Lots of us would gladly move to The Greatest Country In The World™, except the Government thereof seems to have gone out of their way to make it nearly impossible for people to do that.
As a semi-consolation prize I think most of us would be happy to be able to order cheap stuff from the US online and not get shafted on shipping charges or told the seller doesn’t know how to spell “Australia” and therefore won’t ship to us.
Amazon was started in the late 1950s here in the UK, selling WWII memorabilia by mail order. They have always taken an interest in new technology: for example, they experimented with Prestel in the late '80s, at the same time expanding their range to include fashionable toys like Action Man and the Rubik’s Cube.
Yes, you’re right: Jeff Bezos acquired the original Amazon shortly after he moved to the States from his birthplace in Chorley, Lancashire. The rest is history.
I’m not American and I endorse this rant.
And while we’re on the subject - just how hard would it be to indicate CLEARLY what currency you are quoting in? I have lost count of the number of times I have gone shopping for anything on line, and the currency is not clearly indicated. We are not mind readers people. Just make it clear. Please. 
[Public Enemy]Don’t Don’t Don’t believe the hype[/Public Enemy]
Having just moved to Canada from the UK, I heartily endorse this rant (and all the others). Add UPS too please. WTF is it with the import duty thing. My daughter sent me an 18X24 framed photograph via USPS/Canada Post (which arrived!) for the cost of shipping (exorbitant but at least only shipping) Another friend sent an unframed 8X10 print that cost me C$50. to retrieve from UPS. Didn’t have the heart to tell her not to send anymore “gifts” please.
Also, ebay.ca sucks monkey balls. Every fucking item on there is from the USA and the shipping costs are pure usury. I desperately miss Amazon.co.uk (they were brilliant - orders placed in the evening were on the doorstep the next morning) ebay.co.uk (where you could get anything, anytime) and the Royal Mail! Brits that bitch about the Royal Mail should be immediately sent to live in Canada.
I sympathize with all of you furriners, but I would like to add my complaint as an American; we have all of these rules on shipping meat into the country which means I can’t get the delicious nash sausages we had in Montreal shipped to me because Schwartz’s deli can’t ship to the US. DO WANT!
UPS? Oh, I’ve managed to drive memories of UPS and customs from my mind. Now you’ve brought them back! <whimper>
Bingo. I tried using ebay.ca a few times. I find it easier, and cheaper when you factor in the time spent searching, waiting, etc, to buy things retail.
You know, you’re really pitting the wrong side. Your problem isn’t that it costs so much to ship stuff from America – or that it can’t be shipped at all – it’s that you can’t just buy the stuff, or an acceptible equivalent brand name, in your own country. What’s up with that?
Okay, maybe it’s impractical for every country to manufacture everything, but couldn’t there could be a store that specializes in importing stuff? Let one big entity take care of the importing/shipping/taxes/whatever.
I bet the end price, even marked up suitably to cover their expenses, would still be cheaper and much more convenient for the local customers.
Heh. If you want a Canada Post story, my mother sent her classmate a postcard for an assignment at her community English classes. Her classmate lived maybe four blocks away. The postcard took six weeks to arrive.
I don’t mean to laugh at your pain, except I’m going to laugh at your pain. This is hilarious.
What’s up with all the people ranting about Japan? I used amazon.co.jp all the time when I lived near Tokyo (Kanagawa-ken, Kawasaki-shi, Tama-ku), and it was great: free shipping on anything over 2,000 yen, and most stuff got to me next-day.
Thanks for the suggestion! I don’t know if anything can ever replace Tahiti Treat and its sweet pink goodness, but I’ll give the Grace’s Soda a try the next time I see it.
So, is this unacceptable?
Yep. Kiwi here… “A+++ rant, would read again”.
Funny, I thought the exact same thing when iTunes opened in Australia with regards to NZ and CER (which for our foreign listeners is an OZ-NZ trade agreement in place since 1983 that says in part: “A good that can be legally sold in one country can also be legally sold in the other.”).
But noooo… apparently tunes that could be sold in Australia could not be sold to NZers. :mad:
Here in NZ I was able to buy two pairs of Levis online from JC Penney and have them shipped to me, and after freight and conversion have the total price come out only a little above the price of one pair locally. And I was able to get styles and fits that aren’t available locally. (Have made an order like that twice now to Penneys – was very happy with their price and service).
For added fun include some wires and blocks of Playdoh. 
Yeah, that the problem with trolling the powers that be; no sense of humour.
My very respectable businessman looking Dad caused a kerfuffle at an airport many years ago (pre current madness) when the x-ray machine scanned his carry on to reveal an alarm clock and a couple of metal cylinders. (Shaving foam and deodorant as I recall).
As an inhabitant of the Dominican Republic, please let me add my hearty endorsement to this rant.
I have a US-issued credit card, a US address, all legit, and I still have trouble because my IP does not match the address, even when I explain to vendors that my purchase is legit, and can prove it. T
Morons!
Amazon.co.jp is great for buying goods that are already in Japan, and having them delivered within Japan. For buying from overseas it’s a piece of poo.
Yeah, I live in Norway too, and have never had trouble with Amazon.co.uk
I never have trouble when buying, say, books from american Amazon, but I wont even bother about electronics anymore.
Yes, my mom does this for me.
Having shopped online in both the US and Australia, it does blow goats to shop online outside the US.
That’s because books have a special exception for some strange reason. Anything that can be classified as books, including comics and such, go through without incident. Unfortunately that’s the only exception I’m aware of. And god help you if the documentation isn’t 100%.