Long and busy day, braai at the kids’ school in the evening. So, just this today:
It may be the biggest online retailer in the world, but Amazon.com still has a bit of catching up to do with its namesake.
Especially in the rainy season.
In a weird fit of organisation, I have organised – almost single-handedly – the kids’ Christmas presents way ahead of time in what became (for reasons best left unshared) Project B.R.A..
The gifts in question are available in SA, but as so many of these things do, they come with a hefty mark-up on the foreign price tag. In fact, the UK price is exactly 20% lower than here and the US price is an incredible 33% lower. All for something made in China, who – lest we forget – are supposed to be our best friends.
If I had the option then, why would I not purchase elsewhere and get them brought in?
Of course, I have links to the UK, but – just this once – I also have contact in the US and so we got them sent to her via Amazon.com. This was my first experience with Amazon.com – having had mixed results with their .co.uk counterparts.
My contact in NYC said that the US is a nation of online orderers, so there was nothing big or special about getting a parcel sent to her. But that was before “Sophie” signed for it and it went missing for 48hrs. However, while I was on a quick call from South Africa to India to discuss a parcel going missing in New York, the delivery was found and all is now well with the world.
Now all that needs to happen is the handover in NYC next week and then the courier flying them back to the Mother City.
So – to recap: Goods made in China, and for South African use, were bought in the USA, following examination of the price in the UK and were delivered after a call to an American call-centre in India.