easy, safe, 99% satisfaction, my 1st choice for online shopping
Disadvantages:
that 1% of all transactions that goes haywired no matter what you do to prevent it
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
I am an avid Internet shopper. If there is a cheaper price, I will find it even if it takes me all night. I am well aware that the cheapest price may come with a hefty shipping price. The more I look, the more often I come back to Amazon.com. It has an amazing depth and breadth of items available. I teach at the college level, and have helped innumerable students find textbooks, at the last minute, that are within their limited book budget. Ninety-firve percent of the time we find the book on Amazon. I have to admit we have run into problems: [1] sellers lie, [2] sometimes these books are listed as Ohio and are really coming from the UK [3] descriptors (text book vs study guide) or ISBN numbers are not correct (again, sellers lie in order to sell an old or useless book to the unsuspecting buyer), but 99% of the time my students get the correct textbook within a week and in good condition.
Personally, we have ordered egg incubators, an HD television, clothing, DVDs, books, wedding gifts and funeral remembrances, odd items that are a perfect fit for that hard-to-please person in our lives, and much more. Rarely have I had a problem in availability, shipping or quality of product. When there was a problem, Amazon worked with me and the seller/buyer towards satisfaction to us both.
I don't just buy. I also sell items on Amazon. It is quick, easy and I have never had a buyer who was a problem or had a problem. I have had one lackluster review, but that was from a student in a high-brow university. I sold her a book that had been used 3 times, had some wear on the cover, but was pristine within. She was displeased that the book looked older than the other students' books. She got a great price, and I shipped it to her first class. You have to be prepared for picky, dissatisfied customers.
Whether buyer or seller, I like the way Amazon handles the money end of the transaction. Everything is done safely and accurately by Amazon. There is also an easy way to communicate with the seller/buyer without using your own personal e-mail address so that privacy is always maintained. Yes, I have had problems both as a buyer and a seller, but the majority of the time, all transactions go smoothly, and the item arrives within the week. Would I recommend it to my friends and family? ABSOLUTELY.
JMCA c.April2008 a version of this review may be found at Viewpoints.com
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