Australia as part of the supply, and the re-deliverer assists with their delivery into Australia as part of a shopping or mailbox service that it provides under an arrangement with the consumer.

      Reading that suggests to me that mail forwarding services will cost even more now.

    • MetaphorOZB on 30/05/2018 - 19:47
      +1

      I believe it is up to the vendor to collect and remit GST to the Aus govt. Un-bloody-likely any small/medium overseas businesses and any businesses operating in China are going to do that.

      • Detective Pikachu on 30/05/2018 - 19:52

        Yep, that should be the case, as long as it's below AUD $1000. I think they said it logistically costs too much, apparently to do it via the existing system, for items under that.

      • user01 on 30/05/2018 - 19:59

        so confusing, how does an oversea seller collect GST and pay to Aus govt? if i buy something on ebay from an international seller? do i have to pay more? or will the seller increase price?

    • andylch on 30/05/2018 - 20:04

      What about Rakuten and Taobao?

  • hollykryten on 30/05/2018 - 18:47
    -1

    They didn't do this to UK customers. As in block UK people from using the US store and redirect them to the UK store.

    I think that email is only just a scam.

    • TheContact on 30/05/2018 - 18:52

      Is it up to the retailer to collect VAT for international items over there or the carrier? Amazon wanted the carrier(Auspost) to have to do it here, but the government said no. Edit, should say, Amazon doing what is easiest for them is entirely feasible.

    • Symbiotic on 30/05/2018 - 19:49

      They don’t block / redirect users from the site, but you can’t ship most items to a UK address from Amazon US. They’ll implement the same model for AU customers on Amazon US.

  • netsurfer on 30/05/2018 - 18:52

    It's not just Amazon, we'll need to see what others will do (i.e. FeeBay).

    No more GST exemption for items purchased overseas starting next financial year even if it is less than $1000:
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/jun/19/gst-e…

    So, VPN + aunties in the US won't help (unless you are still better off after GST and forwarder packaging + international postage + fee; unless aunties can re-package the item to look like second hand). Amazon and FeeBay objected to the rule change furiously. We elected to do nothing. I do wonder how the government intend to collect GST from small international stores.

    • mikezillakind on 30/05/2018 - 20:54
      +2

      the point is im paying taxs on mail regardless of its New or used …….

  • lollyball on 30/05/2018 - 19:02
    +11

    FFS!! Already expensive here in Oz on our island, not happy!!
    Well done liberal voters, this is your fault!!
    So now usa consumers will buy cheap on Amazon and then sell on eBay to us and profit!! Unless the libs close that off as well…. >:/

    • UncleRico on 30/05/2018 - 20:45
      +3

      This change had bi-partisan support.

  • Ronke23 on 30/05/2018 - 19:04

    Anyone got a spare code they don't want ?

    • baldur on 30/05/2018 - 19:29
      +4

      Gee. Look at the big picture mate.

  • lostn on 30/05/2018 - 19:07
    +23

    Let's compare prices of products in my US AMZ cart.

    US: Anker PowerLine USB-C to USB-C 2.0 Cable (6ft) for USB Type-C Devices : USD $7.99 + $5.74 Shipping & Import Fees Deposit to Australia
    AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/Anker-Powerline-Including-Matebook… : AUD $53.41 + $19.98 Delivery

    US: StarTech TBLT34MM50CM Thunderbolt 3 Cable – 40Gbps : USD $17.67 + $5.37 Shipping
    AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/StarTech-com-Thunderbolt-Cable-Cha… : AUD $40.40 + $9.00 Delivery

    US: USB C Cable, Veckle USB-IF Certified 3.3ft USB 3.1 Gen 2 Full Featured USB Type C to Type C Cable : USD $16.99 + $5.44 Shipping
    AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/Veckle-Certified-Featured-Marker-C… : AUD $84.86 + $19.98 Delivery

    We're getting screwed here. And it's going to get 10% worse.

    • CletusDB on 30/05/2018 - 19:25
      +1

      I don't think it is a fair comparison… the USA link is being sold by Anker Direct and fulfilled by Amazon… the AU website is being sold by a 3rd party

      All that really shows is that some 3rd party seller on Amazon AU Market Place is trying to rip people off. Same issue for the second and third… in fact third is the same seller

      If they were both being sold by the same store / Amazon then yes I would agree

      • lostn on 30/05/2018 - 19:46
        +11

        If they were both being sold by the same store / Amazon then yes I would agree

        They are the only seller on AU.

        So it IS a fair comparison. If the US seller is not selling it in AU, how is that not a problem?

