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Several years ago, my wife and I had first turned to Amazon to purchase a few books and CDs. These days, it is usually the very first place we look to for many of our purchases. After probably hundreds of purchases, we continue to go back to them because of their generally low prices, easy-to-use site, and worry-free performance.

The breadth and scope of Amazon's offerings is absolutely incredible. Whether you are looking for books, CDs, DVDs, electronic gadgets, toys, tools, sporting goods, clothing, personal care items, or virtually anything else (short of a house or car), they or one of their "partners" has it. I am constantly amazed at what can be found on this website.

As with any store, online or brick & mortar, the buyer should do a little legwork to compare prices and ensure they are getting the best deal. Based upon the items I have often shopped for, books and tools are quite often priced for less on Amazon than other popular retailers. CDs and DVDs can be a toss up with pricing. Walmart often has similar or lower prices of these items. As they say, "it pays to shop around."

Regardless of the type of product purchased, we have had no negative issues to report to date. As for the quality of Amazon's customer service team... I cannot provide feedback, as we have simply never needed to contact them.

As stated earlier (and in other reviews), Amazon does not stock and sell every item themselves. They have countless partner companies for whom they play the role of middleman. While I generally prefer to buy items directly from Amazon (for the Free SuperSaver Shipping--more on that later), we have made a few purchases through their partners. Each transaction was flawless. There is virtually no difference in the purchase process when buying through a partner, as opposed to buying directly from Amazon. I have also found that our few "partner" purchases were shipped as quickly or quicker than those through Amazon.

One of my favorite offerings from Amazon is their SuperSaver shipping program. Basically, for many of the items offered directly through them, they offer free shipping on all orders over $25. This has saved us a bundle. For the added savings, one has to be willing to wait a few extra days for your shipment, which is usually fine for us. Any gift items simply need to be planned ahead about 2 weeks to ensure they'll arrive on time. Especially with gas prices as high as they are these days, we opt for the free shipping through Amazon, rather than drive 30 miles to the nearest large shopping area for an item. Very few of the items we purchase are needed so urgently that we cannot wait for the longer delivery time resulting from the SuperSaver shipping. We have found a little trick, though. During the last 2-3 weeks before Christmas, even the orders shipped via the SuperSaver option are rushed out their doors. Using anything but the SuperSaver option (if available) shortly before Christmas is actually a waste of money.

Another neat service offered by Amazon is the Subscribe & Save program. Basically, they offer a variety of personal care and home cleaning type products for an even lower "subscription" price. To subscribe to a product means that you purchase the item, and can schedule automatic, regular delivery of the product on a timeline designated by you (weekly, monthy, bi-monthy, etc.). For example, we currently use this feature with Pampers Cruisers diapers (no longer available for new subscriptions; I believe Huggies are now the subscription option). We have chosen to have one case of diapers delivered every two months. No hassle, no worries, no problem. Even better, there is no "contract" period with this program. You can buy the item once, or indefinitely, and you still get the advantage of the subscription savings.

The website also offers loads of convenient features such as a Wish List, Shopping List, suggestions based upon your browsing and shopping history, and much more.

We have found Amazon to be a first-rate, virtually one-stop shop for many, many products. If you've never used them before, give them a try!