AmazonReviews 11,108

Although Amazon has expanded to being a middleman of sorts selling such things as whole fresh rabbit, shaving oil and hungarian paprika - they're still good for your basics: books and music. I've never received a wrong item from them and have had amazingly good experiences with the merchants selling used books. It can be annoying to browse for certain items, like trying to look for a diary with a day per page but their suggested items are very helpful and I sometimes end up buying more than I wanted, which isn't a bad thing - $25 and free shipping is always great! I think the trick in buying used books is to look at the individual sellers' feedback - it's ebay-esque. Their music downloads sometimes are $1 or $2 cheaper than iTunes and they often have $5 album deals.

There are some things I like about this site, and other things I don't like.

A while ago, I bought some books from amazon. One book never arrived. The company I bought it from just said that they had shipped it, so I couldn't get a refund. The book never arrived.

Amazon was unwilling to get involved. They just told me to talk with the seller. Different reviewers get different community ratings, but it is still sometimes risky. Amazon doesn't accept any liability.

I do like that they have movies you can download instantly. You can rent or buy. Itunes takes forever to download, so this is a great alternative. I use netflix, but you can't watch everything instantly on netflix. I wish though that amazon made it easier to search their database. It is a bit difficult to navigate.

All in all, they have some good services. I would be careful though buying from 3rd parties.

Amazon has an enormous selection, and is very reliable. However, I have two main issues with it:
1. Shipping outside the U.S. is unbelievably expensive, especially considering how long it takes the products to arrive. It sometimes doubles (!) the price of your purchase. I lived in Europe for a few years and when I needed books I ordered through other sites because I did not want to pay that much for shipping.
2. Amazon sellers do not ship outside the U.S., whereas on eBay, for example, you can sellers who do.

I've been ordering items off Amazon for the past 6 years, and I have yet to have a bad experience with them (knock on wood). Eveything to college textbooks to TVs, it all been hassle-free. Granted there are times when items aren't shipped out as fast as Amazon says they will be, but if it's going to be late, Amazon has always sent me emails explaining it will be late.

The trick to making the smaller purchases worth it, like one reviewer stated, is to order $25 worth of stuff in a single order to qualify for the free shipping. You have to wait a few extra days most of the time, but if you can put up with the wait, it ends up being a good deal.

My one complaint (annoyance really) about Amazon are the fluctuating prices. I've seen item prices start at a specific amount drop by $50, then jump up by $75, only to drop by $60. All in a single week. My opinion: if you're considering purchasing something large at Amazon, watch the price for a few days before you buy it. Nothing is more annoying than a price dropping $50 a day after you buy the item.

Overall a great site to buy from!

The site is great!
It offers good items with great prices. And it provides a safe environment for customers if the products and orders are fulfilled by Amazon directly.
Sellers in general try to provide good customer satisfaction because otherwise they may get a bad rating.
In general it has been a good experience purchasing from amazon. And if there is a problem, chances are that you can get a refund.
One cool thing I like from amazon is that it offers product reviews and at the same time in some cases you can see what customers buy more often among related products of your interest. This helps to make knowledgeable decisions before buying.
Best regards! :)

This site is the best! I look here to figure out fair prices for my business, get ideas, and just browse. It is my "window shopping" while I recover from surgery. I love it! Amazon Prime is amazing and if you are a student (college?), you get a year's trial! I am using it to it's max. :) I love it and can't rave enough about them. They go above and beyond if you are willing to work with them. I have worked customer support and I can pull some strings if I wanted to, but being nice is all that's necessary and I love it. Amazon is top notch.