        When you can no longer buy from the US, your only option is that one.

        Are all of these US non-ripper-offer sellers going to open up shop in AU after July 1? No they aren't. So we're going to get screwed because the selection of product on AMZ AU is terrible and you're stuck with rip off sellers.

        If I want to buy those cables and I can no longer access the AMZ US site, this is how much I'm going to have to pay. That it is a different seller is irrelevant. The US store decided to close up shop to us. And as a consequence, we're going to get screwed if we want to buy things only AMZ US sells. Our only options are to cough it up, or do without the item you wanted.

    • netsurfer on 30/05/2018 - 20:12
      +1

      It is cherry picking and I don't think it is fair to quote USD vs AUD. Convert all to AUD at least.

      If you go with the ones below, they are not so bad:

      USB-C to USB-C USB 2.0 cable, you can just get anyone: ($6.99 AUD + delivery)
      https://www.amazon.com.au/AUKEY-Braided-MacBook-Nintendo-Sam…

      Belkin thunderbolt 3 USB-IF: ($26.96 AUD + $7.44 delivery to compete against the third cable in your list). This one has thunderbolt support, your third one doesn't.
      https://www.amazon.com.au/Belkin-USB-IF-Certified-USB-C-Thun…

      Sure, if you have a thunderbolt 3 device needing 40Gpps, then Amazon AU currently does not have anything competitive at all, but for more common ones, there are reasonable alternatives. Also, Amazon AU is not the only place selling USB-C cables. However, if I am being totally honest, when it comes to thunderbolt 3 40Gps, I would rather go with Apple one and pay more (at least when the cable breaks, I can go to Apple store and demand a replacement). The higher the speed, the better the cable needs to be.

      Be fair and be reasonable. Don't blow it out of proportion. If our government didn't change the rule, Amazon wouldn't change anything.

      I can assure you, those cables you quoted are not that good. I bought a few USB-IF certified USB-C cables and dongles from US Amazon because I have a donglebook (Macbook Pro). Let's be honest here, despite getting better brands, we do compromise by choosing cheaper ones rather than truly top notch ones. They are not that good. However, for high speed and power related USB-C cables, I still go for Google and Apple ones and pay the extra (high speed data or power, you don't want to risk it).

      • lostn on 30/05/2018 - 21:55
        +1

        It is cherry picking and I don't think it is fair to quote USD vs AUD. Convert all to AUD at least.

        It's not cherry picking at all. US site lists prices in USD. AU site lists them in AUD. I only copy and pasted the prices, and I clearly labeled the currency.

        I left the value there for you to do your own conversion. You'll find the AUD price is several times more expensive than the US price. Not even the conversion is going to balance this out.

        USB-C to USB-C USB 2.0 cable, you can just get anyone: ($6.99 AUD + delivery)

        This cable is not Benson approved. If you want his approval, your choices are the ones I linked.

        Belkin thunderbolt 3 USB-IF:

        Sure, if you have a thunderbolt 3 device needing 40Gpps, then Amazon AU currently does not have anything competitive at all, but for more common ones, there are reasonable alternatives.

        I don't want alternatives. I want that very cable, for comparison purposes. You open up a slippery slope when you use alternatives instead of direct comparisons.

        Also, Amazon AU is not the only place selling USB-C cables.

        You sound like you're excusing them.

        If you want Benson approved cables, they are going to be expensive anywhere other than Amazon US. I spent a night scouring ebay, AMZ US and AMZ AU. That is my conclusion.

        I would rather go with Apple one and pay more (at least when the cable breaks, I can go to Apple store and demand a replacement)

        I need several sets of cables of varying lengths, wattage, and speed, some with thunderbolt, some without. I'm buying maybe 8 cables in all. Going to Apple isn't viable for me. And I'm banking on them not breaking. Also, Amazon US does combined shipping if buying from Fulfilled by Amazon sellers. Which means buying several items will not add more than a negligible amount to shipping cost. This isn't going to happen with the AU sellers available, or on ebay.

        Be fair and be reasonable. Don't blow it out of proportion. If our government didn't change the rule, Amazon wouldn't change anything.

        I'm not excusing our government. I don't know where you get that.

        I can assure you, those cables you quoted are not that good

        I don't care what you think of their quality. I'm going by this list to be safe (https://bensonapproved.com/usb-type-c-to-type-c-cables/) because I don't want to risk my expensive gear on dodgy cables.

        Please don't make this about MY items. I bet I could come up with a list of non cables to compare prices on, and the story will be exactly the same. Address the issue, not my choice of items.

