Supposedly obliged to make you pay an extra 3 euros when you order books, Amazon circumvents the law by delivering orders to relay points authorized to sell books. The Minister of Culture wants to ban the practice.
Since October 7, 2023, French legislation has imposed a mandatory delivery fee of 3 euros on Amazon when ordering books. The objective of this measure is simple: the government wants to encourage French people to go to bookstores, by taxing multinationals which ship books home. Any order of less than 35 euros of books is accompanied by these famous 3 euros, even if there are more than 35 euros in the basket cumulatively.
As the Christmas holidays approach, Amazon has found a way to circumvent French legislation. The online commerce giant encourages its customers to have their products delivered to Amazon Lockers, its collection lockers, which are often present in department stores. As these places are authorized to sell books, then Amazon considers that it has the right not to apply the 3 euro tax.
The Ministry of Culture wants to prevent Amazon from continuing
“Free book collection”, as Amazon calls it, consists of having a book order delivered to a point of sale with a bookstore section. Nothing says in French legislation that Amazon has the right to use it… but nothing prohibits it from doing so either. This change annoys the French bookstore union, which denounces “an actor without faith or law, who attacks a text supported by the government and voted unanimously by parliamentarians”.
Traveling to the Montreuil book fair, the Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, responded for the first time to this controversy.
« I tell you: this is a circumvention of the legislation”she told AFP. “ I asked for a very clear answer on this » specifies the minister, who intends to make the free delivery of books to a relay point illegal.
Will Amazon charge for delivery to the collection point?
What will be the proposal from the Ministry of Culture, which cannot simply prohibit Amazon from playing with the lines? The possible censorship of the Barnier government, which could take place on Monday December 2, could give Amazon some breathing space. A resignation from the government would not immediately remove Rachida Dati from business, but certain issues will probably be relegated to the background.
As it stands, it is difficult to imagine the American giant bending to the rules of its own good will. This is in no way in his interest.
@numerama We went to discover the robots that work at Amazon! Report on site in Vercelli, near Milan. #amazon#reportage#entrepot#amazonentrepot#fastshop#tech#actu#numerama
♬ son original – Numerama – Numerama
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