"I've ordered from Amazon in the past but always seemed to use their affiliated merchants. All of my orders were always processed quickly, shipped within 1-3 days, and arrived on time.

Their prices are always competitive and I love the customer reviews, its extremely helpful when narrowing down and trying to find a good product.

On one order I actually had to cancel an order as I found out after placing it that the item wasn't compatible with Vista. It was simple. I just logged on my account and clicked the cancel order button and it was done. No problems or hassles at all.

This last order was for ordering cell phones and an ATT family plan. Their prices simply couldn't be beat. What would have cost me over $400 at ATT's site only cost me $50(0 after rebate) at Amazon. I ordered early in the day and that very same day I got 2 emails, one telling me my phones have shipped, and another telling me my phones were activated!

My only quirk was their free 2 day shipping. You only have 30 days from activation to try the phone and return it if you don't like it/cant get reception/defect/etc. You only have 7 days if you want the activation fee waived. According to Amazon my phones were sent normal mail through USPS and will arrive in 8-10 days!

I emailed customer support who responded the next morning. It was a nice mail and they said they would have upgraded to 2 day mail but it already shipped. It turns out they don't automatically give you 2 day shipping, you have to pick it. The reason I didn't was because I ordered a few accessories that didn't qualify for free shipping so when it came time to check out I picked standard shipping. Even though I ordered multiple items the site only lets you pick a shipping option once.

So while I love the site and haven't had a problem with them, I really think they should simplify their promotions. If theres free shipping then just include it. Other than that little snafu, everything has always been great with Amazon."

"There's almost nothing that can't be bought through Amazon - it's like a mega-hypermart online. The "Prime" program offering free 2nd day shipping on most things is a nice feature.

The downsides are unreliable shipping commitments - orders may or may not go out the same day even if one meets the "order by blah blah to receive on yy yy" and more disturbingly, atrocious customer service anywhere below the executive level.

An exceptional order often results in customer service that invariably blames someone else - the buyer, manufacturer, shipper. Escalating service issues beyond the overseas reps often lands in a surly domestic support person's emailbox.

There may only be one really good customer service person in the operation (and she is *awesome*) but you'll go through a lot to track her down - good luck!"

"Amazon is one of those companies that is great IF you do not have any problems. If problems arise, prepare yourself for long strings of canned email responses from overseas CSRs, who apparently have no comprehension of the subtle nuances of the English language.
I pre-ordered a cd that was due to release on 10/23 in early Septemver. Previously Amazon had a policy that stated you would get the cd the day it was release, they have retracted this policy. In my case I did not get it on the 23rd but late on the 24th I did get a letter saying it was delayed so my shipping date was pushed back. Now I will get the cd but not until five days after it is in stores. There deal specifically states that they will ship with whatever method necessary to meet the projecte delivery date of the 26th. This wouldhave meant that they would have to next day it, vice 2nd day, to make sure it made it. They did not do this and keep responding with things like 'Good news! I tracked it and it is on the way!" Give me a break.
Next time I will just buy it from the store and forget about amazon and their outsourced 'customer service'."

"Wow, I like Amazon better than most online stores, so I am surprised they have bad ratings. Here is my recent good experience. I ordered a Canon camera, 2 lenses, and a few accessories. They all arrived on time, and were brand new (of course). During the following week, 3 of the items dropped in price. I e-mailed Amazon, and 3 days later, I had a $75 refund posted on my credit card. I thought that was very nice. I have bought from Amazon many times, and will continue to do so."

"I have been a loyal customer for Amazon.com and one of the major reason is it's impecable customer service!

My story started on that day when I went on to Amazon's website without logging into my account. I picked two items I wanted and checked out. When I checked out, I was paying extra attention to the subtotal and shipping cost - I knew I had a few items on my wish list and wanted to make sure that they were not included in the check-out process. I verfied that I had two items in my cart and the shipping was only $11+ (I ordered from third parties). I checked out and waited for the confirmation email.