        You are dodging the issue. It's not about my choice of items. The issue is about Amazon US closing off all of their 3rd party (fulfilled by Amazon) sellers to us, telling us to use the Amazon AU site which has no access to those sellers.

    • netsurfer on 30/05/2018 - 21:09

      For completeness, #2 - the thunderbolt 3 40gbps one. If price is that important, the following feeBay item is cheaper.

      https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Thunderbolt-3-Male-to-Thunderbol…

      But like I mentioned above, super high speed thunderbolt 3, I would go for Apple or actual device's original cable (if provided). Anyone that can afford and actually purchase a thunderbolt 3 40Gbps device (which I consider a luxury item right now) can certainly spend $30 extra and get the Apple one (and get proper warranty). I don't see a need for me to get or stock a thunderbolt 3 40Gbps cable at all (I have zero such device and at that speed, only the very best cable will do - I wouldn't even bother with Belkin, let alone StarTech).

      • lostn on 30/05/2018 - 22:07

        So you're telling me, just don't shop at Amazon anymore after July. Just go to ebay, find it somewhere else cheaper?. It's not an issue anymore?

        And you can do this for every item I will ever conceive of buying in the future?

        I don't care about your prices. The cables are items I pulled out of a hat from my cart. Should I give you the rest of my cart and have you find cheaper prices or alternative products?

        And also, I am not buying your cable. I don't trust the brand, or rather lack of a brand. You're not even giving me the same item. You're just looking for the cheapest generic cable with the same specs and calling it a day, trusting that it does what it claims (very stupid for a no-name brand) and is made with quality. Not good enough.

        I don't see a need for me to get or stock a thunderbolt 3 40Gbps cable at all (I have zero such device and at that speed, only the very best cable will do - I wouldn't even bother with Belkin, let alone StarTech).

        Maybe not right now. But 10 years ago did you think you would be buying C-C cables? The prices of the cables I want (on Amazon US) are affordable enough that I can buy them for future proofing. To think about only the needs of today is myopic. At some point 40Gbps devices are going to be bog standard, and you're going to need to buy the cables eventually. I'm actually more interested in the 100W charging than the 40Gbps. It's just that the two usually go hand in hand.

        StarTech makes Benson approved cables. Most of the stuff you linked aren't.

        Anyone that can afford and actually purchase a thunderbolt 3 40Gbps device (which I consider a luxury item right now) can certainly spend $30 extra and get the Apple one

        I don't like this argument. Anyone who can afford a Ferrari is filthy rich and doesn't need to bother with insurance.

        I would go for Apple or actual device's original cable (if provided)

        Did you know the iPhone X supports fast charging? Did you know you have to buy a $40 cable to do it? And a charger? They are stingy.

        PLEASE STOP. I am not considering any alternative items or brands. Stop defending Amazon. Stop defending our government. Just stop.

      • lostn on 30/05/2018 - 22:33

        All USB Type-C (USB-C) Cables and Accessories are not created equal. Some will charge most efficiently, others might just fry your battery. Google Chromebook engineer and Caped Cable Crusader Benson Leung has been testing USB Type-C (USB-C) cables off Amazon, and it’s not just the no-brand products that have been failing. Benson’s campaign mostly consists of ordering USB Type-C (USB-C) cables off Amazon, testing them to see if they meet the minimum standards or if they’re just knock-offs, and then leaving Amazon reviews. Cables and chargers fail in all sorts of different ways, although incorrect resistors seem to be a common problem that Benson’s been finding. bensonapproved.com lists all USB Type-C (USB-C) Cables and Accessories approved by Benson.

        USB Type-C: Not All Cables Are Created Equal

        However, not all cables support the same functionality. Using a low quality cable can result in serious damage to some devices, especially laptops.

        If you plan to use the cable to transfer data from your external HD or a Flash Drive, most cables will work. Using a cheap cable to charge your computer, however, is a different issue. The cable can damage the charger, the cable itself, and ultimately the laptop.

        If you have paid around $1,000 or more for your laptop, don't try to save $10 buying a cheap cable.

        • netsurfer on 30/05/2018 - 23:37

          Let's face it. If you really wanted those cables, you would have bought them by now (or maybe you already bought them).

          In terms of Benson approved, just because it is or USB-IF, doesn't mean it is great / safe. Some makers switch batches. If you want to pick on cables, let me pick on your cables too.

          Your Anker one - read the customer feedback / reviews. You can see "melted charging port on Pixel", "Stop working after 4 months".

