Re: CHAT: Amazon and e-shopping

On Wed, 4 Aug 1999, FFlores wrote:

> I have a question aimed mostly at non-US residents:
> who of you have bought a book from Amazon or any other
> web-based bookstore, and how much have you paid for
> shipping and customs? Some time ago I was taking a look
> at the offers in Amazon and I thought I could use some
> of them, but then it said 'you have to pay this and this
> for shipping, plus customs and any other charge your
> own government might make you pay'. Those of you who
> needed overseas shipping, did you have to pay anything,
> or what?
>
We've recently ordered a three books, and the shipping (surface mail -
air mail is prohibitively expensive, doubling the price of the books)
came to $9.85. I've never had to pay any duties or customs, and I've
ordered books, software and pipe tobacco (which was shipped under the
guise of books) from the United States, but the situation in Argentina
could be very different.

> (I know I should go and ask *here*, but finding a
> competent and helpful customs official in Argentina is
> about as likely as finding a wild kangaroo in Alaska.)
>
Perhaps the best thing you could do is ask the Amazon people
if they've shipped to Argentina before, and whether there
have been any complaints about customs.


Boudewijn Rempt  | http://www.xs4all.nl/~bsarempt