However, that night when I received the confirmation email, ALL THE ITMES on my wish list came along! I called Amazon right away to address this issue, they quickly cancelled the items sold by them directly, and advised me to contact the 3rd party sellers to cancel the items. They promised me that if I couldn't retrieve all the cost of the items, they will step in to help me. So I did - I called/emailed the seller right away, and was able to get one item cancelled successfully. However, one seller told me that the item was already shipped and asked me to just reject the item. After I rejected the shippment, I found that the seller didn't reimburse me for the shipping. I called Amazon again and they said they would open a ticket to investigate. And sure enough, I got all my money back the next day!

This is what I consider "Great Customer Service"!
I really think that all the online business should consider Amazon's business model!

Well done, Amazon!!"

"I ordered an TiVo HD from Amazon at 11:50PM on a Sunday night. The TiVo shipped at 3:00PM on Monday and was at my door by 1:00PM on Tuesday. Absolutely incredible. The TiVo came in a shipping box and had no damage at all. Another great experience with Amazon."

"I ordered many items from Amazon (not the amazon marketplace though). I love their free shipping above $25 (it would be great if they can give free shipping for every item in their store).

I've had problems with amazon but they quickly resolved it. Customer service is great.

Sometimes Amazon have the lowest price but sometimes they don't. Well, I think this happens everywhere. Overall experience with amazon is great, I got no complaints but praises."

"I'm surprised to see how low their reviews are here. I have ordered over 20 or so orders from them over the past year or so, everything from books, CD's, to toys.
Although there are times where there are impersonal, they always give into the customer. I've seen and ready many reviews about the company culture and I know their belief to satisfy all customers; their unrelenting goal to satisfy every customer, their complete devotion to customer satisfaction.
In any case, I have always had positive, although at times impersonal. "

"Ordered an expensive item that had a rebate error, listed as having twice the actual rebate. Found out after shipment of the item that it was an error and when I called about it, all they told me was that I could return it, they would not honor the rebate error price. I spent the next 3 weeks being told the same thing over and over by email and phone that I would get a pre-paid mailing label to ship back, but all I could find (even with "direct" links sent to me) was a mailing label with the return address. Finally, on my 6th attempt to contact Amazon about this, a half hour call on the phone with a CSR told me I'd have to pay the shipping cost myself and call in for a refund. Well, after I ship and call back for refund, they tell me they have no idea what I'm talking about but they'll "do it because that's what another CSR said." Are these guys trained in there job or do they just make it up as they go?? This has been the worst experience I've ever had ordering an item online, makes me think twice about ordering again from Amazon, at least for high-cost items. My previous experiences have been good with Amazon, but this one has been bad enough to change my thoughts about them."

"No hassle transaction. I ordered on-line and did not have to jump through the hoops because the delivery address was different from the billing one.I was notified by e-mail when the order was shipped and provided with the courier tracking number. The order was actually delivered ahead of promised date. I'll definitely shop there again."

"I buy everything from Amazon.com. They are the company I go to first. In all the years I have been dealing with amazon, I have never had a problem. We signed up for amazon prime, with free two-day shipping for every order, and it's awesome. We get all of our orders in two days. I love Amazon.com!"

"The product arrived late and the box was torn so half of my items fell out - imagine that!"

"Decent prices, amazon always served me right. user reviews there are very helpful. "

"I've been a long time customer with this company for some time now. When something goes wrong, their customer service is always top notch, and leaves me more than satisfied. I had an issue with a 3 pack where one item was damaged and they sent out another 3 pack which unfortunately had the same issue. I contacted customer service only to inform them of the problem, to improve the quality control in the future, as I now had 4 items. They responded within a short time of my email ON CHRISTMAS EVE of all days to let me know they refunded my money for the original order. This was above and beyond what I expected from the company. They are in my group of 3 online companies I spend a vast majority of my money at, and for good reason."

"I ordered a Canon camera SD800 and a spare battery. They arrived before the promised date, well packaged and in perfect order! The whole experience was very pleasant, with clear communications and tracking of the shipment. The price was competitive as well. Highly recommended!"