Amazon shopping

[TorreDelAguila]

Just in case anyone doesn't know this...

If you have an Amazon.co.uk account (or an Amazon account anywhere) you can order on it on any of the Amazon sites:
- Amazon.co.uk
- Amazon.es
- Amazon.de
- Amazon.fr
and all the rest.

In the early days, Amazon.es was a bit lame, and took a while for its stock and offerings to build up. It's still expanding. Bonus is, delivery charge is only €2.99 to anywhere in Spain.

Stock range on the .uk site is huge, but many vendors will not despatch to Spain. Presumably dragons abound over the waters. Others will despatch to mainland Europe, but delivery charges are sometimes extortionate.

One solution is to locate the item on the .uk site, and then block-copy its title and throw that into .es, .de, etc. Item titles in English are always recognised.

Worth remembering, too, that .de (Amazon Germany) is a good place for Tools - and the delivery charges from Germany to Spain are often minimal. Same applies to .fr (France).

What is extraordinary is to discover that where a .uk international carriage charge is enormous, the same item can be often ordered from .de (or elsewhere) for a small delivery charge . . . and the item originates from UK stock ! . . . and sometimes from a supplier that "cannot deliver to Spain" !

For the non-UK sites, after a few seconds I find the site normally bounces into English. Even if it doesn't, the site/screen layout is identical across them all, so it isn't a problem.

So, you can use your Amazon account anywhere. Make the most of it.

[El Cid]

I would just add that on the Spanish site you can sign up for Amazom Premium, which gives free postage on any item (no minimum value) from Amazon (not necessarily from third parties) for about €15 a year and many items are next day delivery.

Sid

[jogger]

I have Amazon Prime in the UK , I'm wondering will that work in Spain I'm there for a month end of June so I'll see then. I might even try and get something delivered.

[markwilding]

I don't think it is the same. You'll know when you get the final bill at the end of the process.

I agree with Sid. If you are order lots, Amazon premium is good value. Lots of stuff arrives in less than 24 hours.

[MartinEB]

I would just add that on the Spanish site you can sign up for Amazom Premium, which gives free postage on any item (no minimum value) from Amazon (not necessarily from third parties) for about €15 a year and many items are next day delivery.
Sid

And you get a free 30 day trial on Amazon Premium. I signed up for it last week, they promised next day delivery as part of their premium service. The package took a week, I complained and got 30 days added on to my free trial! (I only intend using the free trial).

One thing to note, if you sign up for the free 30 day Premium trial it will then automatically take the money from your account each month unless you go into your account settings and turn off the automatic payment feature

Wish we could go back to the days when Amazon UK would send packages (valued at over £25) to Spain free of charge

[El Cid]

I think you are confusing Amazon Prime with Amazon Premium. Prime is a UK offering, and does not give free delivery. It also incorporates their TV service.

Amazon Premium (not available in UK), as I said, only offers free delivery with next day on most items. It is a one off payment annually.

Sid

[MartinEB]

One thing to note, if you sign up for the free 30 day Premium trial it will then automatically take the money from your account each month unless you go into your account settings and turn off the automatic payment feature

Amazon Premium (not available in UK), as I said, only offers free delivery with next day on most items. It is a one off payment annually.Sid

Yes of course, my mistake Sid If you do the Amazon ES premium trial but do not wish to continue with it, you must turn off the automatic payment of 19.95€/year in your account settings otherwise it will be taken automatically

[El Cid]

Thanks for pointing out that it is €19.95 - I have had it for so long, I hadn't noticed the price increase from the original €14.95

I see they now offer unlimited photo storage which could be useful if you have loads of high res photos that may well exceed the free storage on some of the other Cloud options.

Sid

[truebrit]

Be warned Amazon uk using Seur for their deliveries.......rubbish.

[El Cid]

They use many different couriers. The quality of service you get depends on where you live. We have 100% good service from all of them. Of all of them, SEUR is marginally the best of them, mainly because we get an email from them the day before delivery giving us the option to change the delivery day and the next day we get an email giving us the time of delivery.

Sid

[Beachcomber]

Yes, same for me with SEUR now.

The first time I met the driver in town and he asked me to show him where I live. Now, despite the fact that my house is a fair way off the beaten track, he drives right up to the gate having called me a few minutes earlier to make sure I am going to be in and, in return, I always try to help him if he is looking for someone in my area.

It definitely depends on the individual rather than the company as a whole.

[truebrit]

My problem has just occured, i ordered from amazon, they confirmed everything and I told them that I wouldnt be in my house till 5/5. They said no probs. Contacted Seur and passed the message on. The following day got confirmation from Seur which gave me the option to change delivery, I did, they acknowledged. Whilst Im away I get a nitification saying delivery 3/5. I told them no. They delivered anyway. Not the first time someone has complained about them. I know a woman who had her parcel chucked onto her patio(glassware!)

