Amazon reverses ban on international sites in Australia
Amazon has reversed the ban on Australians shopping via international sites. It comes just in time for Black Friday deals.
On July 1, Australians found they could no longer shop the international Amazon sites. Due to a change in the GST system, the multi-national company decided to prevent those outside the country from shipping inside. Now, just in time for Black Friday, the company has reversed the decision.
The decision to block the sites was definitely met with anger and disappointment. While there were still tens of thousands of products available, it was estimated at a tenth of the size of the U.S. site, according to The Verge. So, definitely a much smaller selection and likely a much more expensive selection.
More from Amazon
- Will Merry Little Batman come to DVD and Blu-ray?
- Will Your Christmas or Mine 2 come to DVD and Blu-ray?
- The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 release updates, cast, and everything we know
- Them Season 2 release updates, cast, and everything we know
- Most sold Amazon books last week: Hungry Caterpillar and more reenter
While users were constantly redirected to the Australian version of the site, even those with VPNs found it impossible to shop internationally. Other locations wouldn’t ship to Australian addresses.
Of course, there was a workaround. Those who knew people outside of Australia could get their packages shipped there and then mailed to them, but that was time-consuming and tricky.
Amazon said the decision was due to the new goods and sales tax (GST) laws. The company didn’t want to collect the 10% set by the government, which had previously been set at $1,000 spent or more. There were also claims that it would help support the smaller businesses within Australia.
However, with the complaints (both from customers and politicians), Amazon has chosen to reverse its decision. Customers can now shop at the international locations, just in time for Black Friday.
There is a catch to this. Third-party sellers are still unable to ship to Australia. It looks like only company-own Amazon products or those who work through the FBA business venture can ship to Australia so far. There’s no clear reason why that is as of yet.
Next. 15 best Amazon Prime Originals on Prime Video. dark
What did you think of Australians not being able to shop internationally? Are you glad Amazon reversed the decision? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Watch free two-day shipping with a 30-day FREE trial of Prime