So we live rural (6 hrs west of Rockhampton) and Amazon has been out source for bottled water/soft drink etc. Our nearest Woolworths is a four hour return drive.
Overnight, Amazon cancelled all of our subscriptions for these heavy items, and now doesn't offer them to us, except for third-party sellers with expensive shipping.
Has anybody else experienced the same thing?
Are there any alternatives?
I wonder how the elevation is like on the block compared to the neighbours.
Im surprised amazon even bothered to start with. Shipping would have been an absoloute bomb
Not much out that way past Emerald.
It is very costly to shift bulk goods, as you know, so it was a spell of good fortune Amazon did so at all!
I haven't looked at the coverage of the other free ship offers, like one pass and kogan, but if they aren't already excluding you, I bet it won't take long.
Good thing while it lasted. You should thank Bezos if you ever bump into him.
Guess you could call this a snubscription
Blame this guy, they finally figured out losing money endlessly on a customer is a bad business model - https://www.reddit.com/r/alaska/comments/3ukw30/how_i_ruined…
try woolworths online delivery with delivery unlimited plan. you can get a 1 month free trial
This. Should be the next best thing if they allow it.
It is very strange that post things that cost a few dollars and bulky items at no cost. They could combine some of these orders to save on shipping but don't.
Try family or friends who might be a short drive away who could be eligible and go once a week to pickup your stuff.
Sometimes for me, regional shipping is extra and not free but for my sister who is 30 mins away, it is free for her, so I get it shipped to her and go and pick it up. Its cheaper and easier than going to a store or having to pay a lot extra for shipping.
So we live rural (6 hrs west of Rockhampton)
Our nearest Woolworths is a four hour return drive.Overnight, Amazon cancelled all of our subscriptions for these heavy items, and now doesn't offer them to us
and yet somehow you are surprised by this?
There’s certain things that Amazon says they won’t deliver to my place. If you set your address to a family/friend’s place in a metro area when you add it to cart, then update your delivery address when checking out it generally works.
There are exceptions of course, I can’t figure out a way to directly get around being in a ‘dry zone’ for alcohol delivery (even though there’s 12 bottle shops here, go figure..) apart from using the redirection ability with Auspost 👍🏻
In the same boat as you OP. Happiness has decreased.
You don't have large raintanks?
With all the rain you've had this year you should be set for years?
So what arrangements did you have before Amazon exists in Australia (it has not been that long)?
Can only speak for regional Vic, have long had some bulkier items delivered through Amazon but it seems Amazon no longer will deliver these items to region areas.
EG cat food, toilet paper, water/coke etc and then even more pricier items like I tested some Milwaukee kits, lego, all these were able to be ordered for delivery in Melb but the moment I changed the postcode to regional it was via 3rd party sellers only.
Seems they have hit a point where the marketshare no longer outweighs the higher cost of delivering these items.
Sucks for regional as Amazon has been great over the years if you don't have access to BigW, JB's etc where amazon often price match good deals and then would deliver.
Oh damn. I had a subscribe and save oat milk cancelled, but I assumed that was just a one-off. Prime membership became less valuable.
Yep… I can’t order bulkier items to regional NSW (Lismore) anymore. I have always had soft drink and toilet paper delivered. I saw solo zero sugar was on special… added to my cart. Amazon had defaulted to my sisters address in Brisbane, so I changed it to mine - not available.
Sucks for regional areas.. my might have to consider if my Amazon Prime is still worth it before next renewal.
It's not just a bit more expensive to deliver to regional areas, it's often double the price.
We (not amazon) are also switching from a single national price, to separate prices for metro and regional deliveries, and I'm sure we're not alone.
I think regional customers are just going to have to get used to paying more for delivery.
Enshittification
I don't really know what the alternative is.
It does genuinely cost more to deliver to regional areas, and someone has to cover that cost.
Previously it was metro customers subsidising regional customers, which wasn't fair either.
Updating shipping policies to accurately reflect the costs is hardly enshittification though.
Interesting times, positive is it's good for local business owners many would argue a bit late given internet shopping killed many of them.
What's disappointing about Amazon is it's not even a case of paying more, they simply don't provide the option anymore. I guess we will see new models like you suggest or maybe even regional requiring larger minimum spend for free shipping.
it's good for local business owners
They will also need to pay for higher shipping costs…
Seems reasonable, we've had a good run.
