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My experiences with buy.com have all been very positive. I recently purchase a Plextor 708A DVD writer, and delivery was so fast that I wasn't ready for it when it arrived. The drive was absolutely fresh, as it had firmware and on-DVD software versions that had been released about two months earlier. I subsequently purchased some software, and it was delivered on the second day. In both cases, I used the "free delivery" option, which turns out to be FedEx ground. The prices were among the best I could find anywhere on the internet. It is helpful to go slowly when placing an order, read everything, and to understand their process and what information they are requesting.

I have ordered from buy.com off and on for several years, and have had a few occasions when I've needed to contact customer service. I agree that it is impossible to reach anyone by phone to discuss a problem, but my tact has usually been to just request a RMA online and return the item if it is not working out --no discussion needed. I have had no problems making a return, but it is helpful to read carefully all of the information they post on their website. I have found customer service via email to be quite slow, but no slower than most online businesses. Patience is necessary when things go wrong, but they do get resolved.

My two favorite online suppliers of computer-related items are newegg.com and buy.com. Over a span of several years, I have made several purchases at buy.com and have not once had the negative experiences that have elsewhere been described.