          This cable is not Benson approved. If you want his approval, your choices are the ones I linked.

          So Benson only approved 3 cables so far? You do know one of Benson's colleague also review USB-C cables, chargers and I found his reviews can be more detailed.

          Your 3rd cable… Let's check some reviews shall we? "Will cause your MacBook Pro's USB-C port to shut down", "v2: another hardware fail", "failed after a few weeks".

          Get your facts right and make your point consistently. Given your selection of cables - all you care about is cheapest Benson approved. Benson's approval is mostly specs related and he passes USB-IF cables even if they don't code it correctly, as long as it doesn't cause problem - he would allow incorrect or missing manufacturer code.

          I don't even need to talk about the second one. It's pretty much a data cable.

          You want to talk USB-C. Let's talk USB-C properly. Here is what I feel about USB-C in general:

          • Most cables are either geared towards data side or power side. It's hard to find one that's good on both sides (it is partly a cost issue).
          • Apple USB-C to USB-C cable, for example, is USB 2.0 and good for power (USB-PD).
          • Quite a lot of USB-C to USB-C cables, despite being USB-IF approved are NOT good quality NOR safe for Macbook Pro especially Macbook Pro 15 inch. I've personally done some tests myself. Only Google and Apple ones are reliable enough. When you look at the values on the meter, you can tell Apple and Google definitely check the cable to decide what voltage and current to use. They can give certain cables slight advantages.
          • Even USB-C cables geared towards data side are tricky as well. Only Benson's colleague reviewed them in depth enough. At a reasonable price point, the okay one isn't that good even. While that one will do USB-PD reasonably okay, I still would rather stick to Apple one or Google one. Quality 3rd party ones are expensive.
          • Do you ever wonder why Apple don't have a USB-C to USB-C USB 3.0/3.1 cable? Why do Apple sell Belkin one instead? If you know the answer to that question, then you have decent understanding of USB-C data cable.

          If you have paid around $1,000 or more for your laptop, don't try to save $10 buying a cheap cable.

          That's WHY I said don't bother with those "sort of okay" cables where the reliability is a question mark.

          I'm actually more interested in the 100W charging than the 40Gbps. It's just that the two usually go hand in hand

          Sorry, you are missing the point there. They don't. That's why I wrote: I use Apple or Google cable for charging. The USB-PD pins are DIFFERENT to the data pins. Basically, Apple and Google put quality wires on those pins. You are ASSUMING other makers selling top speed cable would ALSO put quality wires on those PD pins, but reality is a lot of them put emphasis on the data pins and can put normal or inferior wires on PD pins.

          Mate, I've done way more research than you. If there is ANY good 3rd party alternative for high speed USB-C data (USB 3.1+) that's well priced and very good quality, I would have told you already. USB-PD - if that's all you care about, you cannot beat Apple or Google right now. Those cheaper ones, even if Benson approved, won't be as consistent or reliable (because Benson DO NOT test them on Macbook Pros).

          Data side is currently even worse. I don't have ultra high speed devices / converters to test them and based on the reviews and my research, there isn't a cable under $50 AUD delivered that's worth keeping in the long run. You can get a number of them that's sort of okay. Future proofing, not worth it. It's better to wait. If you look at the USB-C specs, you would know a quality power cable with really high speed is unrealistic (top high speed is restricted by cable length, a really short power cable doesn't make sense).

          Amazon US issue - yes, it is not good for us, but I don't think USB-C cables are the items to demonstrate this. Savings from other items are much greater. Not able to get "third party" cables from Amazon USA in the future with limited warranty… Let's be realistic, it is not a big deal.

      • tukanglistrik on 30/05/2018 - 23:10

        You obviously never tried Anker cables. They're way better and more durable than Apple cables for much cheaper price.

        • netsurfer on 30/05/2018 - 23:44

          Did you actually measure the voltage and current using a meter on both cables? You do realise with USB-PD, the device (i.e. Macbook Pro) can detect whether the cable is good quality and the maker of that cable right? It is not just a simple cable. Using a meter, you can tell Apple and Google devices DO check and differentiate cables and apply different charging method depending on the cable used.

          Get your facts straight. Number 1 power charging cable is Apple (100W is fine). Anker powerline, based on the review, it is okay up to 60W. You want to go out of specs and run it at >60W, be my guest. I am not going to even bother. It is rated 60W so it is in my reject list for power usage. I am happy to use it for data, but no thanks for power.

          https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-usb-c-cables/

          USB-C cables are a mess. Benson's reviews often put emphasis on whether the maker put in the correct resistor on the standard USB power pin. He is quite forgiving in other areas.