Sometimes I legitimately feel bad checking out on an online store with free delivery because I know it's probably exceeding their margin in some cases to deliver out here. Only a couple weeks ago I got a very small and cheap item delivered for free from Kogan in an envelope covered in almost $10 of stamps.
There’s been a few posts about this already but yeah looks like tightening the strings. Probably easier to just blanket block out postcodes rather than look at offering subsidied post or similar schemes.
https://www.reddit.com/r/alaska/comments/3ukw30/how_i_ruined… - probably this dude moved to Australia
Really, Amazon has gone from "let's just make money off AWS and use the rest to destroy retail" to being a profit driven company in the post-Bezos age. No more spending billions subsidising Alexa, no more shipping $10 of goods for $40, no more spending billions on Prime Video as some kind of bizarre loss leader, everywhere has to make a lot of money.
Retained earnings, the sum of all their profits and losses for the first 25 years of the business up to 2019 was $31b. Over the last 4 years, that has increased by $83b with profits last year of $30b. Profits for the first half of 2024 are already $24b.
Oh no, my bags of concrete aggregate, ordered for Marla.
This is what happens when people abuse the system trying to get "their monies worth" from it.
If only there was a fixed annual fee to provide surety of cost to the customer…
'Getting your money's worth' is the ENTIRE premise of this website, living location is not always a lifestyle choice and regional customers are not 'abusing the system' trying to get parity of services with metropolitan dwellers.
You consider paying for and using a service as it was advertised to be abusing the system?
yeah i cant get chemicals to my new address
So we are approx 90mins east of Melbourne and until recently we could purchase most items delivered to our door. Initial delivery problems appeared to be simply a no stock issue until we tried a family members address closer to the city. And just a heads up, it's not just bulky items. It's almost random eg they will not deliver Sharpie pens, toothbrushes, coffee and other small items anymore but will deliver toothpaste (all from Amazon usually S&S). Seriously not impressed.
It really is exactly as you describe, amazon have gone from being the best most reliable service for regional eshoppers to about the worst overnight.
Looks like I will be going back to ebay and catch a lot more
I'm 40 mins from Adelaide on a freeway and I can't get delivery either. But they will deliver to addresses further from Adelaide north and south but if you live out east it's screw you.
I'm in Lismore NSW and they've cancelled all my S&S orders and severely limited what they will ship.
Did their sweet heart deal with Auspost expire?
Are they only doing it to accounts they've lost money on or is it postcode based?
I've cancelled my prime membership - not worth it anymore.
It's postcode based, I've been logged out and fiddled with postcodes and it makes no difference if you are a new account or existing.
Yeah it's far worse than I first thought, same as you all S&S are cancelled and even some small items won't ship.
Prime membership feels useless now and I have 9 months left
I did find that I could use an Australia Post Parcel Locker address in the nearest regional city (Shepparton for me) and the items suddenly are in stock. It's not ideal as the lockers only hold for 48 hours and then they are transferred inside the facility. My son only visits there once a week in the evening so could be problematic.
But it may help someone else as a viable option.
Rural WA here, weighing in with my unhappyness also. Never ordered bulk items. Just stuff that I can't get locally. Now most things are "Out of Stock." Which pisses me off also. Just say that you are unwilling to ship it. So much for a Prime membership.
How do you deal with grocery shopping like milk, bread, vegies, meat, etc.?
Campbells, Bidfoods and couriers come out a couple times a week. Aussie Post is every day. It's well serviced, so it's not as if we're in the middle of nowhere. It's pretty common to hear that from people on the coast who have never been inland.
With woolies being four hours away, we go in once every 4-6 weeks with an huge camping fridge and 200L eski, stock up and bring it home into chest freezers. Some people go in every weekend, but I just can't see the point.
We have local shops, but you can't buy everything from them. Their meat & veg comes in once a week.
Cheers, now I have a glimpse of rural life.
The stupid thing is that I would always go to Amazon as a first point of contact and often would prefer to purchase off amazon even if the item was slightly more expensive as the convience and ease of return if something went wrong was great. However, they started doing this on my account months ago, items show up as "Out of Stock" so they just cancel the orders or just leave them unsent for weeks. I have complained multiple times but the dont even have a complaint management process, they just say they will pass the feedback on which I am sure goes into a black hole.
