Imminent Amazon Australian ban and what it means for ebooks (readers and sellers)

Albedo · Jun 28, 2018

In two days Amazon is going to permanently ban Australians from shopping at its US and other international stores (long story short, over a tax dispute). Anyone resident here is going to be restricted to amazon.com.au from now on.

I'm yet to find any info at all on what's going to happen to those of us who make our ebook purchases from the US store. does anyone know if e-books from the US are available through the Australian kindle store automatically? What about for self-publishers? Will Aussie sellers be able to sell their works to international readers?

I've googled and googled and I can't find any answers. It's honestly making me a bit worried. I don't know if the self publishing contingent have discussed this before or not, but at the moment it feels like a nation of 25 million people are about to be left out in the dark. I'm someone who's taken to buying ebooks anytime and from anywhere, and if I suddenly can't from Sunday I'll be miffed.

Albedo · Jun 28, 2018

For an idea of the difference, amazon.com.au - 4 million items, amazon.com - 500 million items.

Helix · Jun 28, 2018

I don't know the answer, but will keep an eye on this thread to see if anyone does know.

Not on e-books: Amazon Australia won't actually deliver anything to my place. Not to the street address (which is fine, because there's no street delivery here, and only one courier from one company will come to the house) or to the post office box (not fine).

be frank · Jun 28, 2018

I'm in the camp that believes the 'tax dispute' was just a convenient excuse. Other companies (big and small) have complied without dramas.

I suspect the uptake of people using Amazon Oz hasn't been anywhere close to what they expected (because it's no cheaper than other shops, the range is comparatively tiny, and the delivery services are shite), so they're using the tax thing as a way to try force us onto the Australian site. If it applies to ebooks, watch for piracy rates to rise again. Aussies don't like being ripped off -- the same books on the Oz site already usually cost way more than on the US one, even though they're digital files. If they try force our hands, we'll take our business elsewhere.

/rant

Albedo · Jun 30, 2018

Oh yeah, my version was the very short version. Other factors may include Amazon's fear that if they capitulate to Australia, every other nation in the world will demand they start applying local taxes. And the government's need to keep Gerry Harvey in racehorses and wine, no matter how uneconomical it is to collect the taxes.

I've spent the last of my amazon.com credit, and synced my Kindle. 23 minutes until we enter a brave new world. Hold onto your butts!

be frank · Jun 30, 2018

Albedo said:
I've spent the last of my amazon.com credit, and synced my Kindle.

Shit, I should probably do that.

Polenth · Jun 30, 2018

Albedo said:
I'm yet to find any info at all on what's going to happen to those of us who make our ebook purchases from the US store. does anyone know if e-books from the US are available through the Australian kindle store automatically? What about for self-publishers? Will Aussie sellers be able to sell their works to international readers?

The way I interpreted it was that the problem was sales taxes. It was not with the way income is handled when authors earn money through Amazon. So it'd impact buying goods and services, but not stop Australians self-publishing books. I could be wrong. That's just how it reads to me.

It's mostly going to be a non-issue for buying self-published work, because most self-publishers sell in all the available regions on Amazon. In theory, someone could exclude Australia, but that isn't going to happen often. It'd require someone to specifically opt out of selling a title in Australia. It's trade published books that will most likely have issues, as the publisher might have US rights but not Australian rights.

Albedo · Nov 26, 2018

Belated update: a few days ago, Amazon backflipped, and gave Australia access to its main store again. Hooray?

Albedo · Nov 26, 2018

*does not apply to third party sellers thru Amazon, apparently. We're still banned from buying from them.

be frank · Nov 26, 2018

Albedo said:
Belated update: a few days ago, Amazon backflipped, and gave Australia access to its main store again. Hooray?

It did?!?

- - - Updated - - -

That slipped through quietly...

Albedo · Nov 26, 2018

I didn't hear anything about it the other day! You'd think they'd sing it from the rooftops.

It's incredible Amazon still won't sell me some books I want, available ONLY from third party sellers through their store, when I am willing to give them my money. How does this multizillion dollar company even stay in business?

be frank · Nov 26, 2018

Albedo said:
I didn't hear anything about it the other day! You'd think they'd sing it from the rooftops.

It's incredible Amazon still won't sell me some books I want, available ONLY from third party sellers through their store, when I am willing to give them my money. How does this multizillion dollar company even stay in business?

JFC. Give them enough time, that'll probably change again, too.

I'm guessing their blocking tactics haven't ended in increased traffic to the overpriced, under-serviced Amazon Australia site like they'd hoped, but rather made people ... shop elsewhere. Coz yanno, we're not idiots.

No surprise they've backflipped a month before Xmas. Probably saw those potential $$ escaping to elsewhere.

MAS · Nov 26, 2018

Albedo said:
It's incredible Amazon still won't sell me some books I want, available ONLY from third party sellers through their store, when I am willing to give them my money.

There's always abebooks.com

Albedo · Nov 26, 2018

MAS said:
There's always abebooks.com

Alas, they've got precisely one copy, for >$100, whereas Amazon's got multiple sellers with it for under $30.

Imminent Amazon Australian ban and what it means for ebooks (readers and sellers)

Albedo

Alex

Albedo

Alex

Helix

socially distancing

be frank

not a bloke, not named frank

Albedo

Alex

be frank

not a bloke, not named frank

Polenth

Mushroom

Albedo

Alex

Albedo

Alex

be frank

not a bloke, not named frank

Albedo

Alex

be frank

not a bloke, not named frank

MAS

Albedo

Alex