Website Review: Half.com

Stars: 5 out of 5

Don't Forget Half.com When Looking for a Bargain

I don’t even remember how I first heard about Half.com.  I know it was in the early days of the site.  It’s an offshoot of EBay, and always well worth checking out when you are looking for a bargain.

At the time the site was formed, the idea was to provide a way for people to sell stuff on an EBay owned site without having to list it as an auction.  Yes, this was in the days before Buy It Now, so you know how long ago I’m talking about.

Basically, it’s just like Amazon Marketplace or some other site like that.  A seller can list what they have for sale and the price they are willing to sell it for.  If it sounds good to you, you click buy, pay the price plus shipping, and it is sent to you.

Like at EBay, you can come back later and rate your sellers so others know how the transaction went.  In fact, rates cross over between the two sites, so if someone frequently sells on both sites, their feedback will reflect that.  You’ll want to take a look at the feedback before you buy since every time you purchase something, it is from a different seller.

I remember back when I first used the site, I did have a couple sellers who didn’t wind up having the item in stock when I went to buy it.  The money was quickly refunded to my card by Half.com without any hassle.  Other then that, any transaction I’ve had with the site has been great.

The site is always easy to search.  The results include several different possibilities, but what I’m looking for is almost always the top result or two.  They provide results in books, movies, and music for almost every search, which is nice because you can be fairly general in your search terms and still find what you want.

They have separate listings for various editions of an item, like the hardcover or paperback version of a book or the various DVD/Blu-Ray releases of a movie.  That can be helpful, although I still double check the item’s description from the seller to make sure they put their listing in the correct spot.

When you get on an individual listing, the various items for sale are broken down into categories based on item condition.  There’s Brand New, Like New, Very Good, Good, and Acceptable.  Within these categories, the items are listed with the cheapest item on top.

Originally, the highest price a seller could charge was half the original asking price.  Hence the name of the site.  That went out the window years ago.  As a result, the deals you used to find aren’t as plentiful, but there are still some to be found.  It’s always a great place to stop when you are searching for a bargain.

I have not tried to sell anything on the site, so I can’t speak to how that works.  I do know they charge a fee for listing items, so you’ll want to read that information carefully before you start selling there.

So add Half.com to your sites to check when you bargain hunt.  I don’t buy from them too often, but I still do a couple times a year when I find a great deal.

Website Review: AA.com

Stars: 4 out of 5

The Place to Search for American Airlines Flights

Until recently, I was making regular flights to Dallas to visit family.  Since Dallasis a major hub for American Airlines, I quickly realized they were the airline to use.  And the best place to book those flights?  Their website - aa.com.

When you first venture to their website, you're greeted with a fairly standard travel website interface.  While there are some ads on the pages, the main feature is the search box you can use to find your perfect itinerary.  While they do allow you to search for more than just their flights, that's what I've always used the site for.  You can enter the airport code direct or look up the cities they fly to, enter the dates of your trip, hit search, and away you go.

American guarantees the results you get will be the lowest available on line for their flights, and I've always found that to be the case.  Frankly, that's one reason I have gone directly to their site instead of searching elsewhere.  Plus, they never charge a booking fee.  There are still taxes, of course, but that's the only thing added on to your flights.

Depending on where you are going, you can get pages of results.  It's not always clear what the default option is, but they do always tell you what the cheapest price on that page of results is up on the top.  They clearly list what airport you are leaving from and arriving at, plus any stops you make along the way, so you know exactly what you are getting before you sign up.

Choosing your flight is a multi-step process.  First, you chose your departing flight.  Then they take you to the return flights.  And if timing isn't a factor, they let you browse a week around your selected dates to find the best price to fit your budget.

Found what you are looking for?  Now comes my only real complaint with the site.  To log in to actually buy your flight, you have to know your AA Advantage number (aka your American Airlines frequent flyer number).  This was always a pain for me since I lost my card years ago and can never remember what my number is.  I'd have to search through old e-mails or ask that it be sent to me again.  I wish I could create a log in and they would store the number behind it.

