For those in the Caribbean who enjoy online shopping, Amazon stands out as the most popular choice for good reasons. It has an extensive inventory of products, it has fewer restrictions regarding geolocation, they don't complicate the process by showing prices in your local currency, and they accept credit cards with Caribbean billing addresses. So Amazon is great, but despite its convenience there are a few important aspects to keep in mind when going through the process of shopping on Amazon from the Caribbean.
1. Look for "Ships from Amazon"
When shopping from the Caribbean, it's essential to pay attention to the source of shipment. If an item “Ships from” a vendor, it indicates that Amazon is not responsible for the handling of the product’s inventory or its delivery, and purchasing from third-party sellers can lead to frustrating complications:
Wrong item shipped - All too often “Ships from Vendor" ends up with the wrong items being shipped. This is because often they are smaller vendors and are picking and packing the items manually, often leading to human error and the wrong item packed. Then you're either stuck with the item or have to go through the tedious process of trying to do a return through your shipping courier. Not a lot of fun.
Longer shipping times - Other headaches include typically longer shipping times. This is because the vendor’s shipping process could be manual instead of automated, requiring personnel to oversee and process orders. Once again, Amazon has better inventory systems, streamlined logistics, and priority with shipping companies.
No free shipping - Ordering from a third-party vendor often excludes free shipping options, resulting in higher shipping costs. This discrepancy is typically due to the lesser volume of business that individual vendors handle compared to Amazon, which enables them to secure better shipping rates. Sometime vendors draw you in with lower item prices, only to inflate shipping fees to compensate for it.
Dispute Resolution - In the event that you receive an incorrect item, the vendor will be responsible for addressing the situation. Unlike Amazon, which tends to handle exchanges smoothly and with minimal hassle, resolving disputes with third-party vendors is often more complicated and less certain, leading to more frustrations.
Therefore, it is better to play it safe and purchase items that “Ships from Amazon” instead. Even if the seller is not Amazon themselves, it still means that Amazon is fulfilling the order from their warehouse inventory and most likely will get the order right. On Papine.com we have put together product items that are mostly
2. "Sold by Amazon" is ideal
Amazon has distributor agreements with many major brands. Products from these brands are warehoused in Amazon's most central facilities and benefits from the most streamlined processing possible. For Caribbean online shoppers, this means that anything "Sold by Amazon" will have the most accurate inventory data, the best prices, and the fastest deliveries.
3. Shipping Options
Amazon tyically offers 3 shipping options to your U.S. mailing address: FREE 2 day shipping with Amazon Prime, Paid Shipping, and FREE shipping.
FREE 2-day shipping with Amazon Prime - Amazon Prime subscribers benefit from FREE 2-day shipping on any orders at any time.
Paid Shipping - This can cost anywhere from US$5 to$15 depending on the seller. Although paid, it is typically 2 days slower than Amazon Prime.
FREE shipping - This is the slowest of all the options, approximately 3-5 days slower than Amazon Prime and 1-3 days slower than Paid Shipping. However, if you bought a "Sold by Amazon" item it may just reach early anyway, often just as quick as using Paid Shipping.
4. Considerations for your U.S. address to the Caribbean
There are some things to keep in mind when using your U.S. mailing address:
No Sales Tax - Since you are actually located in the Caribbean, some shipping couriers and freight forwarders have agreement with major U.S. online stores to not charge U.S. State Sales Tax. All the Aeropost franchises have these arrangements. Once you enter their Miami address, no sales tax is charged.
Multiple packages - "Group My Items Into As Few Shipments As Possible" is the default option when placing an order, however not all of the items you order are coming from the same warehouse. This means that if you order multiple items you might just get multiple shipments going to your U.S. address, arriving at different times. Your courier will have a minimum charge per shipment, therefore multiple packages from one order equals multiple freight forwarded packages. Therefore, try to keep your orders with similar items (e.g. clothes with clothes, electronics with electronics).
Shipment frequency to the Caribbean - Most couriers don't ship from Miami to the Caribbean everyday, so using Amazon's Paid Shipping to get the item to your U.S. mailbox faster may not be necessary. Check with your courier company to see what days they consolidate and ship from Miami.
Summary
Amazon is #1 for a reason with Caribbean online shoppers. It has almost everything you want to buy, geolocation is not restricted, they accept Caribbean cards even though the shipping address is U.S. and their packages typically move through Jamaican customs without delays. Just try to stick to items that "Ships from Amazon" to avoid bad orders and longer delivery, "Sold by Amazon" to get the most reliable experience, and FREE shipping is usually good enough