          You have to be very careful when buying 3rd party USB-C cables. It is more about spotting the issues and not to let your heart take over. Anker didn't quote Macbook Pro 15 inch in the list of devices. While the cable will work, you cannot complain to Anker if Macbook Pro 15 inch refuses to charge at 87W with that cable.

        • netsurfer on 31/05/2018 - 10:06

          USB-PD (power delivery): use the original cable and the original charger as much as you can. Unless you actually intend to test it or it is a well known brand with proper warranty, it is unsafe (60W USB-PD rating is very common for third party cables, but you do question whether those are coded to restrict PD to 60W or incorrectly coded (which could go over and that's unsafe) - 60W just means standard (cheap) wiring, the full PD support requires 100W).
          USB 2.0 (data): just get any USB-IF certified cable, USB 2.0 is not demanding and the wires in those cables for data pins won't be that good anyway.
          USB 3.0/3.1 (data): use original cable as much as possible. If you must use a converter, get Apple, Google, original brand or proper branded ones with warranty.
          If you must use alternative cable (because you have a donglebook (Macbook Pro) like me and the device is portable HDD with USB-B or USB-A plug so original cable won't work as is), get good quality ones (prefer ones which have been thoroughly reviewed with pros and cons provided).
          Thunderbolt 2/3: really try your best to stick with original brand, Apple or proper brand with warranty.

          USB-C isn't for people on a budget. Other than USB 2.0 data (which is considered slow in today's standard), you really need to get quality cables. USB-C is reversible because it has double the number of pins compared to USB-A/B and added PD pins (basically two sets of pins). So, the cable requires at least double amount of wires —> increased cost. There is a chip inside an USB-C cable and that needs to be coded properly.

        • tukanglistrik on 31/05/2018 - 18:42

          @netsurfer: Higher power rating doesn't mean it's more durable. Also many people don't need 100W, for my needs 60W is more than enough. I had several failed Apple cables but never had one Anker died.

        • netsurfer on 01/06/2018 - 02:13

          @tukanglistrik: You had several failed Apple USB-C cables? Or, you were talking about other types of cables?

          The reviews I've read on Anker cables, their power loss and resistance values are not at the very top (for lightning and micro USB ones). I wouldn't rate them as above Apple based on the figures I saw.

          The main issue I have is: lostn picked the cheapest Anker USB-C cable. And, again pick a really cheap cable for the 100W. You didn't realise or notice. If you or him picked the best Anker USB-C cable (which DOES support 100W), then you could argue about quality. By picking the cheapest Anker USB-C cable, a fairly cheap USB-C cable supporting 100W, and a fairly cheap thunderbolt 3 cable THEN arguing about "quality matters" is just silly. I did pick Belkin and I did indicate get Apple if possible.

          If all you care about is 60W or below and price is a big issue, Anker isn't necessary the best choice (looking at the power loss / resistance values). And, please stop this every Anker cable is better than any Apple cable nonsense.

        • netsurfer on 01/06/2018 - 12:17

          @tukanglistrik: This is a review by Nathan K (Benson's colleague) on Anker PowerLine 3.1Gen2 "100W" USB-IF Certified:

          https://plus.google.com/102612254593917101378/posts/VdKCcY5h…

          The cable is eMarked 3A (so it is coded to be 60W basically), but being advertised / sold as 100W. High IR drop. Lies about device, makes charger Vbus HOT. Somehow slipped by USB-IF Certification.

          A lot of bling bling Anker reviews lack technical details. Majority of USB 3.1 gen 2 cables are rubbish (because at that speed, the quality really matters). Every product is different. Don't just go all Anker products are good.

  • burningrage on 30/05/2018 - 19:15
    +7

    If you feel aggrieved, then please by all means, make your voice known… at the ballot box.

    • lostn on 30/05/2018 - 19:50
      +5

      Will a new government repeal these import tax changes?

      No it won't. So what's the point?

      • gringo on 31/05/2018 - 00:32

        They should give a personal allowance of perhaps $1000 per person per year. This would have stopped the most obvious abuses.

  • chorong on 30/05/2018 - 19:19
    +3

    Geez.. luckily I spent my amazon US credit recently.

