Amazon book orders of over €30 euros attracted free delivery to Portuguese addresses, until yesterday.
In a move that should witness the online giant lose many loyal customers in the Algarve, carriage and weight is now charged on all orders whatever the number of items ordered.
The charge for shipping books is now £6.40 per book, plus £1.10 per kilogramme, whatever the total order value. DVDs and music software is £4.30 per delivery and £1.10 per item.
Amazon’s 'Free Super Saver Delivery' service has been dropped as from yesterday, apart from orders going to the UK and Ireland.
'Customers in Portugal can switch to the 'standard' delivery service with a forecast delivery delay of two to four business days, or the 'priority express' service of between one and two days,' according to a company statement, neither of which are attractive at the new rates.
The Portuguese end of the Amazon delivery service was handled by local courier companies one of which already has laid-off several staff due the dramatic drop in demand caused by this unilateral policy change.
"Customers are not stupid and there surely will be ways around the new charging system to thwart the capitalist scum," according to one customer resident in Silves, who relied until now on Amazon for a monthly delivery of books.
