So after having described, at length, the Amazon Free Shipping Extravaganza yesterday, I came to the realization that the “bug” I was seeing was related to having my address set to a PO box that I have in Jerusalem (I also have a residential address in the city).
I’m guessing that not a lot of people have PO boxes associated with their Amazon accounts, but just in case you do, and you’re running into the same problem I was yesterday — switch to a residential address and you have your fix (I commonly see PO boxes as restricted delivery options on eBay so am guessing there must be some reason for it).
Having realized that the deal is, in fact, pretty good (although I stand by what I wrote yesterday — a lot of products really can’t ship here), I impulse-ordered a two station intercom system for my home office.
During fits of serious procrastinating productivity, during which I have been known to occasionally turn off my phone entirely, I will still be able to communicate with another human to bark electronic requests for another cup of coffee — much like I imagine a cantankerous layer does to his secretary.
Having succumbed to that temptation, I found myself unable to order the other pieces of kit I had earmarked on my “home office” wishlist — as the intercom and this 3M document holder had pushed me right up to the VAT-free limit.
Unfortunately, my Amazon binge is not yet complete and my conscious (and credit card) cannot rest until it is.
As I mentioned yesterday, I have my heart set on this delightful letter tray — which, like the monitor clip, was showing as un-shippable mere hours ago.
Thus, I will have to place a new order — after the requisite waiting period — to obtain it.
This got me thinking how how cruel it is that Amazon are refusing to disclose when this unprecedented offer might end.
It is an effective psychological ploy no doubt as judging by the frenetic activity in the Best Deals Facebook group the country remains in purchasing hysterics.
And at that point, I knew that an online petition needed to be created to move the hearts and minds of the company’s planners.
Please click on the link above to sign.
Of course, those that know me (or follow this blog) will realize that — like this post — this was intended in my typical tongue-in-cheek style — although I do genuinely want to raise awareness of how badly something like this is needed.
With the ongoing Amazon bonanza — apparently there have already been more orders than Israel has citizens — some of the challenges which Israeli shoppers face in attempting to procure fairly priced good and services — whether from bricks and mortars outlets or online — are coming to light. It’s about time.
Having a functional online shopping system on an ongoing basis would be a dream come true — although I hear that the entire offer is actually an experiment of sorts, as Amazon sees how well (or whether) the postal network here handles the massive deluge of orders headed its way.
I’ll repeat the petition below just in case it falls foul of iPetition.com’s terms of service.
Besides attempting to petition a friend to #answerthecall and attend my wedding, I’m a total petition-writing newbie, so please excuse the phrasing if it’s out of sync with what’s expected for this kind of writing.
Petition: Amazon To Maintain Free Shipping to Israel Indefinitely
When Amazon.com announced that they would offer free shipping on 50 million items to Israeli customers, few could have anticipated the outpouring of support (and orders) from the Israeli public.
In addition to being able to browse a Hebrew-language interface, Amazon’s eighth international language option, Israel-based customers that place an order containing eligible items whose total value is over $49 can now enjoy totally free shipping — and so long as the order value is under Israel’s VAT-free import limit of $75, there are no additional costs to pay whatsoever.
Why have Israelis placed more than one order for each member of the population since the deal was announced?
Israeli customers have suffered for far too long shopping in a market saturated with monopolies, oligopolies, and price-gouging local importers — who have mercilessly exploited Israel’s protectionist economic policies and cumbersome import restrictions to the detriment of local consumers.
Despite its socialist underpinnings, modern Israel has developed one of the highest costs of living in the developed world — and, relative to income, the highest in the OECD.
And everything from needlessly pricey cameras to overpriced kitchen paper can be considered part of the problem.
To add injury to financial insult, Israeli businesses are notorious for providing poor customer service — a very stark contrast from Amazon, which lives up to its marketing claims as being the “most customer-centric company in the world.”
Finally, the quality of goods sold in Israel is well-known to be of often middling quality.
