Amazon Global store provides services that help in catering to customers around the world. The Global store has over 100 countries which they ship to and from.
Global Store has provided customers of Amazon a pathway to shop for foreign brands as well as look for products that are not available locally.
This is a great way for you as a customer to have more choices in your shopping, and Amazon as a company can also retain you as a customer.
In this article, we will go through the steps and also the various things to look out for before buying on Amazon USA while located in the UK.
Can You Buy From Amazon US From The UK?
It is absolutely possible for you, a customer in the UK, to buy from Amazon USA. But there are a lot of things to consider and look for before rushing to the website to buy the products.
Before looking out for products on the website you would need to create an account, or sign in to your current account in the region that you want to shop. In this case, it is www.amazon.com.
How to Sign In or Create an Account for Amazon USA?
Existing customers already registered with amazon would not have to create a new account if they change regions. You can log in with the same details on amazon.com and it would work perfectly fine.
For people who do not have an account on amazon, you would need to create an account on the website. There are a few steps that you need to follow.
Step 1. Type www.amazon.com in your browser’s address bar. For other countries, there are different regional addresses but for the USA, this works fine. Even if you type in www.amazon.us you will be directed to the same website.
Step 2. You would want to change the currency on display, it would be needed to clarify fees. To change the currency from USD to GBP click on the American flag beside the search bar, and you will find yourself on a page to change the language and the currency.
Under currency settings, go through the drop-down menu to find Great Britain Pound as your desired currency and click on save changes.
Step 3. In order to create a new account click on the “Accounts & Lists” option and click on “Start here” beside the words “New Customer”.
Step 4. Fill in your personal details like Name, phone no., email id, and password before clicking on the continue button.
Step 5. You have to ensure that an international shipping address has been registered to your account before browsing through products on the website. It will help you to identify whether the product is deliverable at your location.
Go to Account & Lists > Your Account and choose Your Addresses from the drop-down menu. To save the changes, enter your address information in the appropriate areas and click Add address.
Fees Incurred While Buying on Amazon USA From The UK
Although buying foreign products at a cheaper rate feels like a steal deal, the costs incurred in shipping and other fees tend to make the deal sour sometimes. You might end up getting a costlier product while searching for a cheaper one.
Amazon Conversion Rates
Exchange rates are probably the place where you would lose most of your discounted prices of products while shopping in the US while located in the UK.
Amazon converts your money from pound sterling to USD and the company doesn’t shy away from the fact that the exchange rates are not the same that you would find on financial websites and google.
You need to be wary of this fact before putting your money into it.
International Shipping Costs
Amazon.com offers different shipping options for international customers. So, when you are ordering from the UK there will be different shipping options.
Some of them may drive up your cost. While shopping on amazon.com, these things should be somewhere in the back of your head,
Sales and Import Taxes
There are taxes levied on goods imported to any country. These include custom duties and fees. Amazon charges you an import fee. This import fee ranges according to the country it is being imported to and from.
As the import fees are an estimated amount and not exactly the amount that the custom services might charge you, there is a system in place to refund you the surplus amount that has been charged to you while placing the order.
Amazon has an automatic refund policy from the time they get information about the actual import fees. After all the systems are in place if the amount doesn’t reach you within 180 days, you will be refunded the whole amount paid for import fees.
Tips for Shopping on Amazon USA
After reading all the information above you might need some tips before going on to shop for your needs on Amazon USA
Tip 1. Try Amazon Global Store beforehand.
The first advice would be to try out the amazon global store before landing on the international website for buying products. The filter will help out in looking for products that ship internationally.
Also be mindful of the filter searches, as the filters might not always give accurate searches. The products filtered out still might not ship to you.
Tip 2. Check Electronic Devices for Voltage & Plug Compatibility
There has been a history of electronic products which were damaged due to the incorrect voltage being passed through the device.
Albeit, the majority of customers prefer buying electronic products locally. But there might be products which are way cheaper than what you normally pay for.
Be sure to check the voltage requirements of the device and whether your place has that voltage capacity.
Also, make sure that the plugs required for the device are also present at your place.
Tip 3. Always check the fees, taxes etcetera before buying the product.
The listing prices on Amazon USA might be cheaper than what the product is being offered locally, but the added costs might make it a bad deal.
The added taxes, import duties, and shipping costs might cost more than what the product is being offered to you locally.
Keep this in mind before hurrying up to the website to buy the products.
How to Pay for Your Purchases on Amazon USA?
If you have followed all that, it is time to make your purchase. These are the steps to follow
Step 1. Go to the product page of the desired item and select the Add to Cart option. This will add the item to your Shopping Cart, where it will await payment. For each thing, you’re prepared to buy, repeat this procedure.
Step 2. Click the Proceed to Checkout button when you are pleased with what is in your shopping cart. You’ll be taken to the Shipping & Payment page if you’ve previously registered into your Amazon USA account and specified an overseas shipping address for your orders.
Step 3. Consider looking at all the payment options when you eventually get on the “Select a Payment Method” page.
Click on “Add New Card” and submit all the relevant details for the payment. Wait for Amazon to detect your card and click on “continue” for the checkout process.
Step 4. You will be moved to review your order page and check all the details carefully. There will be a breakdown of your prices and also your shipment address. After validating all the details click on “Place Order”.
Endnote
This article has covered all the aspects of buying from Amazon USA while located in the UK. You as a customer might love the various products at cheaper rates available on the website, but you should also be careful about where and how to spend money.