Rod Collins

If you’re having problems with an Amazon.com order or considering buying things on Amazon.co.uk here are a few pointers that a surprising number of people don’t realise.

The internet is huge and diverse - the number of people online is also huge and equally diverse.
There are but 3 common factors, those are that just about everybody knows of or uses …
Amazon - Google and ebay

Just because we use them does not mean we use them wisely, correctly or to their full potential.

There is an ever increasing amount of used goods sold by the public or professional traders, the distinction between them and the actual site could be made clearer. Reason being; experience tells me that a surprising number of people don’t realise they are buying from a private individual.

Top Ten Tips for Buying on Amazon

Don’t automatically assume that they are the cheapest.
Check other online outlets such as play.com for CDs and DVDs etc or other book sites

Don’t ignore the High Street.
Often prices are just as competitive or so close as to make mail order a waste of time.

Because you are buying on AZ does not mean you are buying from AZ !
When you search and see results such as “or buy used from …” these are coming from anybody or everybody. It is no different to eBay. Anybody can put things up for sale - buyer beware.

Check feedback.
If you are buying used then check the sellers feedback just to get some idea of how they have performed in the past. Beware of those with poor ratings or low numbers of sales.

Delivery times.
New goods bought via the site are usually very reliably and quickly despatched.
Remember when buying used that the times delivery times stated or nothing more than a guide as to what should happen - you cannot automatically rely on what the site or your invoice tells you.

Log out.
If you stay logged in when browsing the site then much of what you see will be tailored to your online history. It could also be wise to log out for the best price.
I cannot say whether this still happens but some time ago Amazon, and other sites, were testing and using a system that supplied different prices to different customers based on their buying history.
For example, if you always buy the very latest DVDs on release at full price then if one currently has a special offer on they would not show you the cheaper offer price.
It has been tested many times by people looking for things and getting higher prices when logged in !
As I say it may well not be used now but why not log out, find what you want then log in as part of the buying process. Certainly log out when you leave the site.

Leave feedback
If you buy something from their ‘marketplace’ i.e. from a private seller then leave them fair and honest feedback after the purchase. This does help other buyers and helps to encourage the better sellers whilst discouraging those who offer poor levels of service and goods.

Buying books
This is an area when you can save a lot of money rather than ‘buying new’. There are less possibilities for problems than their are in the electronic goods fields etc but still beware.
Don’t be afraid to ask the seller a question to make sure you’re getting what you want.
don’t penny pinch ! If it is only a penny and you want a nice copy consider spending a little more - the old adage - you get what you pay for seems apt when it comes to 1 penny books !
Again check feedback and read descriptions and abvoid those whose descriptions say only ‘We Ship Daily’ etc !

Avoid relisters.
You may not spot them at first but they are the sellers that always pop up for every search.
They have generic descriptions which are the same for every book. They do not actually carry stock but scrape listings from other sites and massively mark up the prices. When you order from them they try and buy the stock elsewhere to send to you. You therefore often pay a great deal more and most certainly cannot rely on what you’ll receive.

Be Wary of Reviews
The buyer reviews can be very useful and, in theory at least, provide a great insight into a product you are considering. Be mindful though they can be and are ‘corrupted’
It is not unknown for companies to get people to write reviews for their products !
Also don’t be swayed by somebody who may have had a bad experience or has a chip on his shoulder.
Look for sensible and unbiased reviews and don’t be swayed by somebody saying this is the best widget ever in the history of the world !

We hope you found these tips useful.
If you have any tips or experiences you’d like to pass on them please feel free to leave a comment.
Regards
Rod