AmazonReviews 11,119

I have never had a bad experience with Amazon. Customer service is terrific, they always respond promptly and they are very helpful. I have also bought from individual sellers and so far, my experiences have been good. They also tend to have great prices, especially when it comes to books. If you're a student, you might like their student program, in which they offer discounts on clothing and other items just for students. This program has been great for me, as you get free shipping benefits the first year. These are usually part of the Prime membership (which is not free, about $79 a year last time I checked). However, if you're a regular buyer, the price could be worth it.

I have been buying books from Amazon for the past three years or more. I never cease to be amazed at the breadth and speed of service. I buy mostly non-fiction titles and their options of new and second-hand offers is utterly comprehensive. The same service is available for a wide variety of other items and always my satisfaction has been 100%. On the odd occasion when mistakes have been made (by me as well as Amazon) they are quickly rectified without cost to me.

My fiancee and I routinely order all manner of goods from Amazon.com.

First the pros:

1. Great selection:

We've ordered everything from roto-tillers, books and MP3s to a garment bag for her wedding dress, all at prices that are better than nearly every reputable retail outlet.

2. Solid packaging:

Unlike most sellers, we haven't run into any issues with damage due to inadequate protection in shipping.

3. Good Marketplace:

A wide variety of accredited sellers, giving you even more comparison and shopping power, all on one site.

Although the overall experience has been good, I have a few minor issues to note:

1. Beware free shipping:

This is kind of a crap-shoot. Sometimes, you'll have your items in a few days, however, there is no rhyme or reason to what gets shipped in a timely fashion. We've had an order of several books shipped from CA arrive in MA in two days, and we've had electronics shipped from KY take nearly 3 weeks to the same address. If you need the items quickly, ignore the free shipping option, and decide if the cost to have the items shipped quickly offsets the slightly lower price. For example, the last round of electronics was slightly cheaper, because of the free shipping, on amazon.com than on newegg.com, with newegg's shipping costs. However, had we ordered them from newegg, we'd have had them in 3 days, and amazon to 20.

2. Be careful with one-click ordering:

Although useful, and I think required to order MP3 files, make sure you shut this back off. I accidentally pre-ordered a book using one-click, and didn't even realize it until the book showed up 2 months later!

3. Read the reviews of non-amazon sellers:

Although the marketplace is great, make sure you check into the reviews of any non-amazon seller on the site. There are some shady sellers out there, but at least amazon leaves the bad reviews up, unlike some sites (Virgin Mobile and Beckett come to mind)

I've been an Amazon shopper since 2002 and spend quite a bit there on everything from food to $1800 diamond earrings to a lawnmower and generator. I've purchased incredible bargains and some not so hot, but that was my choice since Amazon did not make the item! My customer service interactions have been fair to excellent, mostly quite good. You must remember and honor their 30 day return rule for easy and swift returns' refund. As long as any seller shown on Amazon's site is part of the Amazon guarantee program, they really will act on your behalf to correct the issue or provide a full refund which I was pleased to experience. They will refund or replace if food is expired or there is some other legitimate reason. Sadly they have really cut back on the Friday Gold box deals, but then now I don't impulse buy as much either. I visit there everyday and can find just about everything I need or at least a link to an external site.

I love Amazon.com. I have had a lot of experience dealing with them. I purchase maybe $2000 a year of products from them. They are always quick and they have lots of hard to find items. I love reading the reviews on their site.

Once a $100 item never came to my home. They said it was delivered. I contacted them and told them I didn't get it. They sent another one out without any questions. I couldn't believe it. They were so nice and professional. I also get free shipping because I'm a prime member because I bought textbooks from them for college, which were cheaper than my school's bookstore. As long as they don't change then I will always be a happy customer.

Amazon is ok, i bought from them expecting low prices and because i was rushed for time to purchase gifts during the winter holidays, i got all my items on time kind of, they arrived at different times due to that they have different vendors selling the products, so its not all coming from the same place at the same time. Also the pricese seemed reasonable until of course it added up with shipping, and i saw the same products at my local target two days later at a cheaper price, what a let down.

Amazon is a great place to buy almost anything.
I must admit that it is mainly books that I buy from them but my wife buys almost anything (curtains, excercise bikes, software, dvds).
It is very easy to use (perhaps to easy) with your shopping being divided into several departments.
As for books. It probably has about 99% of all books available and it is interactive so you can leave a review of any books you buy.
Overall - essential.

My son wanted a toy at Target, but I told him to wait until he saved his money. Once he saved his money I took him back to Target, but the toy had been discontinued. My son was heartbroken, and he worked so hard at saving up for the toy. Fortunately Amazon had a used version. I ordered the toy and it arrived exactly when they said it would. The bonus is that it was half the price compared to when it was in the store. I highly recommend Amazon.com