    Something I recently bought from Amazon US:
    WD My Book 8TB:
    Amazon US $169.00 + $13.96 shipping = $182.96USD ≈ $242.75AUD
    Amazon AU $349.99AUD

  • Nathw on 30/05/2018 - 19:25

    not targeted

  • MonkDog on 30/05/2018 - 19:31
    +3

    I bought a Blu-ray lens cleaner disc from Amazon US last night. Could have got it from multiple sellers from there. Converted to AUD and including shipping it was about $12 cheaper than buying from (the one) Amazon AU seller before whatever they were going to charge for shipping on top of that. And it was going to arrive quicker from the US than from the AU site.

    So yeah. Bring on higher prices and worse shipping.

  • Ryballs on 30/05/2018 - 19:33
    +1

    I will miss Amazon.com's under $1000 GST-free laptop deals. RIP

  • ibuy on 30/05/2018 - 19:37
    +17

    The GST system for foreign goods is a total dog’s breakfast. This is because the Government here expects almost any foreign business shipping to Australia to register for GST, collect the GST and send the GST collected to the tax office in Australia in Australian dollars. Effectively making foreign retailers tax collectors. So they would have to have a separate bank account holding Australian dollars to pay the Government here and rejig their accounting systems to allow for sales to Australia and remove the GST from the sale when they calculate their sales.

    For large businesses auch as Amazon they can’t hide. So they have to comply.

    For businesses that are Mom and Dad or small business they can probably get away with it. This means more people will go for the smaller retailers as they won’t be charging GST where they are overseas and sell to Australia.

    The post office has flat out refused to collect the GST as their systems are already overburdened although there is a push for this to be done.

    The problem is not the GST. It is the cost of collecting it on small transactions which is why the $1,000 rule was there in the first place.

    When goods enter Australia over $1,000 it is not just the GST that is charged. There are other fees such as inspection fees quarantine fees paperwork fees etc. on a $1,001 transaction this works out to be about $300 including the GST (very general estimate). In this case it is worth the trouble to collect as all the other service fees are also charged. If you had a $50 transaction can you imagine applying $200 of service fees to collect $5?

    This is the odd mentality of our current government and the rich business people who lobby the government and get what they want whilst the average man in the street pays for this.

    Remember that 10% on $1000 or $100 impacts average joe more than rich bas****d because average joe earns $50k a year and rich bas****d earns $200,000 a year. Average joe loses 0.2% of his income to GST whilst rich bas****d loses only 0.05% of his income to GST. Or basically average joe is 75% worse off than rich bas****d.

    • easternculture on 30/05/2018 - 19:44
      -4

      Why you calling me a rich bas****d. Not cool Bro

      • ibuy on 30/05/2018 - 20:35
        +4

        You have money, you have a nice car and probably a nice home and a good retirement plan.

        Average Joe hasn’t a hope in hell of owning a home near the city, will probably be the generation that rents to live and will be forever on the finance treadmill chasing their tail and working till the day they cark it. Then there was the Joe Hockey comment that “Poor people don’t drive cars”!!! Because average joe drives a hyundai and not a bmw.

        Although for you I could be wrong and you spend more time giving back to those less fortunate. Then you’d be a rich kind bas***d! :P

    • lostn on 30/05/2018 - 19:56
      +2

      If you had a $50 transaction can you imagine applying $200 of service fees to collect $5?

      So, will they be inspecting every cable or mouse pad that comes into the country now?

      • ibuy on 30/05/2018 - 20:15
        +2

        At present they are going to rely on an “honesty” style system. They will then review it and if not enough compliance step up the process of ensuring GST is collected.

        So for the time being if Mom and Dad sellers on say eBay USA sell their goods and ship it to you, there is no expectation that they would transfer part of the sale proceeds to the tax office. As Australia Post is not the collection agency and it is coming via a small seller GST is unlikely to be charged.

        However they still have not confirmed exactly the mechanism for GST collection from small or private sellers. In the Government’s haste to introduce this nothing is comcrete as to how it is supposed to work.

        • netsurfer on 30/05/2018 - 20:27

          Do all international parcels go through customs? I've noticed some small packages sent from overseas being inspected by custom. One even put inspected by custom sticker on it (and the packaging was all messed up as a result).

          Good to know for now eBay international items are probably not going to be impacted (at least initially). I fear that customs will now be given more power. It's not just that they messed up the packaging. Any package inspected by them tend to incur additional delay in the delivery.

        • ibuy on 30/05/2018 - 22:22
          +1

          @netsurfer: yes all parcels are scanned and doggied (sniffer dogs) before you receive it. Such was the recent uproar over Aussie post wanting to charge a $5 package scanning/inspection fee.

    • Zachary on 30/05/2018 - 20:59

      I thought the richer you are, the more tax you have to pay….?

