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Amazon.com

I love this place! Been lovin it for over two years now. I have ordered books, videos, DVD's, games, some software, a piece or two of hardware, and a wee bit more. I have never once had a problem with them on delivery, price, customer service, or items being out of stock.

About the Store

Amazon is a place that I would consider to be a full service online store. They keep it fairly simple as far as categories go and those would include:

Books, electronics, DVD’s, Health and Beauty, Kitchen and Housewares, Computers, Home and Garden, Kids & Baby, Bargains, Gifts and Registry, and Services.

Of course you will find many sub-categories to choose from within the categories I have listed. With the exclusion of autos you can find about anything you could ever want. Oh yes, and groceries are included as an exception. But, you can buy auto parts on Amazon.com They even have auctions. I have yet to try this feature but plan to test the waters in the near future. It is hard to sneak away from eBay and try new auctions! I have heard pretty good compliments about the service though.

One of the nice features is the fact that you can list some of your used items on there for sale. They will offer you a price for what they have new and then tell you how many they have available in a used price and how many they have on hand. Rather, on hand with the seller listing the item.

There is something that bothers me about the items that are listed from other than Amazon sellers though. Often, I see someone listing a product that is used and it’s price is higher than that which you can buy from Amazon new! Can you believe it? Who in their right mind would try to pull that off? I have seen these types of situations get the bids or price they ask though. I can’t for the life of me figure that one out. LoL. I guess it happens on all the stores that allow you to sell your items on their site though.

When you click on a category from their top bar, some of them have a bar below the main one that offers you even more options. Such as electronics. When you click on it and the page loads, you will notice a second bar that lists these options:

Browse brands and products, top sellers, cameras and photo, cell phones and service, computers and software, refurbished and used, today’s deals, and outlet.

As you can see, it will list the sub-categories, but as with this category and with some of the others, it lists more than the subs. It offers you top seller’s lists and today’s deals. Now, if you click on DVD, you will find not only the sub-category listings but they will offer you a place to build your DVD collection by saving those which you plan on buying or a wish list, if you will. It also lists movie showtimes to help you find a listing of those movies that are currently playing near you. Pretty cool! Kitchen and housewares offers gift ideas and recipes and so on. You get the picture.

Site Cosmetics and Navigation

I personally feel the site is laid out very well. Everything in it’s place and easy to find. Top bars and side bars make for simplistic searching. Their advanced search feature is excellent and I have always been able to find what I was looking for (if they had it) without any problem what-so-ever. In some categories they offer sweepstakes and contests. I have never won anything but you never know, I may some day!

Amazon does have a wish list feature and you can direct people to that wish list. Who knows? Maybe somebody will feel for ya and buy you something from your wish list. It is also a great way to keep up with that which you plan to purchase at a later date.

The colors are nice and vary from category to category. The pages load smooth and quick as a rule but tend to lag some what when traffic flow is heavy. You will just have to pick the best time of day that is right for you.

I have found that Amazon has thought to include about any service relating to what they offer. Links to that which could be of further help to you and options to used or new. Their FAQ’s are informative and helpful and they are quick to respond to e-mails.

Shipping

I have heard from some customers that they have had some problems with receiving their shipments on time but from my own personal experience, I have never had a problem. Every order I have had has been here when expected if not earlier than anticipated. The shipping charges are fair in my eyes and less expensive than many other online stores. They use standard UPS shipping and rates.

They will estimate a delivery date for your purchase and you can use their outstanding tracking feature to keep up with your purchase.

If you order more than $49 worth of product and you see a little truck icon by it, you will qualify for free shipping. They do ship internationally. They offer 30 day return policy on most items at your shipping expense and with certain restrictions.

Your Account and a Bit More

Registering an account with Amazon is as simple as anywhere else. Provide the basics and you’re good to go. You can add a credit card or PayPal account at a later date if you so desire. You do not have to have a credit card. You may send a check or money order for your order.

Amazon offers an affiliate program but unless you are a large operation, you won’t really see a lot of money come your way. They have something called zShops. You can set up your own store and sell their stuff or some of your own. This may be a better way to go than with an affiliate program.

My Final Thoughts

I really like Amazon and have ordered from them many times. All in all, I feel you are unlikely to have a bad experience with ordering from them. They stand behind their products and will help you in any way they are able to. I highly recommend them.