Amazon started selling in Australia
So far it is most costly shopping in Australia,,, up to 50% more expensive than any shop in Australia

We was thinking it is goo one but Australian are now very disapointed ...just another crap , expensive

Take, for example, the ever-popular smartphone category. The iPhone 7 Plus (128GB 4G LTE) will set you back $1375. That's actually more expensive than buying from Apple direct, where the AU pricing is $1199. Likewise, the Samsung Galaxy S8 currently commands a price tag of $1570.87 on Amazon. Other Aussie retailers, including Kogan, are selling it for well under $900.
Some smart TV are 100% more expensive

The price of action cams are similarly disappointing. The GoPro HERO5 Black GPCHDHX-501 is selling on Amazon for as much as $699. This is well above the average price in Australia - even Harvey Norman is selling it for $200 less than Amazon.

Laptop pricing is also very hit-and-miss. We spotted a Lenovo ThinkPad P51 (E3-1505M v6) for an eye-watering $5,732.95. The same machine goes for $3799 on Lenovo's Australian website.

And don't get us started on some of the grocery deals: dishwasher tablets are running for $24 while Woolies has the same product for $20. These kinds of products were supposed to be Amazon's killer proposition but it doesn't look like Coles or Woolworths have too much to worry about.

In short , Amazon is pure crap

most comments in Australia are like this one

So far Amazon AU = Netflix AU. Anemic range compared with its US equivalent.

not only in Au ... all over Asia is the same. their shipping charges is cut throat. i always slam and criticize amazon for it. it only benefits US resident. i've been a 'victim' once ... earned a free US$50 voucher for completing a survey (not from CS) ... but can only buy less than half the value .. the rest is shipping charges. ridiculous! lots of ppl are making Bezos richer by paying for high shipping charges

From an investor point of view,

For all but one quarter Amazon has yet to make money...

Amazon makes money alright and a lot of it.

It's also over rated in my opinion.

I'm an Amazon prime member but the only reason why I stay an Amazon prime member
is due to earnings paid to me by way of Amazon. As a prime member I get the free shipping.
I also take advantage of the prime movies/tv shows, and the cloud service.

Even for prime members there are many products that are more expensive than Walmart.

It was also more advantageous for me years ago before they started charging TN sales tax.
Tennessee sales tax is one of the highest in the country.

Maybe when more sellers from Australia come aboard, you might get more reasonable prices.

I should have said profits...

Money, yeah, they got mine, I hold a whopping 8 shares...


I agree though, in time, as popularity grows prices will be competitive...

They need to set up a warehouse in Australia and use ships to get the merchandise there .
The cost to ship by air is astronomical, costing more than the price of the item.