    • UncleRico on 30/05/2018 - 21:06
      +3

      You do realise that a rich bastard on $200k a year has marginal tax rate of 45% don't you? That "bastard" would be paying $67,200 per year in income tax, plus whatever he pays in GST - the same as every other Australian resident.

      Poor forlorn average Joe can throw stones from his glass house about how unfair it is, whilst paying less than $9,000 per year in taxes and Medicare levy.

      Forgive me if I don't join the chorus of hate that the $100 GST on a $1,000 purchase might be charged equitably to anyone purchasing said item…

      • ibuy on 30/05/2018 - 22:14

        The rich who are smart enough will never pay what you quote. They engage a good tax accountant or tax lawyer or setup structures or buy investments that will reduce their tax bill. in some cases it is lower than what average joe pays. They can afford to hire the right people and set up the right structures. Average joe can’t afford a highly skilled tax person or pay for structures that minimse their taxes. As a regular worker the ability to do something with your income is limited as the amount of spare cash is limited. For example average joe on $50K there is not much room to salary package or salary sacrifice. On $200K lots of room to salary sacrifice or package or buy investments to negative gear and make the Government partly pay for your future retirement investments.

        I hope that makes things clearer for you.

        • UncleRico on 30/05/2018 - 22:18
          +3

          Again, you do realise that there are no deductions for income tax, right?

          I'm a pretty smart guy and so is my accountant, but I still pay the notional tax rate on every cent I earn via PAYG income tax deductions, irrespective of my investments or any gearing benefits. Of which I have none, by the way - I just believe in studying and working hard to provide a better life for my family - and I'll never begrudge anyone who does likewise.

          Nonetheless, thanks for explaining your philosophy.

        • ibuy on 30/05/2018 - 22:33
          -2

          @UncleRico: The aim of a tax agent working for you is to make sure you pay only the tax you need to pay. You are entitled to legally minimise your taxes. So whilst you cannot deduct the tax as you say, you can structure your affairs in ways that can minimise your taxes. The more income you have the greater the ability to consider tax minimisation options.

          If you reviewed with your accountant ways of structuring your tax affairs you may find it even easier to provide for your family and potentially help others. Or the greater focus I find nowadays is to ensure a comfortable and safe retirement. Given the recent royal commission into the banks and financial planning it’s now time for even people at the beginning of their careers to review their retirement now so that they do reach their retirement goals.

          The average joes salute you for your contributions! =D

        • lonewolf on 01/06/2018 - 09:48
          -1

          @UncleRico:
          thats a joke and a half, the rich can afford good tax agents as well as methods to get a lot of the tax back by claiming all sorts of incentives as well as using the loopholes in the system. Most rich people (friends) i know at the end of the day admit they only spend about 1-2% of their income on tax as their accountants find various methods of getting around the system.

  • [Deactivated] on 30/05/2018 - 19:47
    +2

    To play devils advocate, Amazon is becoming a frighteningly large monoploy by destroying small businesses. Even in the worlds biggest economy the US. We all know what happens with monopolies (think back = Telstra).
    We need to try to keep AUD in Australia if we're ever going to prosper as a country.

    • lostn on 30/05/2018 - 19:54

      The AUD isn't going anywhere else.

    • bobjane on 30/05/2018 - 20:10
      +6

      What's monopolies got to do with keeping money in Australia?

      You should stick to Australian manufactured goods then. Good luck walking to work barefoot and naked.

      • [Deactivated] on 30/05/2018 - 20:30
        +1

        I do try to support Ozzy mom and pop businesses. Obviously not everything is made in Australia but if it is bought in Australia most of the money stays in Australia apart from the manufacturers cut. Simple economics. Sell more than you buy and you're better off. Even China is urging it's citizens to buy chinese made stuff. You gotta think bigger picture.
        The greater range available now that's another matter.
        BTW i would never go near a Hardly Normal store if it was the last place on earth. There are plenty of Ozzy online retailers.

        • baldur on 30/05/2018 - 21:11
          +4

          Exporting>importing. That's the way to keep the wealth. Not buying from Harvey norman.

    • netsurfer on 30/05/2018 - 20:36

      The sad reality is that the AU market is obviously too small for Amazon USA to implement a system to collect GST and pay AUS government. Let's face it, most of us are buying bargains (low profit margin).

      For the moment, we feel Amazon AU isn't competitive. However, wait till they start doing fulfillment in full force. Put it this way, the most logical expectation on Amazon AU is that they will do better (the current bar is quite low, I doubt they will do worse).