That aside, the rest of the process if very simple and straight forward.  You'll need to enter the information for the traveler(s) (they do store this info for you, so just make sure it is correct if you are returning), confirm the flights, chose your seat if you so desire, and pay with a credit card.  This part is always easy and takes just a few minutes despite being several different screens.

Once I bought my tickets, I'd be sent an e-mail with the itinerary and the confirmation number.  I would print this out and take it with me on my flight to use to check in.  I never had a problem when I showed up at the airport.

Of course, there is a section on their website to check in before you get to the airport, but I never used that.

And you can check on the status of a flight from their web page.  All you need is the flight number, and they'll tell you whether it has departed, arrived, is on time, delayed, whatever it is you need to know.

On your phone or other mobile device?  You can access a modified version of the site there.  While I haven't tried to book flights, the page for checking on the status of a flight is very easy to use in this mode as well.

All told, I always found American Airlines' website to be easy to use and helpful when trying to book a flight.  If you know you are going to fly American, I suggest heading straight to aa.com.

Website Review: EBay

Stars: 4 out of 5

EBay from a Buyer's Perspective

I must have found EBay not too long after it started.  I know I was a member by 1998.  At times I have loved it because of the bargains I have been able to find.  At other times, I’ve hated it because of the money I’ve spent on those bargains.  (It still costs money no matter how cheap something is).  And yet I keep going back to find the next thing I “need.”

EBay bills itself as an auction site.  The reality is it’s more of a giant yard sale.  Go to the search option on the main page, type in anything you might be searching for, and odds are you will find at least one of them for sale.  I’ve have found books, movies, and music galore, old board games, cartridges for my Atari 2600 and Super Nintendo.  When I started collecting Hallmark ornaments two years ago, I spent way too much time and money on the site.  (My pocketbook still hasn’t forgiven me for that.)

The main page features some popular products and a drop down list of categories you can browse.  I never pay any attention to those.  I always head straight to the search bar and type in what I am looking for.  And I almost always find it, too.  Rarely is there nothing that matches my inquiry.  That only downside of the search engine is if someone lists what you want with a misspelling or calls it something slightly different.  Not much anyone can do about that, but if you do find a way to track those down, you can often find a real bargain.

The listings almost always fall into two categories.  There are auctions, which feature an end time of anywhere from a few days to a week away.  You can enter your maximum bid, but the site only shows the maximum bid you need to win the item.  For example, if you bid $25 but could win it at $12, the site would show your bid as $12.  If someone else comes along and bids $15, you’d still be winning at $16.  Only if someone bids over $25 would you lose.  Of course, if they bid early enough, you’d still have the option of going back and placing a higher bid yourself.  These listings can often bring you great deals, but they can also be frustrating when a last minute auction sniper comes in and outbids you.

The other type of listing (and the more popular these days) is Buy It Now.  These are basically sale listings where the price is listed, and you agree to buy it for that price.  No drama, just a hopefully quick, smooth transaction.

Be sure to watch shipping when placing a bid or buying an item.  Shipping can vary wildly from listing to listing, making a higher sale price actually cheaper when you factor in shipping.  If you are savvy, you can still get a great deal.

Here’s the catch on the site, you are not actually buying from EBay itself.  Instead, you are buying from a seller – another member like you.  Fortunately, EBay has a feedback system in place, so you can see if the person you are buying from is trustworthy or not.  The seller can leave you feedback as the buyer, too.  Currently, they can only leave positive feedback, which has its pluses and minuses (I was once dinged for leaving honest neutral feedback and told mine would be removed if I removed the truth.  Of course, if the buyer really is bad, it would be nice if the seller could say so.  Once you submit payment, the seller sends you the item.  Where they are and what shipping you’ve paid for will determine how fast you get it.

Congrats, you have a new treasure to enjoy.

Unfortunately, EBay does have some downsides.  One is their insistence on all payments going through PayPal, a company they own that processes credit card payments.  I don’t trust the company and use them only because I am forced to.  But that’s an issue for another review.  It’s not a strong negative because I still use EBay plenty.