[MartinEB]

As El Cid says, totally depends on where you live.

We used to have a shocking service from Seur, but they have improved tenfold recently. MRW used to be very good, but have gotten worse or late. A lot depends on the individual driver also. The MRW man changed and the quality of service declined with it.

[Gasman]

OH is a bit upset - ordered HP inks pack (very small packet) from Amazon.es as usual - had several over the last couple of years, always delivery via Correos which is great as we are out in the countryside and the PO box is the safest place and none of the delivery companies will deliver to our house anyway. This time we get the confirmation email stating it will be delivered (or not) by Seur ... the last delivery by Seur was a nightmare - insisted that our telephone number had not been given to them by Amazon!!! insisted that they had pre-advised us by email ... nope, insisted that we do a 80 km round trip to collect it from their nearest office, to discover it had gone to Huelva, not the "local" office - all this for a blasted toaster!!! So we are not holding our breath for the safe, timely delivery of the tiny packet of inks! If we had known before finalising the order, instead of only on the confirmatory email, we would have asked for it to be sent to the backup ... yup .... Correos office, where we have the PO box anyway!! I did think that Amazon still had the policy whereby LITTLE packets like CDS, Inks, etc always went by Correos - apparently not ...

[Granite]

Has anyone used "Collection Point" addresses with success? We live in the Campo and deliveries by Seur are often a problem. On a search of Collection Points on amazon.es for our postal code our local post office appeared. Duly set up a new delivery address with my name followed by the local correos address but had problems. Staff in correos were adamant that couriers do not deliver to them for later collection of Amazon packages.

[TorreDelAguila]

As a result of a recent order to Amazon.co.uk, I learn from them yesterday that they are now sending out sizeable packages through DP (Deutsche Post) without a tracking number.

Although this might be expected for very small packages (effectively sent 'post' - DP - then passed here to Correos), this now seems to be happening with much larger items.

Gives us here an additional problem where a delivery 'disappears' or needs locating - eg when it has arrived at a chosen drop-off point/alternative delivery address. Big problem, too, if courier has to be contacted.

Amazon's 'My Orders' progress-bar is now only an estimated projection of how delivery is doing. As a "non-trackable dispatch" (their words), they can't know in real time where the package is. Their suggestion was to give it four days (beyond estimated delivery date), and then they'll send out a replacement delivery.

Wonderful. Words fail.

[Wicksey]

Wish I'd read this earlier. I have just made my first order with Amazon.es and asked for it to be sent to the pick up point of the local PO. Now I am wondering if it will get there. It was an option as a pick up point and I used that as I know, if they use a courier, that they will not deliver to my apartado number.

On the subject mentioned earlier of Seur, also having huge problems with them as my friend sent me a parcel and I have just found out that she used Seur rather than the ordinary post. Of course, on tracking the parcel Seur have said my apartado address does not exist, so I contacted them and received a reply suggesting they deliver it to a pick up point on the Costa. I replied and said yes please. Now I have checked the website and it says 'return in progress' .... doh. I have bombarded them with more emails but whether my parcel will ever get here I'm not sure.

[TorreDelAguila]

If this happens with an Amazon delivery, just inform them that the item has not arrived. They will then send out another, and sort it out. You might be able to suggest an alternative delivery address.

With your friend's dispatch, you'll just have to chase SEUR, using the tracking/consignment number. Even if they choose to deny the delivery address's existence, they cannot (hopefully) pretend that the item was never in their system.

You could try making your SEUR chaser at one of their official local offices (agent points), rather than at a SEUR depot. These agent points are supposed to offer more-or-less complete access to SEUR's services, and all of them are on-line into their system. Having said that, I've found a few of them totally unhelpful.

[Wicksey]

You could try making your SEUR chaser at one of their official local offices (agent points), rather than at a SEUR depot. These agent points are supposed to offer more-or-less complete access to SEUR's services, and all of them are on-line into their system. Having said that, I've found a few of them totally unhelpful.

The collection point is a local internet and computer shop, so presumably an agent? First time I have come across all this and my poor friend had no idea what a palava it would all be as she didn't realise I didn't have a 'proper' address. I shall keep chasing Seur.

[patricia]

I have had problems with Seur also. They send parcels back saying that my address did not exist! and then again they rang and I didnt hear the phone and then asked me for a date and time through an email but they sent it back anyway. However I did get my money back from Amazon for the items, but still I prefer a company who doesnt use Seur as - and as Sid has said - it probably depends on the driver at the time.