When I first heard of Amazon I presumed it was a place like Ebay. I'd never liked/trusted Ebay and had never bought anything from there, so I was pretty wary of Amazon as well. But, when I won an Amazon Gift Voucher I had no choice but to go searching through the Amazon - excuse the pun! My initial judgement was that it was not like Ebay in its layout. Like Woolworth’s, HMV, or any other large internet site, it was nicely laid out, with everything in easy reach to look for. There was no confusion, and even if I had lost my way, there was a help button on the top for me to press at anytime for assistance.
The first thing I did was register. You don't have to be registered to look around the site or anything, but I just presumed it would be easier, seeing that I was going to spend my voucher in a matter of seconds. Registering couldn't have been easier. I merely had to give an address, a name, and a telephone number and within a seconds I was on my track around the Amazon!
*~*What Can I Buy?*~*
This is the main question that gets asked with any Internet site that is selling something. Well, the answer is everything. There isn't anything you CAN'T buy at Amazon because the range there is so good. Whether you want a book or a microwave, or even a CD or a Washing Machine, Amazon has a wide range that you can easily pick from. There's no hassle or pressure to buy any items, but Amazon are very helpful with the fact that they inform you if someone else has bought what you have bought, which can become really interesting and handy. You can search for most things and they sell it, but sometimes the delivery estimate is about 6 weeks, which can be a nuisance at times. *~* How Do I Buy These Things?*~*
Well, like most Internet stores, Amazon has a shopping basket. Even if you're not planning on buying anything that day, you can still put them in the shopping basket in case you forget in the future. Your items will be kept in the basket for 90 days, and if a purchase hasn't been placed after this time, they'll be deleted, which in my mind is fair enough, and if you've had it in there for over 90 days and not bought it, it's more than likely you're not plannig on doing so anyway.
You can buy in one of three ways (Or combine the three if you wish!).
1 - Pay By Cheque. I can't really comment on this method of payment, as I've never used it. But from people I know who have, I've heard it's an extremely easy process that they guide you along with. A bit more hassle maybe than paying with a credit card, but still quite easy and recommended.
2 - Credit/Debit Card. Most of the time this is what I use. They accept all major cards, including the Solo card, which very few stores do accept. Your credit card details will be stored on your account, therefore you won't have to type them more than once, and you can just click on it next time you're buying. They also store more than one card account, so you can pay with more than one of your accounts. Amazon are very good with taking the money from your account, usually the day before the delivery of your order is due. And refunds are also very easy.
3 - An Amazon Gift Voucher. Well, I've already mentioned that this is how I first paid for my order. Then, my order didn't exceed the amount of the voucher, but in the past it has exceeded my £15 voucher. So, if an order is for £20, and you only have £15 on my voucher, what do you do? Well, simply you can pay the rest with your card or by cheque. You can combine the orders which is really easy to do, and extremely handy at times. There's nothing easier. The paying process is one of the easiest on the site.
*~*How Do I Know If The Item Is The Best Suited For Me?*~*
Unlike any other site, Amazon also has its members write reviews. This is a lot like ciao (although there are only 1,000 words permitted in an Amazon review), and you can write about any product you've owned. Then, the buyers will rate how good your review was from 1-5 (5 being the best), and the best review will be at the top of the page, and it will be an easy access for the buyer to read. I can't say that a review I've read on Amazon itself has made my mind up on buying something (as compared to us here at ciao, they keep the reviews short and sweet at about 250 words, but some do tend to write an extensive one), but I must admit that they can be handy. Even if the product is reviewed badly, and has only been given one star, luckily, and fairly, Amazon will still add it. You can ask for it any fairer, can you?*~*What Are The Prices Like?*~*
Well, I must admit that Amazon are really good with their prices. Most items in Amazon have a certain percentage deducted from the original price, and sometimes items are half price. And this doesn't necessarily mean that the bad items are reduced. When the fifth Harry Potter book came onto Amazon, it was half the price compared to what it was in the shops. And that was certainly popular!
Sometimes you look at the price, and think that's a bit much, but compared to everywhere else it's fair. What I'm trying to point out is that, if Amazon can put the item at a cheaper price they will. If they can't, they won't. Amazon is a global site, and I doubt that the amount of money they take from the original price would matter to them. Basically, Amazon is most likely to be the best in prices on the web and totally reiiable. I always compare others, but more often than not Amazon comes out tops.
*~*Range Of Products.*~*
The first place I go and check now, if I want to find an old film, is Amazon. It has everything for you there. It will give you the cast members, quotes and trivia from the film; it's absolutely splendid, and so much fun and really handy of you're planning on writing a review on a film on ciao, or any other site. Even the prices of the old products are as good as the new ones. Out of the whole World Wibe Wibe, I would have to say that Amazon has the best range. Not only does it have numerous choices for you, but it also sells things that other sites don't.*~*What's The Marketplace Everyone's Going On About?*~*
Well, having not experienced the marketplace, I can't give you all the information, but family members of mine have used it. Firstly, what the marketplace is, is a place for you to sell your old stuff, and buy second hand goods. It sounds really good, but to me the only downer is it's a bit of a risk like Ebay. You can trust the people in the marketplace more so than Ebay, in my opinion, but it's still a bit of a risk. If you have any old goods, you can sell them to other people, which is handy, but what is handier is that you can buy the item you want to buy cheaper. If you search for a product in the search engine, and you find Amazon's price, well on the side it will say how much you can buy it for second hand. Sometimes if there's a book for £10.99, you can get the second hand version for a mere £3.99 (This is only an example mind, some are more/less expensive).
The only problem I see, and the reason I haven't used it other than not knowing what you're going to get, is the fact that you have to pay the postage, which is extremely expensive. Even though Amazon's delivery charges are high, the marketplace is usually about £5 or more. I can't confirm this as I've not experienced the marketplace first hand, but from others telling me, the downer is the delivery charges.*~*Delivery Of My Items.*~*
The marketplace, though, isn't the only expensive part with delivery charges. Oh no! Amazon itself, when you buy the new products are rather expensive, and rather than having a set delivery charge, the price is higher the higher the amount you buy, which can get expensive. Saying this, though sometimes the products are with you within 24 hours (depending on the delivery time) and that is good service.
But, what has been added onto the site now, is the "over £25 order, delivery free!" which sort of gives the idea away in the title! If you spend £25 or more then delivery will be free. But, they will not be with you until 3-5 days, so if there's no urgency, there isn't really a problem, and it's a solution to the problem. I've chosen this service numerous times, and you do find it's usually with you in 2 days or so.
*~*Customer Service*~*
I presumed that Amazon, like most sites, would have the manners of a pig, and treat it's buyers awfully. But, to my astonishment, they didn't treat me like that, and when I emailed them when there was a problem with my order (very slight problem, nothing important to mention) they apologised and gave me a £3 voucher for free. Yes, £3 is nothing, but it's the courtesy and the manners to do that, proved that they aren't all bad! If you have any queries they'll answer you within 24 hours, although I got an email back off them only 4 hours after sending it, and they are extremely kind to you, whatever the problem is.*~*All In All...*~*
Well, as you can probably tell from the tone of this review, I really like Amazon (I do tend to arse lick)! It has everything you could ask for, whenever you want it, and not only that but the customer service is really good as well. I couldn't ask for anything more from a global site, could you? And not only are the advantages endless, but the disadvantages are tiny! So, go and check it out, you have nothing to loose, and loads to gain!
very helpful