The other drawback is what it has done to collectors and collecting.  I think for some things it has driven the market up.  People list items for sale with an inflated Buy It Now price hoping someone will bite.  Someone else sees that and thinks it’s the price something is going for and lists theirs for the same price.  Fortunately, you can search complete listings and see what people are actually selling things for.  At times, it’s half the Buy It Now prices.  (That’s the case for an ornament I missed out on last year I’m trying to add to my collection right now.)

On the other hand, the fact that many of the formerly rarer items are now available instantly means you can find prices on older collectibles falling.  That’s a good thing if you want to buy, but a bad thing if you want to sell.

Both of these also create some false demands as people buy up stock of something they think will be rare hoping to sell it on EBay to make a killing.  All three of these are not EBay’s fault, just a result of their business.

All this means you need to have some idea what an item is really worth and what you are willing to spend before you go on the site.  I’ve found that patience is often rewarded with a steal, or at least a reasonable price on the item I want to buy.  Some sellers out there are out to scam you, too, or so it seems, selling stuff months in advance before it comes out.  Read listings carefully and use your head and you’ll be fine.

While I have never sold anything on EBay, a message board I frequent has several sellers and former sellers on it.  They are always complaining about the increased fees on EBay.  They charge you money for an initial listing, a percentage of the final sale, and then PayPal takes a part as well.  The site is also buyer friendly, putting the burden of proof on the seller if there is any dispute at all.  The fact that sellers can’t leave anything but positive feedback for buyers is another symptom of this.  If you want to sell something, read everything carefully before you do so you know what you are getting into.

Yes, EBay has some issues.  But any site that facilitates strangers across the country selling stuff through the mail will.  I have used them for years and will continue to do so.

Website Review: Barnes and Noble.Com

Stars: 4 out of 5

Good Prices on Books and Great Shipping

I've been a loyal Amazon customer for years, but as I've watched them act more and more like a bully to anyone around them, I've started trying to farm out my business when there is little significant difference in price.  One winner has been Barnes & Noble's web book store, bn.com.  In fact, their shipping has made them the online bookstore of first choice for me.

Products

Barnes & Noble knows it is a bookstore, and that is still their focus.  You will find any book in print on their virtual bookshelves.  They also have a limited used book service, so you might run across the long out of print book you've been searching for.

They heavily discount all their hardcovers.  Quite often, they give Amazon a run for their money when it comes to these prices.  Okay, so it's often just 10 cents or so, but I'll take it if I can get it.  Trade paperbacks get a nice discount as well.  Sadly, they rarely discount mass market paperbacks.  Gone are the days where you can find any of those for less than cover price, I guess.

Barnes & Noble has their own e-reader, the Nook.  While I don't have one, I do see links to guy books for your Nook on the site.  The links are easy enough to spot, so if you are paying attention, you can get the book in the format you want.

The site offers magazines and newspapers in the traditional format or for the Nook.

Just like their physical bookstores, the website also offers Blu-Ray's, DVD's and CD's.  Unlike their stores, they normally offer these at a discount.  CD prices are competitive with those I find elsewhere on the net.  Their DVD prices usually aren't, however.  While I check them out often, it's rare I buy a movie or TV set from them since I can usually find it much cheaper at Amazon.

Finally, the site does offer a few things that their stores don't.  They have modern video games, for example.  And they have a limited gifts area that includes some food, art, home accents as well as the stationary you can find in their stores.

Ease of Use

There's a big search box at the top of the home page.  I enter what I am looking for, and it's usually on the first page of the results.  Occasionally, I have to select a category.  For example, I was looking for Disney's Fantasia Blu-Ray set today.  I entered Fantasia in the search engine, and the first page of results was for the singer.  But I selected movies, and then the set I wanted was right at the top.  When I look for something more unique like an author, I get their books as the first result.  Usually they are in bestselling order, but it's easy to skim through the results and find exactly what I want.

Likewise, ordering is straight forward.  Click the big "Add to Cart" button, and your item is saved for you.  When you are done shopping, you can go to your cart (there's a big icon at the top right of every page), and follow the simple steps to get the items coming your way.