      Rather than getting all upset about not able to purchase items from Amazon USA, it is best that Amazon AU will be fully ready soon. As great as Amazon USA is, the delivery from USA do tend to take a while.

      • Mobe1969 on 30/05/2018 - 20:43
        +3

        I don't see how. Amazon already have a system in place to collect extra tax based on destination. Australia is just another destination.

        • netsurfer on 30/05/2018 - 21:21

          There are complications. If you use a forwarder and custom found out it is an Amazon USA item without GST paid, what do you expect the custom to do? Collect the missing GST from you? Are you okay with that?

          Even the USA sales tax collection has a bit of loophole for some of the items not fulfilled by Amazon. Because it is Amazon USA, they cannot avoid USA sales tax.

          Also, if Amazon USA continued to sell to AUS and collect GST, AUS government can work out exactly how much Amazon USA's revenue on items sold to AUS customers from GST report (it would be a very basic maths exercise: total GST collected / 0.1). Now, can that information flow to USA government or can AUS government ask Amazon USA to pay some company tax on the profit?

          We need to be held responsible to some extent. We know this is coming for nearly one year and we did nothing (well, I did nothing). Amazon USA did complain and protest about it (so they did something at least). Amazon USA is not happy about the situation, but these extra costs are not worthwhile. If you read between the line, you can understand why not charging GST for international orders is important to Amazon USA.

    • lplau on 30/05/2018 - 21:05
      +2

      If the government was trying to help small businesses or Australian businesses then they should create a program which takes all the GST collected from international retailers and give it back to the local businesses.

      However they aren't which means they are simply using Gerry as the scapegoat / excuse to line their own pockets.

      • lostn on 30/05/2018 - 21:42

        GST goes to the states. And if it didn't, there's still no equitable way to redistribute the GST to the mom and grop shops fairly.

        The GST on imports is a deterrent to importing. It will make it a less attractive option, which will stimulate more local purchases. If you choose to pay the GST anyway, the government makes a profit, so it's a win-win for them.

    • lonewolf on 01/06/2018 - 09:51

      Thats fine except what happens here is the middle men / distributors or even the retailers decide they can charge exorbitant rates to make record profit margins on the customers here, hence why there is a large disparity between the rich and the poor and is ever increasing. The wages of the high end management / owners in our society is astronomical. I see it in my work place all the time, the top job in my work place managed to increase his own salary by more than double from 550k to 1.3 million in 3 years while not once in any of those 3 years hitting his KPIs… While at the same time reducing wages and / or getting rid of staff in the lower end.

  • spock on 30/05/2018 - 19:50
    +6

    Grab snatch take. GST the government needs the money because there's no more left for them to waste, and my thoughts on Amazon.au it's a joke so I won't be buying from Amazon USA again or AU.When G Harvey gets a bit of competition he crys to the government so he can keep up his outrageous prices he makes me sick, I've avoided HN for years a will never enter there's stores ever.

    • ibuy on 30/05/2018 - 20:25
      +8

      The really frustrating thing is that there used to be lots of small white goods and electrical retailers in Australia. However Gerry bulldozed them out and sent many a small business bankrupt. So when the tables turn and the internet equalizes retail and brings protectionist retailers such as Gerry Harvey to its knees then he cries unfair. How unfair was it for all the Mom and Pop retailers he drove to the wall every time he opened a shop and undercut them until they could not survive and when they were gone raised the prices up again? I knew quite a few retailers who suffered as a result of his stores opening near them. And it wasn’t because the service from Gerry was any good.

      I’m sorry, in my eyes this is one unethical retailer. I understand that he creates lots of jobs for Australians. But he should do business on a true level playing field which he is not.

      You gotta walk the walk if you talk the talk.

    • netsurfer on 30/05/2018 - 20:46

      Okay, spock, so zero purchase from Amazon USA before the end of financial year and never ever from Amazon AU?

      Very easy to underestimate Amazon AU for now. Once they get their logistics setup and if they introduce Amazon Prime similar to Amazon USA, they can be a formidable competitor to any retailer here. The XBox One S 1TB deal was a good preview. They can sell in high volume and get the big manufacturer to offer huge discount.

      Their cloud services are also dominating the market.

  • giventofly on 30/05/2018 - 20:01
    +9

    Excellent. Will be paying more for an item Harvey Norman doesn't even stock.

  • Laziofogna on 30/05/2018 - 20:03
    +3

    If this means we have to buy only what’s available on aussie Amazon, with less choice and higher price, I will never consider Amazon again.

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