If you prefer to spend hours working out where each item you're interested in is made and what shipping methods will or won't work for you, then entering your credit card details in so many different places and individually keeping track of each item, that's up to you, but the world appears to like doing it the easy way.
Not sure what your beef is with Amazon - just because a business is successful doesn't mean it's bad. I, like millions of other people around the world, will generally choose Amazon rather than local e-shops, for the very reasons that make their working model so successful in the first place.
In today's global economy I support the site that can make my shopping experience safe and convenient with the best prices possible. For many products Amazon provides that, and sometimes it is the only place you can find certain things that are not available in Switzerland.
So please, stop all this spiel about supporting the local economy because it does not apply to every purchase we make. In fact, save your outrage for the Swiss people who travel to Germany every week to do all of their grocery and toiletry shopping because imo that is worse.
I buy more on ebay then amazon, but that's because I buy a lot of NOS motorcycle parts and such.
Ordered some speedo cables for a '81 RS125DX yesterday from the UK, should be here next week. Of course, as they are made in Japan, I could have tried buying them there, but probably at higher prices, shipping, and delivery time.
Tom
And just because a business is successful, it doesn't mean it's good. Amazon's business practices come with a lot of side effects that may or may not be positive. I personally do not feel they are compatible with current Swiss culture and lifestyle.
I'm not saying it applies in your case as I know you have some specialized interests, but most people buy from Amazon because it's cheap and easy. Bottom-shelf alcoholics often have similar purchasing patterns.
Welcome to the modern world. It's not a question of if our local high street shos will die, but when. Switzerland is managing to prolong this more than many countries by being a hard market to break into with high logistical costs, but it is only a matter of time before it catches up with the rest of the world.
Your comment about people only buying there because it is "cheap and easy" is laughable, because that is ideally what shopping should be... cheap and easy. Amazon also provides a very polished platform which makes it extremely convenient to find things and choose the right products. Not to mention it has a fantastic support and returns policy that puts the vast majority of Swiss online shops to shame.
There is clearly market and desire for cheaper products with great customer service, why do you think Swiss people shop over the border so frequently? Why do you think that stores like Lidl and Aldi are making such a huge dent on their markets? Why do you think Decathlon with it's amazing value sporting goods is proving so immediately popular? Swiss people don't want to pay more than they have to for things, and the often outdated Swiss retail market needs to adapt and roll with that changing modern environment.
Wow, you really are scraping the barrel there and making yourself sound like an overly judgemental idiot to boot.
What kind of shops are compatible with Swiss culture? Please tell us.
Well duh! Local shops for Local people, obviously.
The sort that sells only those things they know you really need, not stuff that you just think you want.
I have been happily using them for a few years now. Basically you pay like USD 60 a year for a US postal address to which you can ship your items to. It works like this:
You order from any online store and have the product(s) shipped to the address you've been given by MyUS.
Beware though, some sites like Nike.com blacklist parcel forwarders and / or international credit cards. In my experience, most sites work fine and otherwise I have always been able to work around this by e.g. ordering from Amazon rather than through Nike directly. You will receive an email from MyUS once your item arrives. You log in to the member section of their website to calculate the shipping price to your CH address (based on your shipping preferences), and order them to ship your items (or first wait for multiple items to arrive before having it all shipped to CH).
What are shipping prices like, reasonable or on the higher end?
We had a local art shop where I lived before in Switzerland.
It didn't have a website showing what they had so you had to either go and have a look to see what they had what you wanted, or an alternative in stock.
They never did and their standard response was "We can order that for you and it will be ready in two weeks".
So what they were saying was I should get the bus to the local town, look in the shop, get them to order it and then wait for the phone call in a couple of weeks and make another return journey to collect it?
Or, I could just order it online and get it in a couple of days.
Thanks for noticing. Here’s another judgement. If you are a regular amazon shopper, you’ve lost control of your life.
Glad my simple question sparked such a debate! Yes, to buying local, but to be honest.... it seems quite challenging to find anything quickly! I am Swiss, just having moved back from the USA, it is hard to know where to find specific items. We have spent days now running around going to different stores (to keep it local, although I guess shopping at Ikea doesn't really count then, since they are not Swiss?). Quite frankly, I am tried of running around just to get our apartment set up, etc. If there are great e-shops / online shopping places within Switzerland, bring it on! Happy to use them! But I know for a fact that my beloved InstaPot (and you all can have another discussion about this one ) is only found on Amazon.... Alas, I will have to use the system of shipping to a spot in Germany and pick it up. Those of you who do it that way, do you drive there or have them forward it to you?
Thank you Sooo much for your response, but I do have one more question. I'm alway's "concerned" that when something is shipped in to CH then I'll be taxed/charged.
For an example (just an example): I use the service you mention - I order something (1 single item) let's say it's a camera lens for $400 on amazon. I get the service you mentioned to deliver it to me in CH --- will I owe any taxes/special shipping fees / import taxes...... This is just an example.
I'm very eager to test out this service. I have a number of products that I can't find in CH and some I can't find in EU. Thanks
Some companies pay it for you and calculate taxes and duty as part of the final price. For others, you'll pay it when you get a bill. You may pay processing fees too. You may also pay storage fees if it's not clear what type of article it is and they hold on to it for you.
But, if it's over the duty-free limit, you probably will have to pay.
If you pick it up from over the border, that's 300 CHF or over per article. It's considerably less if it is shipped to you within Switzerland.
But this is helpful for US stores. Are there any equivalent for online stores in Europe in France or Germany that will receive my parcels and forward them to Switzerland?
Yes. Do a search for mail forwarding company France or Germany or whatever.
Hi, Tom,
Do you know anything about having books shipped from Abe Books? I looked up a book on Book Depository (they didn't have it), but they recommended that I checked on Abe Books (who carry it).
Thanks!
I've never bought anything from them - they're a bit like ebay (without the bidding) so you're not buying from a particular shop. I've nearly bought books from them but been dissuaded by the steep shipping costs on the books I wanted.
They seem good for out-of-print books though.
I've bought from them a couple of times and found the postage charges rather high.
The worse was when I'd ordered (and paid) for a book I'd wanted for years but couldn't find anywhere else, the seller refused to sent it until I paid an extra £10 as "postage costs from England to Switzerland were so high", then sent it Ecomomy Parcel which cost less than the initial postage already paid!
Abe Books refused to help, claiming it was a private transaction between myself and the seller.
That fully depends on the shipping options that you choose (which postal service, priority shipping, insurance), but prices are fair / realistic. Be prepared for import costs / VAT though.