A country of immigrants and innovators, Israelis have expended exhaustive effort on finding creative solutions for this problem — importing goods via container lifts, asking families to bring purchases with them when visiting, buying Amazon products while abroad, and latterly buying directly from Aliexpress, waiting months for inferior Chinese goods to arrive on their doorsteps.
For some time, Amazon Global has shipped a limited selection of goods to Israel, but the shipping costs have typically put those products above the import limit —or (when VAT and customs charges are accounted for) out of consumers’ financial reach.
Never before has the Israeli public been able to shop affordably from a reputable international company such as Amazon from the comfort of their own country.
Sadly, despite the wave of consumer euphoria and orders emanating from Israel, Amazon is stubbornly refusing to comment on when this shopping bonanza might screech to a halt — exploiting Israelis’ desperation in the hope of driving up order volumes.
We regret the use of this crude psychological ploy and think that, as a country of potentially loyal customers, we deserve better.
Therefore, we, the online shoppers of Israel:
Assert that we are fed up with ordering from second-rate local stores, Aliexpress, and eBay.
And that we are tired of being exploited by local monopolists for our simple desire to live freely in this country.
We are tied of paying too much for inferior quality goods and receiving terrible customer service when we need help — or waiting months for products from China to arrive.
We petition Amazon to maintain their current free shipping to Israel offer on an ongoing basis — or to show transparency and inform us when it will end.
With our overwhelming adoption of Aliexpress and e-commerce (Israelis are expected to order more than 14 million packages this month), Israelis have shown that they are serious about supporting any company which is willing to explore this market and help change this unfortunate local shopping dynamic.
The success which online retailers such as Book Depository, Zenni Optical, and ASOS have enjoyed in this geography is testament to Israelis’ willingness to buy from anybody willing to sell — and to prove themselves to be responsible and reliable consumers.
If Amazon chooses to continue this offer, they will find a very loyal public only too eager to help them succeed.
We thank Amazon for their pioneering decision to open operations in Israel — and hope that, by maintaining the free shipping offer indefinitely, the company will continue to make it affordable for Israeli consumers to buy from the website.
** CONTEXT **
https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-amazon-launches-hebrew-interface-israel-delivery-offer-1001306702
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-cost-of-living-among-highest-in-developed-world-report-finds/
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/why-is-customer-service-in-israel-so-bad/
The Petition Has Been Delivered
Dear Jeff,
I think I speak on behalf of Amazon’s entire customer base in Israel when I say that we sincerely appreciate your decision to enter this market and to entice customers with your current $49 and above free shipping offer.
Unfortunately, your offer has been so well received that panic is spreading as to when it might end.
Could it be today? Could it be tomorrow? Nobody knows — although I guess somebody at Amazon must.
I am sure your schedule is busy, but I ask that you quickly review the following petition and see for yourself the public outcry to maintain this deal indefinitely.As I write this, 18 individuals have pored their hearts out beseeching you to keep the offer going — and I have no doubt that hundreds more will do so in the coming hours.
Like the Hanukkah miracle which took place in this land thousands of years ago, and which we will commemorate next month, we ask that Amazon keep the light of consumerism burning in our homes — at least just a while longer.Yours sincerely,
Daniel.
Updated: Amazon’s response:
“Alison T.” for Amazon responded (apparently Jeff Bezos does actually personally read his inbox):
Hello,
My name is Alison T, a member of the leadership team here at Amazon. Jeff Bezos received your email, and I am honored to reply.
Thanks so much for your eloquent email- it is wonderful to hear that you and others are enjoying the free shipping offer to Israel.
I have looked into the available website and internal information, and I don’t see an end date listed for the current free shipping offer.
Here is a link to the information available on the website:
I will pass along your feedback, and the provided petition that you provided, along to the appropriate team.
They will be happy to hear your kind words!
I hope you have a wonderful day!
We’d appreciate your feedback. Please use the buttons below to vote about your experience today.
Best regards,
Alison T.
Amazon.com
Update: Petition Featured in TOI
The petition was featured in an article on The Times of Israel by Jessica Steinberg.
