Amazon free shipping to Philippines

[hk blues]

11 hours ago, Possum said:

I have been using Amazon free to Philippines since its inception. There are more and more things now that qualify for free shipping. The shipping in some cases is faster than Lazada or Shopee which is funny since they are in the Philippines. My guess? Amazon will eventually put Lazada and Shoppee out of business. It will take awhile but their superior customer service will prevail IF the people that run the country allow it.

Apart from what's been said by others, the fact that Amazon have no presence here suggest they don't think it's worth it (for numerous reasons) and I assume they are quite happy with how things are working out for them.  I've never heard or even seen an Amazon delivery in my street but every day 2 or 3 Lazada or Shopee deliveries.  Lazada and Shopee are a perfect fit for the local market whilst Amazon is pricey - albeit justifiably so. 

I haven't used Amazon since I came here but might dip my toe in the water as my son wants soccer shoes which I can't get hold of anywhere here.  Luckily, they are part of the free delivery and no import taxes deal.  I'm still thinking.

[Kingpin]

2 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

Many American companies manufacture products in China, and they can set the standards for engineering, materials used and quality control.  If they want to go cheap they can lower those standards and the cost per unit will be much lower.

Most sellers aren't manufacturers, they are wholesalers, and if there's a difference in these types of products besides the massive markup in price, it's the generic brand names. The biggest threat to amazon isn't Lazada or Shopee, it's AliExpress and AliBaba connecting China sellers and US buyers.

 

  

55 minutes ago, hk blues said:

I've never heard or even seen an Amazon delivery in my street but every day 2 or 3 Lazada or Shopee deliveries.

Amazon doesn't do the actual delivering, once it hits the RP it goes NinjaVan, and they're everywhere, not just with amazon parcels but iHerb, vitaminshoppe, etc.

 

Edited September 4, 2023 by Kingpin

[OnMyWay]

1 hour ago, Kingpin said:

Amazon doesn't do the actual delivering, once it hits the RP it goes NinjaVan, and they're everywhere, not just with amazon parcels but iHerb, vitaminshoppe, etc.

 

And I would add that Ninjavan seems to run a tight ship.  Singapore based, I think.

[Kingpin]

5 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

And I would add that Ninjavan seems to run a tight ship.  Singapore based, I think.

Yep, same as Lazada. Grab, Foodpanda, we really have Singapore to thank for all this innovation.

[hk blues]

On 9/4/2023 at 12:25 PM, Kingpin said:

Amazon doesn't do the actual delivering, once it hits the RP it goes NinjaVan, and they're everywhere, not just with amazon parcels but iHerb, vitaminshoppe, etc.

 

Yep, I get that but the Ninja or whatever guy shouts Lazada/Shopee etc etc when they are delivering but I've never heard them shout Amazon.  Also, I've never seen Amazon packaging by the garbage.  I genuinely don't think it's popular amongst locals.   

[OnMyWay]

1 hour ago, hk blues said:

I genuinely don't think it's popular amongst locals.   

Most locals don't have a credit card.

[hk blues]

24 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

Most locals don't have a credit card.

That's definitely a factor but the simple fact that Lazada/Shopee offer a variety of cheaper options is also a difference.  An example would be I can buy a fake Messi football (soccer) shirt from Lazada/Shopee for $10 - on Amazon I can only buy the original for $100.  Economic reality pushes locals towards the poorer quality alternatives.

Out of interest, surely Amazon accept debit cards and most locals have one of those? 

 

[OnMyWay]

2 hours ago, hk blues said:

Out of interest, surely Amazon accept debit cards and most locals have one of those? 

I don't know if Amazon would accept foreign debit card.  Maybe.  There would be an exchange rate involved.

[hk blues]

1 hour ago, OnMyWay said:

I don't know if Amazon would accept foreign debit card.  Maybe.  There would be an exchange rate involved.

True...but there is with a credit card as well.  

 

Edited September 5, 2023 by hk blues

[Kingpin]

18 hours ago, hk blues said:

I genuinely don't think it's popular amongst locals.   

It's definitely not, but it's very popular with expats. Starting a few months back, every item I'm looking for I search on both Lazada and Amazon, no reason not to.