Amazon.co.uk > Reviews > Walking through a forest of choices.....

Author's product rating:   

Range of Services / Products	Very complete
Products & Services Pricing	Cheap
Security & Privacy Statement	Excellent
Purchase Tracking Function	Excellent
Customer Services Support	Excellent

Advantages:	-
Disadvantages:	-

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Introduction

Today I've decided to write about one of my favourite websites. It’s already got tons of reviews, so mine will probably get lost in the crowd, but who cares. The web site in question is Amazon.co.uk

About the Store

Most of you will probably have heard of amazon already, either through using it yourself, or through the extensive advertising throughout the Internet. For those who don’t know, Amazon is an online store, but where many stores specialise in just one area, be it books, music, or beauty products, amazon has a much wider range of products.

What do they sell? A better question perhaps might be what don’t they sell? It’s all on here. What started out as a simple online bookshop all those years ago has now turned into a fully fledged online department store, selling all kinds of items in a number of categories which include Books, Electronics and Photo, Music, Dvd, Video, Software, PC and video games, Home and Garden, and Toys

Of course there are loads of sub-categories within these sections, which you can access by clicking on the main category tab. It doesn’t just list the subcategories though; it also lists current special offers within the categories and users favourite buys within category. You can get anything you want on here apart from cars and food that is. Within the categories they have a pretty decent range too. Not just the music that’s in the charts, but all manner of CDs, some from rather obscure bands and artists Within the Dvd section for instance they have a small but quality range of anime and Japanese horror that I’d be hard pressed to find on other sitesPrices are reasonable, and generally cheaper than high street prices, although never by a huge amount.

They even have a part of the site for auctions, although to be honest I’m pretty well entrenched in the world of ebay, so haven’t really tried out this side of the site. You can also sell your old items, again something I’ve not tried myself, although I find that whenever I access the site I am informed how much money I could expect to make by selling past amazon purchases, and it does look mighty tempting!

I like the fact that a lot most of the products include reviews, amongst these you get professional reviews, customer reviews, and of course amazons own opinion on the item. It’s nice to be able to read what an ordinary person who has used the product thinks about it

Site Aesthetics and Efficiency

I like the layout of the site. It has a simple colour scheme of blue and orange on a white background, with a navigation bar along the top and the side of the page. Everything on the site is easy to find and clearly laid out, an area in which other online stores all too often fail.

The search feature on the site is excellent, enabling you to search by author, title, isdn, or keywords in the book category, which for someone like me who can never remember a books full title is very useful. The same easy use spreads throughout all areas of the site, and takes me to wherever I need to get too quickly.
I also liked the site personalisation. If you register for membership, each time you log in after that you will find a page personalised to you. You will find a list of recommended buys based on past purchases and searches, as well as indications of how much you could earn flogging the products you have bought through their online auctions. I like the personal touch; it’s nice to have the web site greeting me by name.

The site also has a wish list, easy to update and amend, which you can direct friends and family to so they don’t all end up buying you things you’ll hate. I used this on my boyfriend, and found that every present he bought was one I wanted, with the exception of one book I’d bought from a second hand shop and forgotten to remove from my wishlist. It’s also a great way to keep a record of things you’ve seen that you thought of buying at a later date.

The pages are quick to load, although they can very occasionally be slow when site traffic is heavy. Amazon also have excellent links to all the info you might need before purchasing, such as shipping fees and a FAQ section, all easy to find from anywhere on the site.

Shipping

The one small gripe I have with the site is the section explaining delivery charges. Whereas with most sites you pay either one price for any delivery regardless of size, or a certain amount per item, on amazon you have a per delivery rate, and then a per item rate to add on to it. Sounds simple enough, no? But wait, the per delivery rate, and the per item rate, vary depending on what kind of stuff you order. I find the simplest way is to order my stuff and let amazon work out the cost automatically, rather than try and keep a running total as I browse.

That said, amazon offer free delivery on orders over £19, which is pretty good if you buy more than one item at a time. Every time I’ve ordered I’ve found the postage rate fair, and they always give me an estimated delivery time. My order have always arrived within the stated time, well packaged, and refreshingly, have always been handed directly to me or left at a neighbours, not left outside my door in full view, which is a problem I’ve had with other deliveries from different sites. I suspect this is down to the courier more than amazon, but it’s nice to know no one will see a package by my door and steal it.

The site also has an excellent order tracking function, which enables you to see how far your order has progressed, whether it has been despatched yet, etc.
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Your Account

Registering an account with Amazon is as simple as ABC. Simply give them your name and address, your email, and your date or birth and you’re ready. You can add credit card or paypal details too if you wish. You don’t have to pay by credit card though; you can also pay by cheque or postal order, although you will have to wait until your payment is cleared before they will tell you your estimated delivery date. I like the fact that amazon remember your payent card details for you so you don’t have to reenter them each time.

Amazon also sell gift certificates, which are easy to order for friends and family to redeem. I’ve spent several vouchers I’ve received from Dooyoo on amazon, with no trouble at all. However, when redeeming these you can only buy from amazon, not the Z-shops.

Other Amazon Features

As well as bringing up main listings for items when searching, you will also be offered the chance to buy items new or used through sellers other than amazon. These are referred to on site as Z-shops, and are basically amazon members selling items listed on site that they themselves own. Personally I prefer to purchase from amazon themselves, simply because I know I can trust them, and I can keep track of my order better that way.

Amazon offer a great returns policy, as they allowed me to return to them the book my boyfriend purchased for me, without any trouble at all. They will provide a return postage label, which is a nice touch.

For those of you who like to earn money, they also have a refer a friend scheme which is worth checking out. For each friend you refer who buys from amazon, they will send you a £3 gift certificate, but thats not all! To make it more likely they'll buy, they initially send your friend a £3 gift certificate in your name, so you look like a generous person! Not bad. Sit back and watch the amazon vouchers roll in , although you're limited to earning £60 this way. Not to be sniffed at though

My Final Thoughts

I love amazon, and have bought from them many times. I’ve never had any problems in three years of usage (and bearing in mind I’ve made over sixty purchases in that time, that’s a good record). I find the site easy to use, well stocked at all times, and very much customer orientated. Highly recommended.