Amazon Charges Penny Shipping In France To Bypass Ban

Small book stores in France have won the backing of parliament, in the sense that big online retailers of books like Amazon could no longer give customers free shipping. Amazon has adjusted its shipping rates to follow the law, but not in the way intended.

The new law in France aims to encourage buyers to shop locally by removing the perk of free shipping — if you have to pay extra to have a book shipped, after all, you might be more inclined to mosey on down to the nearest book shop and grab it in person.

The ban on free shipping started last week, and in response Amazon has attached a fixed shipping rate to book orders in the nation: one centime (that is, one penny). Thusly, while no longer being able to brag free shipping on book orders, the retailer still offers a big incentive to shoppers.

Amazon is now in accordance with the law — whether France will respond in turn and make adjustments to force higher shipping rates isn't clear. For now, however, it is score 1 for the Internet retailer.

VIA: Ars Technica