Amazon does not officially operate in Ecuador, but it has been widely used by Ecuadorians for several years who are looking for better prices or things that are not easily found in the local market. However, now it does offer to ship to Ecuador from its portals in America (especially the United States) or Europe.

Although it does not apply to all products, the number is growing more and more.

Of course, it makes it clear that this international shipment -the normal thing is that they do it within the country in which it operates- will have a higher shipping cost and even import costs.

For example, for a 128 GB iPhone 7 that costs $249, you would have to pay $145 more to be shipped to Ecuador from the United States. "The cost to ship items from each product category to international destinations varies by item, shipping, and shipping option," according to the company's explanation for this product.

María Dolores Brito, a professor at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito and a specialist in digital marketing and behavior, says that since Amazon began selling books in the mid-90s, they could already be ordered to be sent to Ecuador and they arrived by any means of logistics method.

"If the consumer knows more about technology, they will ask directly. If they know less, they do it using lockers, either through their bank or services such as Laar, UPS Fedex," says Brito, who adds that for years those They didn't know much about this, they also brought things through other intermediaries.

Several banks, credit cards and couriers give an address of a place or locker so that what is bought can arrive there and then they take care of bringing it to Ecuador. Depending on which one is used, you must know their shipping policies.

Brito adds that the price is not the only value to take into account because some prefer to buy here to have a guarantee, the time it takes to arrive, or because if something is wrong, returns are more complicated from another country. However, there are those who search Amazon for things that are not in Ecuador.

Be careful with taxes on what you order

Add that if you are going to use the shipping option to Ecuador, you should know which products can be taxed here, because you know a purchase experience of this The kind where someone who bought a drone on Amazon that cost just over $500 was taxed at 80% and ended up costing almost $1,000. But if the device cost less than 500 the tax was different.

"In the country where it operates, you click and it arrives, but in Ecuador it is not like that, because you come across new laws, with which it does not leave customs, with which taxes have been almost prohibitive... . has more implications," says Brito.

Javier Castillo, marketing specialist and dean of the UEES, says that there are articles that have agreements to send and that Amazon Prime usually has, a service that seems very useful to them, it will not do them much good if what they want is bring it directly to Ecuador. "The important thing is to make sure what the cost of shipping to Ecuador will be."

Now Amazon is a competition for the local market, but not everyone can access or want to buy on the site.

In the meantime, Rafael Bonilla, an expert in computer security and professor at Espol, asks to remember that Amazon is a great store market and, therefore, the quality, originality, features, although the payment information is secure and only held by Amazon, which also has good channels for claims.

Bonilla believes that the request to Ecuador will arrive, but stresses that he has more confidence by using couriers verified by the public postal system. He also says that they offer better information to know any customs data depending on what type of product it is, since the taxes that are paid also depend on that.

If you are traveling to the US

Castillo comments that those who can travel from Ecuador to the United States can also use Amazon Lockers.

This option refers to Amazon lockers where products can be shipped. They are in various areas of the United States and you can select one near where you are going to be and then pick it up.

This can be helpful when the destination is not trusted or they charge to receive packets. As well as when one is moving through different cities in that country. (YO)