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South Africa

Amazon halts shipping to South Africa

Alleged fraud shuts down cheap shipping options.

Alastair Otter, MyBroadband
18 June 2008 00:00

Shipping Amazon products to South Africa just became a whole lot more expensive.

According to the most recent shipping guidelines on Amazon.com South Africa is now the only country in Africa not able to receive standard or expedited shipping.

The only option now for South African residents is to receive the goods via priority courier shipping, which is prohibitively costly. The shipping costs on a DVD, for example, would amount to more than R400.

Justin Drennan of Wantitall.co.za, a locally-based online retailer, says that "widespread fraud and theft" has forced Amazon.com to stop sending shipment to South Africa through the SA Post Office.

"Things are a bit sketchy right now, however it seems that due to fraud they have removed the option for a 'standard' shipping rate to South Africa, meaning you will need to ship with DHL priority services.

"SA is the only African country that cannot choose either of the cheaper options anymore, and the only other country that cannot choose the cheapest 'standard' delivery is Nigeria," says Drennan.



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 responses to this article

ABSOLUTE DISGRACE SA POST OFFICE, STATE SPONSORED THIEVES!
What an effup! We can NO LONGER trust any state sponsored institution, they all have sticky fingers in the till. Jail is too good a place for those rubbish human beings.

by George Unwell on June 18 2008, 09:04
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This is a disgrace
I was able to buy cheap dvds at the back of my local post office. Now I must hang around the back of DHL.

by Jackson on June 18 2008, 09:06
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Ouch
Now I know where my stuff is going to. Will need to drive past the back door of the main PO , and see if I can buy my new DVD's back from them.

by . on June 18 2008, 09:08
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Theft
Whether it is Post Office workers or SAA baggage handlers,cheating, theft,fraud and corruption is our number 1 skill.One day soon there will be nothing left to steal which should be interesting from afar, in a schadenfreude kind of way.

by Krouks on June 18 2008, 09:16
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Typical
Tried to buy Dvd's on Sunday and was told that they were not available when i tried to check out - now i know why....

Silly of Amazon they will loose out on a lot of purchases..........

by Gavin on June 18 2008, 09:18
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So SA has finally achieved something...
we've beaten Nigeria at its own game. Mind you, the signs have been there for a long time. Is there anything that South Africans can't corrupt more thoroughly than anyone else can? Is there anything these scumbags won't sink to? I despair of . .more

by Darwon on June 18 2008, 09:26
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Jackson
Oh my word, that comment made me laugh!

by Rizzle on June 18 2008, 09:30
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Amazon blacklists SAPO
This is truly, truly shameful and embarrasing!! Not to say incredibly inconvenient - Amazon US and UK service is top,top notch. How do I explain this to my US and UK colleagues. This finally convinces me we are on the slippery slope. Impact among . .more

by Peter Hutch on June 18 2008, 09:45
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U can buy DVD's on SA sites
You can all the DVD's amazon sells on South African websites and it gets delivered through the post office. Amazon sends their goods in package that screams their names on it. Why cant they just send it in plain wrapping.

I order dvd's . .more

by Woza woza on June 18 2008, 09:46
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Why the surprise?
The only "shock" about this is that people are shocked when they read it!

mwahahaha

This has been going on for jonks now - South Africa is the land of SCAMS - everything from the boardroom BBBEE games right down to traffic cops . .more

by Milkshakes Mshabalala on June 18 2008, 09:47
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U can buy DVD's on SA Sites
What a absolutely astonishing solution- why didn't I think of it!! Get probably the most successful eCommerce Company in the world to re-package stuff sent to SA so it won't get stolen!!!! Also , no way can you get all the DVD's or other stuff . .more

by peter hutch on June 18 2008, 10:04
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We are not alone
Zim has trailblazed this route long before. WHahaha

by WANO on June 18 2008, 10:06
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The *fraud* bit is significant too
While like many others I've lost amazon packages to those charmers in the SAPO/customs, the role of amazon's South African customers in this mess shouldn't be ignored. Amazon always replaces lost consignments at no cost to the customer; a fair . .more

by Gus Gosling on June 18 2008, 10:16
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Typical
Fo r all of you still living in SA-make plans ane emmigrate.The world is a big place with plenty amazing countries.SA is a waste of time!!!!!!!

by Richard on June 18 2008, 10:20
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Nothing like a little self promotion - call it an Advertorial
Well done guys - well done Justin, Wantitall gets self promotion. That's your business guys, an add on to Amazon bringing in stuff for Amazon - so why not drop an article in MW.
Do you guys pay for this, or should MW just call them what they are . .more

by WTF on June 18 2008, 10:20
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A solution in the brewing:
This from elsewhere in the media:

The clampdown will benefit Wantitall, a local website that thrives on Amazon’s wariness. Wantitall collates orders for all type of goods and orders them from Amazon, but has them delivered to a . .more

by Jack on June 18 2008, 10:22
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WHAT A COUNTRY
i JUST LOVE THIS FORUM. WE CAN ALL VENT OUR BAGS. WHAT A WAY TO START EACH DAY. THE COMMENTS ARE SOMETIMES VERY FUNNY. YIPPPEEEE.

