Amazon Australia starts with awkward gaffe

Amazon is finally here, and it's meh.

That appeared to be the general reaction from Aussie shoppers on Tuesday, who after months of fevered anticipation logged on to the e-commerce giant's local site to access the much-hyped bargains — only to find prices were more or less the same as local retailers.

And in an embarrassing oversight for Amazon, its own Kindle Paperwhite e-reader is A$20 cheaper at Officeworks, A$159 compared with A$179.

"So Amazon has launched," tweeted Andy Hayes. "The Aussie retailers breathe a sigh of relief as they realise that the range is awful and the prices are exactly the same. No competition here."

You can grab an iPhone 7 Plus 128GB for A$1199 at JB Hi-Fi compared with A$1375 on Amazon, while a GoPro Hero 5 camera is A$499 at JB Hi-Fi and A$560 on Amazon.

A Lenoxx 9-inch Twin Screen Portable DVD player, which retails for A$149 on Kogan.com, is A$172.38 plus A$9.45 delivery on Amazon.

A Samsung T3 500GB Portable SSD hard drive is A$299 plus A$10 delivery on Amazon, and just A$288 from Officeworks. And if you're a Pete Evans fan, his new cookbook One Pot Favourites will set you back A$39.99 on Amazon as opposed to A$27.99 plus A$4.99 shipping from MightyApe.

#amazonaustralia ripping off Australian consumers with high prices for 9 hours... Harvey Norman, Myer, JB Hi-Fi breathe a sigh of relief. Another wasted opportunity.

— Hero (@hierohero1) December 4, 2017

OMG OMG OMG OMG #amazonaustralia has launched

*Goes to https://t.co/SqcsRMsAFK*

Wow those prices are ridiculously high, I'm going to JB

— Dez Maggs (@DerekMaggs81) December 4, 2017

Good news - Amazon Australia has finally launched.

Bad news - Everything is roughly the same price as in store (they said it would be up to 30% lower than rrp)

How shitty

— Kevin (Inactive Account) (@JustKevYTP) December 4, 2017

Hmm just had a quick squiz at the now launched Amazon Australia site. It seems to be filled with useless junk and nothing seems cheap. Better bargain at Coles, eBay and sales time at retail stores. Am I missing something?

— Andrew Kelly (@andrewfwkelly) December 4, 2017

Well it looks like the launch of @amazon in Australia is a total bust. Not a thing on there I want to buy. They don't even have their own products (eg Echo)

— Kate (@Redback) December 4, 2017

On first looks, Amazon Australia's prices appear to be as escalated as those at the local rip-off stores like Harvey Norman, Myer etc. Dissappointed! Not worth the hype. #amazonaustralia

— Mehreen r (@RizviMehreen) December 4, 2017

The site has also experienced a number of glitches.

Shoppers attempting to purchase the Fire TV streaming device, which was being offered to Australian customers for the first time, received an error page. Others complained about the lack of a wishlist function available on the US site.

Meanwhile, some items are actually cheaper to purchase on the Amazon US site and have shipped to Australia.

The Microplane ribbon grater costs A$29.95 plus A$9.90 delivery on Amazon Australia, compared with US$18.16 (A$24) plus free shipping to Australia from Amazon US, where you can similarly pick up a vinyl of Alice Cooper's Paranormal for US$23.72 (A$31.21) compared with A$54.99.

There are some bargains to be had, however.

Amazon is selling Nintendo Switch consoles for A$399, significantly cheaper than A$469 at JB Hi-Fi, while a Garmin Vivofit Jr. kids fitness tracker is A$50 on Amazon compared with A$89 at JB Hi-Fi, and the popular Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation is A$93.09 on Amazon compared with A$99 at Sephora.

You can also get a Bose Soundlink Revolve Bluetooth Speaker for A$268 on Amazon, compared with A$299 at JB Hi-Fi, and Bourjois Rouge Velvet Lipstick is A$18.76 compared with A$24 at Priceline.

Gamers can grab a copy of Star Wars Battlefront II for the PlayStation 4 or Xbox one for A$39 compared with A$59 at JB Hi-Fi, and a popular skin mist from beauty brand Caudalie is about A$10 cheaper on Amazon than Sephora, A$66.50 compared with A$76.