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Have you tried participating in the new Internet economy while in Puerto Rico? If so, you have probably been sadly disappointed when getting to the checkout.
Many online vendors will NOT deliver their products to Puerto Rico. They simply refuse our business!
You enter your shipping address and find out quickly that you, as a Puerto Rican (living in Puerto Rico) are a 2nd class citizen on the Internet. Your options as a consumer in the global economy, even for United States originating products/services ordered via the mail, are very limited.
The Web opens up opportunities for consumers to get a better selections of products (and services), at better prices.
For those of you opposed to the cost savings that Walmart provides for the lower economical classes, you probably do NOT care about this part. You would rather all of Puerto Rico’s citizens live with a poorer selection of goods at higher prices… because that helps distribute cash into the coffers of Puerto Rican small businesses?
Well, keep in mind that the more diverse products that can be purchased from the Web at sometimes lower costs can actually be tools or resources that help Puerto Rican companies thrive. And Puerto Ricans (as a few have already discovered) can also get involved with new technology for business opportunities to ensure that International money can flow into the Island too.
Whatever your stance on that, let’s get back to the main topic here. Many online vendors will NOT deliver their products to Puerto Rico. They simply refuse our business!
Amazon Refuses to Ship Electronics to Puerto Rico
Amazon.com will send us books and smaller items, but don’t try making any major electronics purchases there. Many of their 3rd party associated stores either won’t ship to Puerto Rico, perhaps forgetting that it actually is only a few hours away by plane and is United States Territory. Annoying.
Check each individual web vendor. You will find many that will send to Puerto Rico, including many that will realize shipping should be at about standard US rates. You may have to remind them. So you certainly want to verify before you just settle for purchasing locally, or book your plane ticket for personal pick up!
Netflix Internet DVD Rentals is Safe & Proven, and will save people from the BlockBuster gouging.
Scenario: A year ago I signed up for Netflix, an Internet site that sends DVDs in the mail for a monthly fee, and gives you freedom from the greed of firms like Blockbuster (to be discussed in an upcoming blog entry). I’m please to tell you Netflix gets my movies here relatively quickly (3-4 business days). However, they recently launched a live video on demand service where you could watch unlimited movies on your computer from a catalog of as many as 12,000 movies… free with your subscription. Being a movie enthusiast I was really happy about that. I clicked a movie title to play instantly and was told something to the effect of “You are not in a country eligible to download our video on demand“.
I clicked a movie title to play instantly and was told something to the effect of “You are not in a country eligible to download our video on demand“.
I’m sure it relates to International copyright laws that I have no desire to research further at this time. But I’m also sure that issues like this on the Web would quickly disappear if Puerto Rican citizens decided to support, lobby for, vote in favor of, and achieve status an an official American state. Until then, anyone trying to take advantage of Internet commerce will be disappointed.
Real Example: I am planning to buy a higher end, broadcast quality video camera. Part of my plan will involve flying to Florida to purchase it, if I cannot find an online provider that will actually deliver it to Puerto Rico. Amazon.com certainly is not going to accommodate me or accept my several thousand dollars of investment, and I do not want to risk a larger purchase on a re-mailing service!
Isn’t it frustrating to have all of this choice at your finger tips, have the disposable income available, and not be permitted to make the purchase?
I am an analyst by trade, so I was able to spend some time figuring out workarounds that include stuff like using “postal re-mailing” services that cloak my real address here in Puerto Rico (making it look like they are sending to an American destination), and cloaking my Internet identify to make it look like I am browsing from the United States. But this took time and frustration, not to mention risk, to implement and it is still an imperfect solution.
And all that is just for me. The average person in Puerto Rico seems to be a little behind in Internet technology, so cloaking their digital identity might leave them a little dumb founded. Even if they knew how to do such a thing, they would have to realize that it is likely a “violation of terms” at many sites, meaning that you actually have to break the rules to send them your money and enjoy their product!
Some tips for now would be:
- Get a subscription to Netflix to save money if you watch 4 or more movies a month at home
- Use Amazon to save on your book purchases by buying used copies from great price savings
- Try using eBay for purchases of larger ticket items or electronics from high feedback vendors
- Investigate each individual vendor site, and contact them directly, to find out if they ship to Puerto Rico (convince them to do so)
An advanced tip would be:
- Figure out how to use a proxy server to cloak your digital identity so you can use services like Netflix video on demand that restrict non-domestic US based subscribers from using it
You should not be, and do not have to be limited here in Puerto Rico. A little research and you should be able to get most of what you’re looking for online. And, if all else fails, you can even use a re-mailing service to get some items that are not typically shipped here delivered to you.
Please do not settle for selection and pricing of local brick and mortar vendors without first using the Internet as a tool and alternative option… even if you are a 2nd class citizen… on the Internet too!
Readers: Please tell me about your frustrations with online purchasing, ask me a question about anything I have said, or tell all of our readers about great Internet vendors that do ship to Puerto Rico here by adding a comment.
The Insider
