Amazon.co.za's underwhelming launch

[backstreetboy]

Lol funny then that TAL has someone working there cloning all their deals. Philips hairclipper / Oneblade / Airfryer all half off. If I didn't have any I'd grabbed that. SSD for half off. Apple products for R1k or even more off. No brainer purchases.

 

[Bliksis]

For me it's those resellers that put me off , looking for motorcycle accessories
Aluminium grips R1700 on Amazon:/ , R156 on Temu for the EXACT item

But support local blah blah.

I've seen so many of the exact same items, even the same product photos. Lol

 

[LazyLion]

I actually think it was deliberate.... to detract attention from themselves and deflect the competition commission away from them.

 

[Dylan_G]

Can't even buy a Kindle

Thats all I want man. New Kindle.

 

[bruce_the_loon]

It's about what I expected. Lots of people expected the Amazon.com catalog, but that's not how Amazon works when they are in-country. the catalogs on Amazon.ca, Amazon.com.au, Amazon.co.uk are all different and reflect the local products importable into the country. We just have cruddy importers and price-sensitivity that precludes the higher-end brands from being pulled in.

Combine that with Amazon globally moving from being an online retailer to a majority third-party marketplace and you can see why the local products are similar between Takealot and Amazon.co.za at the moment. Whether they adjust in the future to grabbing popular products and making them Amazon-branded ones like they do in the US depends on whether this initial foray actually works.

 

[wbot]

Woah, is this @backstreetboy's alt?

You never know...........

 

[MegaTesla]

In the first few days there were very few products, but with normal prices. Now there are a lot more with ridiculous prices, so I have just given up trying to navigate and find a bargain. Currently they don't exist.

 

[quovadis]

Amazon has the clout to fix that.

Nah. Unlikely. It's got nothing to do with Amazon. Best you can hope for is the product line lands up within a channel that is preferential and we're being lumped in with MEA these days.

 

[DrJohnZoidberg]

No Prime.
No Amazon Basics.
No Kindle.
No FireTV.
No Echo devices.

No point.

 

[quovadis]

No Prime.
No Amazon Basics.
No Kindle.
No FireTV.
No Echo devices.

No point.

No patience.

 

[Shirou]

No Prime.
No Amazon Basics.
No Kindle.
No FireTV.
No Echo devices.

No point.

They are not even a month old yet, be patient, and let them cook to get the catalog expanded.

 

[Crusader]

This is very much a soft launch. Their deals are prety good and while the selection is small prices seem competitive and delivery is quick.

Best to look at items that are in stock and sold by Amazon directly. There are a couple of 3rd party sellers that are taking chances with inflated prices.

 

[Skerminkel]

I'll stick to bobshop, takealot and loot thanks. Amazon has nothing for me.

Please avoid Loot. They are part of Iqbal Survé's state capturing cabal.

 

[DrJohnZoidberg]

They are not even a month old yet, be patient, and let them cook to get the catalog expanded.

My meme stands.

 

[notayoba]

They need to offer their US catalogue, and I'll be all over the site.

With some planning they should be able to do a once or twice a day bulk shipping job from the US, combining all SA orders to save on costs. Then split the order on this side and hand it over it to couriers. Then we should be able to get the US products, with less shipping charges than ordering from the US directly.

Or at least I think so, maybe the reality of the logistics doesn't allow that.

 

[DrJohnZoidberg]

They need to offer their US catalogue, and I'll be all over the site.

That's never going to happen and not how any regional Amazon sites work.

 

[notayoba]

That's never going to happen and not how any regional Amazon sites work.

Then I really have to wonder what the point of the whole exercise is.

 

[DrJohnZoidberg]

Then I really have to wonder what the point of the whole exercise is.

You can already order a lot of things from Amazon.com if you need to and they'll ship here just fine, sometimes faster than local companies.

 

[wbot]

Please avoid Loot. They are part of Iqbal Survé's state capturing cabal.

I don't care. If they have what I want (and they usually do) then I will use them. Always been happy with Loot's service, not gonna stop just because I don't like someone.

Loot is a million times better than amazon and sometimes even better than takealot.

 

[Skerminkel]

I don't care. If they have what I want (and they usually do) then I will use them. Always been happy with Loot's service, not gonna stop just because I don't like someone.

Loot is a million times better than amazon and sometimes even better than takealot.

Did you vote for Zuma as well?