Shipping

Here's where Barnes & Noble wins any competition for customer happiness.  Like Amazon, they offer free shipping on any order over $25.  Amazon treats free shipping as a separate, slower shipping speed, and they ship it when they get around to it.  Barnes & Noble actually treats a free shipping order just like any other order with their cheap shipping option.  So an item you pre-order will arrive at your door on release day for free.  Items that are in stock usually take three or four days to arrive; Amazon will just be getting ready to ship my items at that point.  Of course, they will ship all your items together, so if you preorder or backorder something, that will delay your entire free shipping shipment.  I just make sure everything in one order is coming out about the same time, and then I get my order on the last release date.

The site does offer faster shipping options, which generally cost more money.  There's a per order charge plus the per-item charge, so the minimum you're looking at is $5 for a book or $3 for a DVD or CD.  For those prices, the standard shipping is just fine to me.

For $25 you can become a Barnes & Nobel member.  This gives you a bigger discount on items on the web site and in the stores themselves.  It also allows you to get free Express delivery on all items.

Customer Service

I don't recall ever having an issue where I had to contact customer service.  One advantage to ordering from bn.com is that you can return things to a physical store as long as you have your packing slip.

I did recently place an order with them for a new CD by an artist I love.  I couldn't wait to get my hands on that CD.  I guess I wasn't alone because the CD was "inexplicably back-ordered."  The site never acknowledged this, but they sent me an e-mail letting me know.  They went ahead and shipped the rest of my order, but that CD didn't show up for another two weeks.  That's the only time I've ever had a preorder not show up within a day of release date when i ordered it from them.

Conclusion

If their DVD prices match their competition, I would probably give most of my internet shopping business to Barnes and Noble's website.  Their shipping speed makes me very happy and helps me save money I can use on future purchases.  Any time it makes sense, I give them my business.

Website Review: Wal-Mart.com

Stars: 5 out of 5

A Convenient Way to Buy Anything Under the Sun

I must admit to shopping at Wal-Mart very frequently.  I have three of the brick and mortar stores in my home town, and the one closed to me is a Supercenter that includes groceries.  I've recently been trying to expand my on-line shopping, and one site I've been visiting is walmart.com.  The web version of this selling giant is just as good as their real stores are.

What Can You Buy?

Everything!  Okay, so I'm exaggerating slightly, but they really do have quite a lot.  They've got clothes, jewelry, electronics of all types, appliance, bed spreads, toothpaste, toys, photo services, food, and camping equipment.  If they sell it in the store, you can probably find it or something like it on their site.

I must admit I haven't spent the hours it would take to compare what they have in the stores to what they offer on the website.  However, I have found some stuff on their site that they don't currently have in their stores.  In fact, my local store has removed a lot of their TV on DVD sets and has a small selection of movies period.  The website contains a much bigger selection of both.  I've also found that the website, at least for electronics like this, was a dollar or two cheaper than the physical store was charging.  Their prices aren't always better than all the web sites out there, so comparison shopping is still the best way to go if you need to find the best deal, but their prices are usually competitive.

How is the Site Laid Out?

When you first log on to walmart.com, you'll find a drop down menu on the left hand side of the screen.  These will let you browse the site by category.  Or you can use the search box near the top of the screen.  I've just used that and always found what I was searching for in the first page of results.

When you click on the item you are interested in, not only will they tell you if they have it in stock and how much shipping is, but they will also tell you if any stores near you have it in stock.  I actually used this feature to find that an article of clothing I was interested in getting was available in one of the stores in town I don't normally shop at.  While I didn't order on line, I was in that store the next day to buy one.

Shipping (and other fun stuff)

Shipping charges can vary based on what you are purchasing.  Most media type items ship for 97 cents.  Just try to beat that with gas prices what they are today.  If you want, you can have many items shipped to a local store for free.  It seems to take that stuff an extra couple of days to arrive.  When it does, you need a photo ID and a copy of the order number to pick it up.

Not all items are that cheap.  I recently ordered a toy for my niece and had it shipped directly to my brother and sister-in-law.  Shipping on that was $3.97, and based on some other shipping I've done recently, that was a good price as well.  As I said, shipping is listed on every item's page, so there are no surprises when you go to check out.