IN SA WE HAVE WIT OES, PEKKIE OES, BRUIN OES, SLAM OES AND CHAR OES. WHAT A MIX. I WOULDNT LEAVE IF YOU PAID . .more

by NAUGHTIUS MAXIMUS on June 18 2008, 10:27
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Umm...
Isn't Nigeria also in Africa? Just wondering, because the article says we are the only African country, and the only other country is Nigeria?! Either way, it's still a disgrace.

by Umm on June 18 2008, 10:28
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So much for the moral high ground we once had
So Amazon will post to Zimbabwe but not to South Africa. A sad day as South Africa joins Nigeria as the lowest pondlife in Africa.

by CJ on June 18 2008, 10:29
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Deer Amazon eye wont two thaynk yoo veree march four the nyce books and deeveedees
Eye am naw a veree edumacated pisson and eye hop two beneefyt from a BEE deel suen. Sinseerlee Sixpence Dladla Brunch Menayger

by Sixpence on June 18 2008, 10:38
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Flushed away
Gentlemen, I think that the toilet has already been flushed and what we are seeing now is... excuse my french, "skid-marks..."

by Yikes on June 18 2008, 11:09
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eh don't send eh books, i cant read
Its our African culture to steal, we need the dvd's for the dvd players we steal also, be fair we have suffered because amazon is racist, they only send to whites.

by hank on June 18 2008, 12:03
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Tampered Parcel
A while ago my son got parcel that had been opened and some items removed.
A poor show indeed !

by Pieter on June 18 2008, 12:06
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DHL
Spoke to a DHL driver who picks up at ORT. Says we can talk.
Back in business

by Jackson on June 18 2008, 12:11
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So is Amazon now offically a "counter-revolutionary"
organisation according to the rocketeers in the ANCYL?

by Dave on June 18 2008, 12:15
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The problem with DHL
is that they enforce the rules on importers where the good old SAPO dont. So...if your parcel's value comes to more than $100 (I think) then they have to have an importers code. And unfortunately they include the shipping in their calculations . .more

by Dave on June 18 2008, 12:25
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Amazon DHL delivery
This is upsetting and sucks! thieves everywhere. Is SA ever going to get better in anything.

by Mustafaa on June 18 2008, 12:43
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Strategy
It's a strategy by Tito to save the Rand.

by SARB on June 18 2008, 12:56
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DHl Importers Code
@Dave: No, for an individual to register for an importer customer client no. you don't require a VAT no. Still a pain though.

by Gus Gosling on June 18 2008, 13:52
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SAPO
Its a matter of time before they steal the actuall Post Office building, rip up the wooden floorboards for firewood....... Sell the metal boxes as scarp metal to buy the sunday times to use as toilet paper and block all the drains ...... Next thing . .more

by ICE on June 18 2008, 14:28
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gatvol
This is a very sad state of affairs- whats next?

by gatvol on June 18 2008, 14:39
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use this company,they are cheap and very reliable
USE A COMPANY CALLED THE COURIER GUY,REALLY GUYS THEY ARE GREAT I USE THEM ALL THE TIME

by The courier Guy on June 18 2008, 16:08
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Amazon and SAPO
I have lost several items shipped from Amazon and all have been replaced or been reimbursed. I am not suprised at their decision as it must have cost them a fortune! THere used to be a time, when you could rely on the Post Office to deliver your . .more

by ALan on June 18 2008, 16:42
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Haha
Very sad state of affairs... You better watch out, the world is starting to get gatvol with your idea that your entitled to whatever you get your hands on...

by J on June 18 2008, 16:44
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This thievery is not limited to the Post office - Where is our morals

UK cop tackles baggage theft at OR Tambo

Baggage-looters at OR Tambo International Airport are the target of a new crack team headed by a former New Scotland Yard detective to stamp out widespread pilfering.