Even tho a couple of items here and there would have lost money in postage, I am sure my sub cost + overall purchases would have made me a significantly profitable customer for them, none the less I have now cancelled my prime sub and use other sites before I go to Amazon.
As a Amazon Prime subscriber I've been using Prime for years and recently I've noticed that many of the food specials are listed as 'currently unavailable'.
Previously ordered lots of stuff without a problem. Pretty much any address I've tried south of 2488 has this problem (i.e. Pottsville, Byron bay, Ballina etc).
I contacted Amazon support about this, but they only advise that item is 'out of stock' (it's not) and they refused to comment on whether or not their service areas have changed (they clearly have).
Anyone else run into this problem?
I'm feeling a bit misled by Amazon. I recently renewed my Prime membership and expected Amazon to continue servicing my area, but it seems they have been covertly reducing their delivery coverage. I'm planning on cancelling my Prime membership and asking for a refund citing services not delivered.
Would that be reasonable?
Thanks
It might help to post links to some of these items for others to check if they're available to them (or just change address to 2000).
Many foods. For instance a pack of Twisties: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B06XNLBFSZ
Or Nutella: https://www.amazon.com.au/Nutella-Hazelnuts-Spread-220-Grams…
Both items are available until you go south of 2488 when they are suddenly 'currently unavailable' without further explanation.
Twisties: Only 3 left in stock
Nutella: "Usually dispatched within 1 to 2 months"
@EightImmortals: Change your postcode to Byron Bay/2481 and those items are allegedly ‘temporarily out of stock’.
@EightImmortals: Yeah I do that. But Amazon shouldn’t be billing me for Amazon Prime if they won’t give me the delivery service that I’m paying for.
@tanksinatra: Fair enough. I guess that's why they say 'out of stock' instead of 'will not deliver to your area'. You could always send them a please explain.
@EightImmortals: I did contact their customer service, but all they did was repeat the 'out of stock' line.
I've also run into the same problem in regional Western Vic. I've noticed most subscriber items no longer ship to my address, as well as random items such as board games etc. Bit of a bummer tbh.
Same in rural qld. Products are in stock if i use a city address
They probably don’t have enough drivers servicing that area but don’t want to admit it as it damages their brand.
in my area it's not about not having enough drivers, they've changed the courier contracts - all my packages (that I can get shipped) come via CODExpress which they never used to.
The same goes for regional VIC; some items might only be "Metro." I end up getting it delivered to my sister and then collecting it from her. A bit of a pain but it works.
Links to products?
Don't have any handy at the moment. Most things I can get, it might be the odd thing I cannot.
https://www.amazon.com.au/Viva-Paper-Towel-White-Pack/dp/B07…
one example
ships to metro right now, not to me.
Same goes for quilton toilet paper, dynamo 3.8L etc
Amazon says I have bought viva paper towels 20 times - now can never buy it.
Everything used to come via AusPost/Toll - now what does come comes via CODExpress
@bohn: CODExpress is Amazon's own logistics business. Hence why, they offer shipping to limited areas.
@HamBoi69: yeah, never had one from them in the year or two I have had prime though. Always AusPost/Toll
They've changed things up a bit and shafted many it seems
Exactly the same scenario here. I guess Amazon are starting to figure out which things they don't make (enough) money on because shipping is too expensive to certain areas.
I've also seen the price change on certain items depending on the delivery location. For example, play around with the postcode on this (https://www.amazon.com.au/TP-Link-Wireless-Low-Profile-Inclu…) and watch the price change.
Makes sense I guess. They're in it for the profit like we're in it for the bargain.
that's interesting
not sure I had seen that before.
luckily I have 28deg price protection… but I shouldn't need to do that ;)
I encountered this the other day, my in-laws (2483) have prime so I often get them to buy things for me. These were nappies & wipes, showing available to me near the border but unavailable to them.
Has Amazon Prime Restricted Shipping to Northern NSW?
Are you surprised? Shipping is costly.
This wasn't a problem in the past. What's changed?
I'm not exactly rural either, there's an Amazon locker just a few kilometres away.
I subscribed to Amazon Prime to have this delivery service. It seems like Amazon have reduced their service area without telling me while continuing to bill me for Prime.
In Sydney, Amazon Prime have started rolling out their own "Prime" vehicle and drivers (similar to the US). I imagine this may be part of their on-going roll-out of the service that they'll restrict their Flex service (Uber of Amazon deliveries) and just start employing directly.
