Amazon Prime AU No Longer Works in Other Countries for Shopping?

petestrash on 09/10/2024 - 00:14

I just tried to purchase a prime only item 20TB external drive US$266 on Amazon US, only to find my AU Prime membership no longer applies for purchases on Amazon US.

I purchased a lot on various amazon sites in the past but have not used any overseas ones in the last 2 years.

I opened a chat with Amazon US and they told me my AU Prime membership is no longer valid in the US Amazon store and I had to buy a separate US prime membership if I wanted the item.

They could not tell me when this change came to Prime so that shopping was also region locked, not just the videos.

Is everyone else getting the same issue now when they try to buy on other Amazon sites, does anyone know when this changed?

I thought Amazon had to notify us of any changes to our prime membership benefits…

Not happy Jan.

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Comments

  • zonra on 09/10/2024 - 00:23
    +16

    It's been that way for a long time.
    You can buy Amazon US items through the Amazon AU site, but not directly from Amazon US site.
    I'm surprised that you're surprised.

    • petestrash on 09/10/2024 - 00:51
      -8

      Well a long time is less than two years which is when I last purchased a prime only item from Amazon US and UK and DE.

      I am surprised because I had been doing this for many years.

      For this product
      US$281 on Amazon US including shipping and taxes.

      Not currently available on AU Global store

      A$855.87 on Amazon AU including shipping.

  • randomusername2017 on 09/10/2024 - 00:24
    +2

    Available on Prime eligible international orders sold through Amazon Global Store.
    Look for FREE Delivery with Prime International Shipping messaging

    Unfiltered ❌

    • petestrash on 09/10/2024 - 00:54

      Not currently available on US via AU

      A$855.87 on Amazon AU including shipping.

      US$281 on Amazon US including shipping and taxes.

  • MS Paint on 09/10/2024 - 00:31
    +9

    Just pay for expensive international shipping then request reimbursement on delivery.

    • petestrash on 09/10/2024 - 00:53

      Don't have that option on Prime only products anymore, you now need to sign up to US prime to purchase (there is no buy now button, only a join prime button).

  • AustriaBargain on 09/10/2024 - 01:26

    They are all ran kind of like seperate businesses. I've got Amazon accounts in all the regions, for affiliate marketing. They send you update emails in the language of the country and not English, it's kind of annoying.

    • petestrash on 09/10/2024 - 09:24

      I agree and also get German and Japanese amazon emails in their native languages. But I could always buy Prime exclusive on any site before Originally with my Prime US account, and then eventually with my Prime AU account once they started here.

      • AustriaBargain on 09/10/2024 - 12:51

        yeah it's a bummer, but oh well. Prime in the US is more expensive than Australia, and probably other regions, maybe that's a factor too.

  • payless69 on 09/10/2024 - 03:31
    -3

    Get used to bro!

  • Wiadro on 09/10/2024 - 07:13

    What’s new about it?

    • JimmyF on 09/10/2024 - 09:11

      OP just discovered it….. Like all these young ones discovering soda floats…. like its a new thing.

    • petestrash on 09/10/2024 - 09:25

      2 years ago I could still buy prime exclusive items on any amazon site.

      • MS Paint on 09/10/2024 - 10:27
        +1

        4 years ago I could buy petrol for $1 a litre.

      • pharkurnell on 09/10/2024 - 14:10

        in 1980 could get fuel for 30cents a ltr.

        • King Tightarse on 11/10/2024 - 00:11

          In 1973 cigarettes were 49c a pack

  • apsilon on 09/10/2024 - 08:00
    +5

    I've never had it work that way. Even when I had a US Prime account before there was an Amazon AU they didn't deliver outside the US. In the early days of Amazon AU I was still buying a lot from the US site as the local pricing was all sorts of messed up but still never got free delivery despite having an AU Prime account. I think you've gotten mixed up with being able to buy international products via the AU site and get free delivery.

    • petestrash on 09/10/2024 - 09:40

      I've had an amazon US account since the late 1999. With US prime I was always able to buy prime exclusive products on any Amazon site. This continued when I switched to AU Prime when it became available. I didn't always get free shipping but could buy prime exclusive products on any website,

      The last Prime only Purchases i made on US, UK and DE sites was during prime day 2022.

      Prime did not always get you free shipping on other sites, but was often discounted. for example I did get 47" LG TVs from Germany with only 40 euros for shipping, and it arrived within 6 days.

      • apsilon on 09/10/2024 - 10:39
        +1

        Don't know what to tell you, I've been an Amazon user for over 20 years and literally over a thousand orders and even with US Prime membership I never got free shipping outside of the local market. That wasn't too bad as it at least gave me free shipping to the freight forwarders I was using back then but the international shipping portion always had a cost.

        Amazon did frequently have incredibly cheap shipping back on some things in the day but never free on international.

        Suggest you contact customer support and ask why you're no longer getting free international shipping.

        • petestrash on 09/10/2024 - 20:49

          This post is not about free shipping, I rarely got that from overseas Amazons which is fully understandable and have no issue not providing that. I have always been able to buy Amazon prime exclusive items from any of the Amazons. Australians can no longer buy Prime only items from anywhere other than the AU site. You need to purchase a separate Prime membership for each country you buy from to be able to purchase a prime only item.

          • apsilon on 09/10/2024 - 21:33

            @petestrash: That too has always been the case. Despite the fact the same login name and password works on each site, they're actually different accounts. Your order history, wish lists etc are different between each site because of this.

  • JimmyF on 09/10/2024 - 09:15

    I just tried to purchase a prime only item 20TB external drive US$266(amazon.com) on Amazon US, only to find my AU Prime membership no longer applies for purchases on Amazon US.

    $266 USD is $395 AUD.

    Dunno about you, but I'm seeing this for $416 AUD + $22.30 shipping, which is about right after GST etc.

    So yeah no free shipping, but not the end of the world.

    • petestrash on 09/10/2024 - 09:43

      Happy with that.

      Can you provide a link, nothing near that price in my search even today.

      Worth a post on Ozbargain for you to share.

      • foxmulder on 09/10/2024 - 23:59

        JimmyF refers you your own link in USA https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09VCXWPQG - if you choose AU address in checkout, the shipping cost is US$15 ~ A$22. But at the moment Amazon US doesn't have stock, thus monitor this daily when they back in stock.

        And I also bought things in USA as prime member previously - and then again prime in AU - I never see a free shiping from USA site to AU even you're prime in both countries. You may confuse free shipping from Amazon US/UK/Japan/German in AU site - as yes it can happen often, but not when you buy directly on the respected foreign site to AU.

        • petestrash on 12/10/2024 - 20:54

          I was not talking about free shipping. This post was about no longer being able to buy prime only items. Thankfully after the Prime only sale it was opened to everyone at that price, but only on backorder.

  • DashCam AKA Rolts on 09/10/2024 - 10:24
    +1

    Recently in the UK, found my Prime account didn't work, so joint Amazon UK Prime free trail for 7 days. Ordered what I wanted, when goods were shipped, cancelled membership.

    • MS Paint on 09/10/2024 - 10:28
      +3

      That makes jolly good sense. Cheerio.

      • DashCam AKA Rolts on 09/10/2024 - 10:38
        +3

        This makes better sense.
        Recently in the UK, found my Prime account didn't work, so joint joined Amazon UK Prime free trail trial for 7 days. Ordered what I wanted, when goods were shipped, cancelled membership.

        • MS Paint on 09/10/2024 - 10:50
          +3

          That makes pwoper sense now. Laters.

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