Robert V.

I buy virtually everything online (from TVs to automobile tires, to door hardware, to food items), and Amazon has been an essential tool for getting what I want easily, quickly, and usually at or near the best possible prices. There's no one out there doing as good a job of supplying almost any product imaginable than Amazon.com. But... you don't always get the best price, and all too often their collection of sales tax makes them uncompetitive.
So I use Amazon to easily find exactly what I want, and then I make sure there aren't less expensive purchase options available within Amazon. And that's what makes Amazon such a great site and tool--they help you find the cheapest deals if you use them wisely. For example, after searching the most obvious prices available on Amazon, you need to find and click on the Available from These Sellers link to see your options. Those options almost always allow you to place an order with independent 3rd party sellers who don't collect sales tax, and many also provide free shipping, or qualify for Amazon Prime shipping benefits.
But don't stop there, you also need to click the See All Buying Options button. That's where you may find your item being sold with free 2-day shipping, for example, (which might otherwise never have been available if you hadn't searched a bit further).
I also have an Amazon Prime membership which saves time and money on shipping while also giving me Amazon Prime movies and TV programs, including some great original series.
Is everything less expensive using Amazon? No, it's not, but searching that item within Amazon and outside of Amazon provides you almost effortless comparative pricing. So deciding where to get the best overall deal becomes extremely easy. And whenever I'm in doubt and prices are almost identical, I'll usually play it "safe" by going with Amazon so that I can easily return an item on a hassle-free basis. That in itself has been one of the best features of Amazon.com.
Remember that Amazon makes buying online extremely easy, but it's real value is as a price comparison tool for finding the best deal possible in the shortest amount of time. Although Amazon.com may not always prove to be the least expensive online seller, the website makes finding the best possible deals incredibly easy. Add to that their hassle-free return policy, and they absolutely deserve the highest ratings possible.

10% cash back on everything you buy online from lots of well-known retailers sounds wonderful, but the fine print would kill the deal if only they actually included the fine print. What they don't tell you anywhere upfront is that you're going to have to subscribe to a $10 per month membership in order to enjoy the benefits of this fantastic service. In other words, you're going to have to purchase at least $1200 of merchandise on websites carefully linked through Shopsmarter browser screens (in order to get credit for the purchase), just to recover the cost of your membership. But you won't learn about this subscription cost in the explanation of the service, or in the Terms of Use or Terms of Service, or even in the FAQ pages of the website. ("Does it cost anything to become a member?" Gee, I really think that might be a Frequently Asked Question. But apparently not.)
When you do read the fine print in the Terms it becomes quite clear that there are a number of ways in which your purchase can easily fail to qualify for the cash back discount. Making sure you don't make a simple mistake in how many screens you have open, in which the transaction is completed, etc., could make an online shopper a nervous wreck.
Yeah, I really would like to get 10% of my purchase back (to a maximum of $1000 per year--which is really a net of $880), but not if it's going to cost me $120 a year for the opportunity. And not when I have to sacrifice the simplicity of the online shopping experience companies like Amazon and Jet have shown us can also deliver great values as well.
Shopsmarter is not being honest with its target customers by hiding its high costs of membership, which makes its service offering a bad deal in dollars and cents for truly smart shoppers.

UPDATE 8/29/2016
Following the response from Shopsmarter.com, I think it's appropriate to point out that the company spokesperson confirms that the cost of the membership isn't mentioned or detailed (or even subject to discovery) until you're asked to input your credit card information. My primary objection to the website is lack of transparency---be honest with your prospective customers and tell them that there will be a fee for membership upfront, and make it easy for them to know how much the cost of membership will be. If you don't want to scare them away by putting it on the first page, fine, at least include it in the FAQs where logic dictates it should be properly placed and easily found. It should also be in the Terms of Service or other "fine print" sections under a clearly labeled sub-heading "Membership Fees." This is not rocket science. When a company doesn't make it easy for customers to see and understand their obligations there's usually a clear intention on the part of management. Consumer-friendly (and respectful) companies don't act in that manner, and if Shopsmarter.com truly is a consumer-friendly company, it will make these simple but important changes.

They suck you in with a promise that you'll get more details about someone for free, but after going through multiple screens and registering, etc., you're finally delivered to a screen that forces you to choose between subscription plans. In other words, agree to pay or get zero info. Hey, just be honest at the outset and don't waste our time. Compete on price and service, not on false promises of free services that don't exist!