I am going to repeat a post here that I made on the CS/KDP merger thread...
For any Australians still in doubt/denial about the availability of author copies or proofs once they are with KDP, I will post my email to KDP support and their response here.
My email...
Subject: Australian alternatives
It is a shame that I am unable to purchase author copies or proofs delivered to Australia at approximately the same cost as was the case with CreateSpace. The price disparity leaves me with no alternative than to register with Ingram Spark despite the longevity I have enjoyed with your company. I feel you will lose your entire list of Australian account holders for paperbacks because of the extra costs involved and the inconvenience.
The resulting exodus of Australians may well see them move their ebooks over to other companies as well, for the convenience of having their stock in one location. I thank-you for CreateSpace and my time and money spent there with a great product. I bid you farewell for my paperbacks once they are transferred and will seriously consider moving my ebooks as well.
Their response...
Hello,
I'm very sorry for any frustration this issue has caused.
As you aware that, To remain compliant with changes to the GST law in Australia, from July 1, 2018, we've changed the way KDP authors in Australia access their books on Amazon. Authors can purchase retail copies of their paperbacks through a Global Store option on amazon.com.au. However, proof and author copies will no longer be able to be shipped to Australian addresses. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Please note that these changes do not affect the ability to continue to list your books on our international sites or have them shipped to eligible non-Australian addresses.
*******
Although at this time there is no option for this, I'll forward your comments to our business team to find alternate solution to ship author and proof copies to Australia at same printing cost, we'll be sure to consider your feedback as we plan for further improvements and find a solution for this.
We definitely value your opinion and will continue to listen and respond to our customers' concerns. We will make every effort to evaluate the information you have provided, and try our level best to lead it to program changes or enhancements.
It is always important for us to hear how customers react to all aspects. Your feedback will help us to improve the selection and service we provide and we're glad you took time to write to us. We are sure that KDP Paperback will soon be supported in Amazon.CA too
Thanks for your understanding and support. We look forward to having to providing continued support to you.
Can't get any clearer than that. The thing they offer about buying a book through retail, even though you get a royalty for that, it denies you a true proof copy. You have to publish your book to order one. There is no disputing a problem with their printing in that case. You have approved it, therefore, no grounds to say they printed it wrong if there are pages missing etc. A proof copy is exactly that--proof, of a product that, if satisfied and meeting your standards, may then be sold to the public.
On a side note..
I have contacted Ingram Spark Australia to see if they can migrate my titles over to their dashboard for no cost. They used to do that if you contacted them. I will let you know their response.