It costs Amazon $180-$220 per block of Amazon Flex, so employing full-time is much more profitable.
Therefore, minimalising their service offering.
It costs Amazon $180-$220 per block of Amazon Flex, so employing full-time is much more profitable.
I'm not sure how employing their own full time works would be cheaper.
A block is 3 hours, so lets assume 3 blocks equals a FT worker, so a Flex worker would be paid <$700 for this, but that includes all wages, insurances, running costs of the flex worker supplied vehicle.
Can't see Amazon putting a Prime delivery van on the road for 9 hours a day for under $700/day.
@JimmyF: All vehicles, insurances, maintenance, wages, are all business expenses.
They wouldn't have built their own fleet of planes, trucks, etc if it wasn't more profitable then using third party carriers.
All vehicles, insurances, maintenance, wages, are all business expenses.
Paying a Amazon Flex worker is a business expense as well.
So the question is, is it cheaper to pay upto $700/day for a flex worker who supplies everything or employ your own staff, buy your own vehicles and pay your own insurance etc.
They wouldn't have built their own fleet of planes, trucks, etc if it wasn't more profitable then using third party carriers.
As above, they asked the question and the answer was yes its cheaper to have their own fleet of planes. Sometimes its not about being cheaper but having control over it.
@Fayble1212: LOL Good dodge, but you haven't answered which you think is cheaper… paying upto $700/day for a flex worker who supplies everything or employ your own staff, buy your own vehicles and pay your own insurance etc.
@JimmyF: Makes zero difference to me, I am in a location where I get prime by 10pm if ordered by 8am.
Happy days.
Makes zero difference to me, I am in a location where I get prime by 10pm if ordered by 8am.
That's nice but not related to the statement you made that employing full-time is more profitable for them which I disagreed with.
So which you think is cheaper… paying upto $700/day for a flex worker who supplies everything or employing your own staff, buy your own vehicles and pay your own insurance etc.
Honestly no FTE is going to work 9 hours, so its really closer to <$450 in 2 x Flex worker block costs to equal one 1 Amazon FTE.
This wasn't a problem in the past. What's changed?
Shipping was always costly, Amazon was just wearing it. What has changed is they are cutting services that are not making money.
How do your parcels arrive? Via Auspost or Courier or Amazing Flex?
I'm not exactly rural either, there's an Amazon locker just a few kilometres away.
Have you tried getting deliveries to this instead?
What has changed is they are cutting services that are not making money.
My concern is that Amazon are billing me for a Prime membership in a region that they don’t serve. Isn’t that unethical?
Have you tried getting delivers to this instead?
I have tried getting deliveries to the local locker. Every time the checkout just gives me an error. It seems like they won’t deliver to their own lockers either, which is weird.
My concern is that Amazon are billing me for a Prime membership in a region that they don’t serve. Isn’t that unethical?
I'm sure they ship many other things to your area, just not things that can't be delivered cheaply. How do your parcels arrive? Auspost or Courier or Amazing Flex?
Shipping a $4 packet of Twisties via a courier isn't profitable for them.
I guess you're welcome to cancel your membership and ask for a refund if it no longer works.
Yes
4670 is goneeee
I have the same issue. It has been like this for a few months.
I'm now sending my packages to a parcel locker two suburbs away that doesn't appear "out of stock." However, for some reason, my items are getting lost in another state when putting the parcel locker address.
I'm sure with a valid reason such as yours, you should be able to argue with them and get most of your annual subs back.
I'm in West Sydney and noticed no more next Day prime deliveries if I order today it will be delivered Friday not tomorrow.
I'm only 20 minutes away from Bella Vista warehouse
Interesting, I am only 20min away from out further out west and I still get next-day delivery. Mount Druitt fallen victim to postcode racism again?
Is it just me this is happening to?
So many items now don't ship to me and it's getting really frustrating.
Likely as you're in a regional area.
Searched the forums?
getting really frustrating
try getting your MP involved
Move to Sydney?
They might ship it to you once and then realise it's not profitable enough, so they won't offer it again.
Your only option is to ship it to a bigger town nearby that hopefully has a pickup point or a friend/relative.
Blame Gerry
@Jimothy Wongingtons - we found the owner of property Z