The Airports . .more

by Concerned on June 18 2008, 16:50
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Amazon
Does this also apply to Amazon in the UK?

by Kathryn Gawith on June 18 2008, 17:16
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Phuza, Bhepa, Bhulala and NOW Ntshontsha
dopping, nighing, killing and stealing..

by msholozi on June 18 2008, 17:30
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Domdrolle
This county is turning into K**. Time to way up your options.

by Eugene on June 18 2008, 17:44
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Please an order before you comment
Media adding to the C*** like usual.
Everytime I have ordered from Amazon
my stuff gets lost in Germany. So much
for Amazon accussing SA. I think you guys
should order stuff before passing uneducated
comments like usual!!!

by Simon on June 18 2008, 18:11
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Amazon UK
Just ordered a item from the UK to SA and they still offer the cheap postal options, The problem is between Amazon and the US POSTAL service as Amazon does not have a contract with SAPO to deliver. The buck stops with USP even if SAPO have problems. . .more

by John on June 18 2008, 20:49
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Simon, Simon, Simon!
Once more you prove to the world just how simple and unsophisticated you are, making such dumb and sweeping statements. Do you have no education at all? Do you really think the MW readership is that naive? U really had problems everytime you ordered . .more

by Nomis on June 18 2008, 22:58
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Amazon should simply contract Postnet
We need a private sector solution. Why not use Postnet?

by Nomis on June 18 2008, 23:00
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SA Post Office to sell stolen Amazon products direct to public
A day after US online retail giant Amazon announced that it was no longer offering South African customers standard postal delivery due to massive theft by SA Post Office employees, the post office has announced that it will sell cut-price books, . .more

by Bean Counter on June 19 2008, 01:40
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*sigh*
.co.jp did this last year March >_>
Amazon should allow cheaper shipping at "one's own risk" then, at least...

by Phenie on June 19 2008, 10:09
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@ Nomis
GREAT IDEA - a system which operates in reverse to Postnet's intnl mailbag...they distribute stuff all over SA anyway, why not just add the Amazon packages at a nominal fee, say R25?

by Zonkie on June 19 2008, 10:31
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Me too!
I had a mini camera card stolen out of an INSURED package sent from Joburg to Cape Town by the Post Office recently.

Now I pay the extra for courier. Will not use the Post Office again.

By the way I hear it takes some 8 months to . .more

by Digitaljoe on June 19 2008, 10:57
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Couriers also suck.
I placed an order with Amazon UK with courier delivery because I wanted the item for my daughters birthday. It came via UPS couriers. They charged an additional R200 service fee above the charge levied by Amazon. Because it arrived on a Thursday it . .more

by Dave H on June 19 2008, 10:58
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Icko barking up wrong tree - must look closer to home
mwahahahahaha

by Milkshakes Mshabalala on June 19 2008, 15:50
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Your Spelling Msholozi
The problem with fakes is that they are also arrogant.Your very crude and uncultured comment is spelt incorrectly - telling me you know not this African language.You should have used your language you a...........

by Black and Proud on June 19 2008, 17:15
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OR Tambo
Just like their comrades at OR Tambo. Skelems!!!!!!

by C on June 19 2008, 18:49
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Thabo, Thabo - what are you looking for?
Who is that?

Bob - your neighbour.

Oh - hello Robert. I'm looking for South Africa. It's gone. The land, the sea, the sky - even Eskom - everything. And everybody - even Alec Erwin. When I left it was all here but it seems to have . .more

by Zim Jim on June 19 2008, 21:40
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Never an issue
I,ve spent around 10 000 Dollars on amazon in the past 5 years and never had a single parcel go missing using normal shipping rates.

This is a giant C*** up,people claiming lost parcels when they arnt,ruining it for all honest . .more

by Nigel on June 23 2008, 01:08
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Interview with SAPO CEO
This is a scream! Not sure whether to cry or laugh hysterically.. http://mybroadband.co.za/news/Telecoms/4215.html

by Justin on June 25 2008, 21:35
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Rampant theft
Do something about the rampant corruption and theft, because it is going cost you, the customer and the business establishment thousands of dollars to acquire goods and services. Tough penalties for corruption and theft should be instituted at the . .more

by John Adams on July 02 2008, 02:38
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instead of focusing on the problem
What can you and I do to correct the problem between Amazon and SAPO?

by L Kruger on August 07 2008, 11:48
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South Africans think nothing of stealing
I have shopped with Amazon for over six years and all my goods always arrived no problem. I shop from other sites and have used USPS which then delivers to SA Post office and no problems.
But the problem is South Africans think nothing of . .more

by Nicole on August 11 2008, 10:02
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SOUTH AFRICA WILL IS THE NEXT RHODESIA
Who do you think is doing all the corruption, back in the good old days when we had a proper post office and proper railway police, South African Police and Customs
Majority of the staFF WAS WHITE AND THERE WAS NONE OF THIS BULLSHIT
RUN . .more

by A WHITEY WHO LEFT LONG AGO on August 17 2009, 01:16
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