Amazon vs Play.com

We all know Amazon as the number one ecommerce website year in year out. Yet it is not number one for everyone, least of all me.

It has a great range of products and plenty of product information. Due to its popularity, it also has lots of reviews. Whether these reviews are genuine or not is a different matter!

Out with Amazon

I turned my back on Amazon a few years ago because it did not display its delivery charge before checkout. I also found out that its contact information was not available. Nowadays, the law requires that ecommerce websites put up their contact information clearly. I am not sure if that law was in force at that time but big or small, I would like to know whom I am dealing with.

With many big companies, customer service is very poor when you try to contact them. If you are lucky enough to speak to someone, it’s often at the cost of an expensive 0845 number and after being presented with ten options to pick and then waiting ‘in the queue’ for several minutes. This means they even make money on you when you try to call them.

In with Play.com

I migrated to Play.com where, as Play.com puts it, you get free delivery on absolutely everything. Today I have no idea if Amazon changed their practice of divulging their delivery info upfront because I no longer shop there. Sure I check out its product information and reviews, but there are many other websites where I can get better customer service, contact details upfront, a local phone number and of course upfront delivery information. Often prices are much better as well because smaller websites try to establish a footing online and will offer more competitive prices.

So if you are an Amazon shopper, go out there and explore what else the world wide web has to offer you.