Amazon or B&N?

[Mickey]

OK, this is an odd question, but I need some help from the Aussies on this forum. I'd like to send a gift card for books to my Aussie friend who is now attending ANU in Canberra. I'm not sure if I ought to purchase it from Amazon, B&N, or some other book seller. I don't want shipping fees from the US to eat up the bulk of the card, for one thing. Amazon doesn't have an Australian branch, do they?

Suggestions?

 

[Pradeep]

It depends on how much the gift card is for. I've found shipping to Aus isn't too bad via the cheapest shipping method on Amazon. Plus customs doesn't seem to open up them big gray bags.

Here's the costs:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/596190/ref=br_bx_c_1_4/102-6399150-3144131

 

[Pradeep]

Another choice would be getting a certificate for an Ozzie bookstore, such as this one:

http://www.angusrobertson.com.au/certificates.asp?storeurl=angusrobertson&cert=online

 

[Jimshady]

Weird, I live in canberra, in fact my girlfriend goes to ANU. Small world huh!?


Don't go amazon, the gift certificate will be eaten up by shipping costs. As Pradeep says, Angus & Robertson are available (and there is one in a mall that is close to ANU). Anoher close bookstore is Dymocks. I can tell you now that ANU has a bookshop called the Co-op Bookshop (http://www.coop-bookshop.com.au/). I don't know if co-op do gift certificates, but if they do, then thats good, because ANU students already get a 10% discount on books anyway, and they will have all his/her uni texts as well!

 

[Mickey]

Hmm. I sent an email to the Co-op to see if they offer certificates. Angus & Robertson sell on-line certificates, only for online orders. The in-store certificates are "temporarily unavailable," so I'll check again later.

Dymocks voucher apparently include a fee in addition to the value of the voucher. Is this common in Aus? I've never seen a retailer tack on a fee in the US for gift certificates.

Thanks for all the suggestions. The one problem with having an overseas friend is I end up limiting myself to light presents (stamps, CD's, paperbacks) just to keep the shipping costs down. This might solve the problem.