Tip #1. Set your default payment and shipping address. Every time you check out, you'll be given an option if you want to set the current selected payment option and delivery address as default.
If you tick the checkbox, Amazon will default to this payment option and delivery address. This is just to help you breeze through the checkout process.
Tip #2. Always check out in USD. Amazon's in-house foreign exchange rates is very unfavorable to us. Even SCB's rates looked good in comparison. Now, I believe you can just switch the currency of your credit card to USD and Amazon won't bother you about the conversion. However, I have not actually tried this so YMMV!
Tip #3. Unless you're buying an expensive item which cost well over SGD400, it's always good to split up the order so that each one is less than SGD400 to avoid paying GST. Amazon will collect the estimated GST amount upfront from you and will pay Singapore Customs on your behalf should your shipment attracts GST. Amazon wouldn't know what kind of conversion rate Singapore Customs will used so they tend to be a little bit more conservative. Generally orders less than USD280 should not trigger this collection.
Tip #4. Keep a list of items you'll need but not urgent handy. Why? This is because if a relatively big item goes on sale like the 'Lightning Deal', you'll still need USD125 to enjoy the free shipping. These 'reserve' items will help you make up the number!
Tip #5. Turn off 1-click! This is really to prevent 'accidental' purchase and the stress that follows. How do I do that? Go to Your Account -> Settings -> 1-Click Settings. The option is in that page.
Tip #6. It pays to read the reviews. However, do note that Amazon has the bad habit of lumping the same item but different options (like size, color, platform etc) together. Sometimes, the same item but different options (like HDD capacity) can end up with a sizable difference in say performance. An example will be Seagate Desktop HDD 4 TB SATA 6Gb/s NCQ 64MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Bare Drive ST4000DM000
. The entire family of Barracuda Drives sport a 7200rpm spindle speed except for the 4TB version, which spins at a lower speed.Tip #7. After you have logged an order, it pays to keep the items in your 'Save for later' section of your cart. This is so that if the price drops substantially, you can either cancel the original order and logged another order at the lower price, or simply ask the CSO to 'price-match' at the lower price.
Tip #8. Do your research. Not all items are cheap on Amazon. Some are more expensive than the local prices. So know what to buy and what to avoid. But no worries, do bookmark this blog and I'll be sharing good deals that I can find.
Tip #9. When determining if you have $125 in your shopping cart, Amazon uses the pre-discounted price. This means that if you have an item with a discount due to 'Lightning Deals' or Coupons, and the original price is >$125, you'll get free shipping even though the price may drop below $125 after applying the discount. For example, the item cost $129.99, so you'll qualify for free shipping. If the item has a current 'Lightning Deal' and you successfully claimed the deal with an additional discount of $10, making the effective price $119.99, you will still qualify for free shipping!
That's all for now. Happy shopping at Amazon!
Great tips! It's very useful.
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