The Tribune

By FAY SIMMONS

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamas’ consumer watchdog yesterday moved to seek “clarity” from DHL on how Customs duties and other taxes/fees will be applied to Amazon’s ‘free international delivery’ service to this nation.

Senator Randy Rolle, the Consumer Protection Commission’s (CPC) chairman, confirmed to Tribune Business that officials visited DHL’s Bahamas offices yesterday in a bid to ensure “everything is transparent” for Bahamians on pricing and how much they will have to pay in taxes and fees.

He added that the agency acted after consumers reached out inquiring about the fee structure for DHL deliveries and if they will have to pay any additional funds upon receiving their package. Mr Rolle that said once the logistics provider has responded to the Commission’s inquiries, and they have discussed how the information will be disseminated to the public, it will provide an update.

These discussions are expected to be concluded over the next two days. “Some consumers have asked us questions about it, and we want to make sure everything is transparent for them. We don’t want the consumer to assume one thing and then it’s the other, so we just asked them [DHL] for some clarity and that information will be passed on to the consumer,” Mr Rolle said.

“Once consumers are clear on what it is, then we are good. We just want them to be certain on what it is and, once they get back to me, I’ll be able to speak because I will have clarity on what it is. So, we are waiting 48 hours for them to give us clarity on what is going on, and how things will work, before we make a comment or respond.”

Maintaining that the Commission supports competition, Mr Rolle said it is just ensuring all consumers are made aware of how duties and taxes will be paid when using the new service. “We encourage competition in the market. We just want to make sure companies are transparent with consumers on all their fees and how they will be applied,” he explained.

Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer and e-commerce marketplace, has begun free delivery on purchases of “eligible products” worth $49 or more as part of a promotion that currently has no end date.

“The ‘International Free Delivery’ is available on eligible products shipped to The Bahamas (all major islands) and are part of orders worth $49 or more,” Amazon wrote in reply to this newspaper’s inquiries.

“Not all items are eligible for the Free Delivery promotion. Look for ‘FREE Delivery to Bahamas’ when you spend over $49 on ‘eligible items’ throughout your shopping journey.

“Once you have a cart with eligible items and exceed the threshold, you will see the ‘Free Delivery’ promotion option at checkout. The promotion is part of our continuous effort to provide greater value to our customers worldwide, and we have not announced an end date to this promotion.”

This new service has raised concerns among Bahamian retailers, courier companies and freight forwarders about how they will be able to compete with the global online retail giant.