Comments on: Amazon.co.uk still posts to South Africa + my conclusion on the postal decision http://simon.co.za/wrapping-amazon/ Tech journalist, writer, speaker and broadcaster. Tue, 15 May 2012 13:01:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Shalima10 http://simon.co.za/wrapping-amazon/comment-page-1/#comment-1333 Shalima10 Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:53:00 +0000 http://www.simon.co.za/?p=133#comment-1333 My husband and I plan to move to South Africa permanently in 2014 and were thinking about starting a biz involving handling and distributing strictly Amazon products around South Africa.  What do you think of this and do you have any specific advice about how feasible this biz might be or not at all? Thank you for your comments. My husband and I plan to move to South Africa permanently in 2014 and were thinking about starting a biz involving handling and distributing strictly Amazon products around South Africa.  What do you think of this and do you have any specific advice about how feasible this biz might be or not at all?
Thank you for your comments.

]]> By: dandare http://simon.co.za/wrapping-amazon/comment-page-1/#comment-461 dandare Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:23:07 +0000 http://www.simon.co.za/?p=133#comment-461 I know SAPO used to be useless and unreliable, back under the old Nationalists. Those were the days of mail from one place in Cape Town to another in the same city taking weeks to arrive. Not to mention the surly staff. I've never really had an experience of high theft rates though, and nor has anyone I've asked. I know SAPO used to be useless and unreliable, back under the old Nationalists. Those were the days of mail from one place in Cape Town to another in the same city taking weeks to arrive. Not to mention the surly staff. I've never really had an experience of high theft rates though, and nor has anyone I've asked.

]]> By: dandare http://simon.co.za/wrapping-amazon/comment-page-1/#comment-374 dandare Thu, 17 Sep 2009 07:23:07 +0000 http://www.simon.co.za/?p=133#comment-374 I know SAPO used to be useless and unreliable, back under the old Nationalists. Those were the days of mail from one place in Cape Town to another in the same city taking weeks to arrive. Not to mention the surly staff. I've never really had an experience of high theft rates though, and nor has anyone I've asked. I know SAPO used to be useless and unreliable, back under the old Nationalists. Those were the days of mail from one place in Cape Town to another in the same city taking weeks to arrive. Not to mention the surly staff. I've never really had an experience of high theft rates though, and nor has anyone I've asked.

]]> By: Colin Alston http://simon.co.za/wrapping-amazon/comment-page-1/#comment-182 Colin Alston Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:29:29 +0000 http://www.simon.co.za/?p=133#comment-182 Why not use loot.co.za? Why not use loot.co.za?

]]> By: Tex http://simon.co.za/wrapping-amazon/comment-page-1/#comment-179 Tex Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:09:11 +0000 http://www.simon.co.za/?p=133#comment-179 The UK channel distribution idea is a better one, as it fits in with the long delays theory. Except why does it not apply to Botswana and Namibia, for example. Perhaps they don't have big markets, so no point in stopping shipments there. I am not sure, the logic doesn't all tie up. There must have been some losses soem reason for Amazon to cut us out. But after looking at my 30+ orders for 2007 I agree that on the whole the Amazon postal system is not too bad - I wrote off some losses on the way but continued to use it. What would really make a difference here is some better feedback from Amazon themselves rather than our speculation. Solutions? Amazon could change their policy and put the risk on the consumer. I could live with that. The Post Office could properly investigate this and report to Amazon, starting with some feedback about losses. The Post Office could have been unaware of some theft as Amazon and its affiliates do refunds and people do not always report non-arrivals. And naturally there could have been abuse by consumers and postal clerks. I eagerly wait for you to shed some light on this perplexing matter, because we are seriously in the dark. The UK channel distribution idea is a better one, as it fits in with the long delays theory. Except why does it not apply to Botswana and Namibia, for example. Perhaps they don’t have big markets, so no point in stopping shipments there. I am not sure, the logic doesn’t all tie up.

There must have been some losses soem reason for Amazon to cut us out. But after looking at my 30+ orders for 2007 I agree that on the whole the Amazon postal system is not too bad – I wrote off some losses on the way but continued to use it.

What would really make a difference here is some better feedback from Amazon themselves rather than our speculation.

Solutions?
Amazon could change their policy and put the risk on the consumer. I could live with that.

The Post Office could properly investigate this and report to Amazon, starting with some feedback about losses. The Post Office could have been unaware of some theft as Amazon and its affiliates do refunds and people do not always report non-arrivals. And naturally there could have been abuse by consumers and postal clerks.

I eagerly wait for you to shed some light on this perplexing matter, because we are seriously in the dark.

]]> By: Simon.co.za » The real reason Amazon won’t post to South Africa? http://simon.co.za/wrapping-amazon/comment-page-1/#comment-180 Simon.co.za » The real reason Amazon won’t post to South Africa? Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:07:44 +0000 http://www.simon.co.za/?p=133#comment-180 [...] read my latest post on this topic before posting inane comments to this one. Thanks. And [...] [...] read my latest post on this topic before posting inane comments to this one. Thanks. And [...]

]]> By: Ramon Thomas http://simon.co.za/wrapping-amazon/comment-page-1/#comment-181 Ramon Thomas Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:25:02 +0000 http://www.simon.co.za/?p=133#comment-181 Thank you for clearing this up. I have purchased products from Amazon.com for the last 10 years and only recently have I found more and more cases where certainly the electronics are not easily being shipped to South Africa. I have found that purchasing electronics from the web + shipping is still still cheaper than purchasing in some local stores. Thank you for clearing this up. I have purchased products from Amazon.com for the last 10 years and only recently have I found more and more cases where certainly the electronics are not easily being shipped to South Africa. I have found that purchasing electronics from the web + shipping is still still cheaper than purchasing in some local stores.

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