One thing that might come as a surprise is sales tax.  Walmart.com is required to collect sales tax for every state where they have a physical store, so plan on that when you are placing your order.

I've placed three orders with them within the last six months.  I had a DVD set shipped to the store, and it took a little over a week.  I ordered the previously mentioned toy for my niece, and it arrived at her house four days later.  I then ordered an iPod adaptor for my car, and it arrived pretty close to the same time frame.  I'm very happy with those results.

Returns?

Since there are physical Wal-Mart stores, you can return anything you decide you don't want or that is defective to the store or via the mail.  I've been happy with my purchases, so I haven't had to try that, but I like the quick and easy option of going directly to the store.

Conclusion

So far, I've been very happy with my shopping experiences at walmart.com.  I will still be making the actual store my first choice for shopping, but I plan to use the website more frequently to help me find good prices on what I want to buy.

Website Review: Christianbook.com

Stars: 4 out of 5

The Latest Incarnation of a Company I Have Used for Years

I don't quite know when my family first learned about Christian Book Distributors, but they had been around for a long time before then.  This was back in the days before the internet, and I used to pour over their mail catalogues every other month when they arrived in the mail.  And several times a year, I would place an order.

When I got on the internet and started doing serious shopping, I quickly found their internet presence, Christianbook.com.  I was delighted to see that everything in the catalogues was there plus so much more.  While I don't order from them like I once did, I still find myself searching their site several times a year and placing orders every so often.

Products

If it is targeted toward the Christian market, you can find it at Christianbook.com.  They've got Bibles, Bible study aids, scholarly works, apologetics, Christian living, even Christian fiction.  But they are so much more than books.  They've got Christian music (including mp3's) and movies, gifts, T-shirts, and homeschool materials to name a few.  Basically, if you think you might find it in a Christian bookstore, you'll find it here.

While the main focus is Christian products for the Christian market, you will find family friendly products that aren't explicitly Christian here.  For example, they have season sets of The Andy Griffith Show and Little House on the Prairie.

Layout and Search

The site has gone through various layouts over the years.  The current one borrows quite a bit from Amazon.  You'll see current specials highlighted on the front page while various categories you can browse through are off to the left hand side.  It might be a bit overwhelming at first, but it doesn't take too long to find what you want.

There is a search box at the top of the page.  It has also improved greatly over the years, becoming much better at finding what you are looking for from a few key words.  The results can be further narrowed down.  For example, if you search for an artist by name, you can then narrow those results to mp3's, accompaniment tracks, or full studio releases as you so desire.

Since they only sell new items, if something goes out of print, it drops off their page.  Frankly, I do find it helpful to know something is no longer available and not find a listing, get excited, then realize I can't really order it.  If something is backordered, they'll tell you when they expect it.  And those estimates are usually pretty accurate.

Prices

It used to be you could find a great price on anything you were looking for at Christianbook.com.  Now, their prices are still good, but they aren't outstanding.  This is one big reason I don't patronize them as much as I used to.  I get enough coupons from my local Christian bookstore I can usually get what I want for about the same price without having to wait for it to arrive in the mail.  Still, I will give them a look when I want to get something, and if they've got a good price, I will place the order.

Shipping Rates and Times

Christianbook.com is willing to ship internationally as well as domestically.  Naturally, you do pay more for those orders.  While they rarely offer free shipping no matter how much or little you order (another reason I don't order from them as much as I used to), their rates are still fairly reasonable.  Rates are based not on weight but dollar amount of the order.  An order under $20 is $3.99 for standard shipping, for example.  Over $100, and you're adding 8% for the same service.

I'm cheap, so I have rarely used the more expensive (and faster) shipping methods, so I can't comment on them for speed.  However, I do feel qualified to comment on their shipping.  They are nothing if not consistent.  In the old days where I had to mail in an order, I knew I would have my items in two weeks.  Now that the internet is around, I know I will get an order in exactly one week.  Since standard shipping is supposed to take one to two weeks, and I live on the other side of the country from their Massachusetts office, I'm pretty happy about that.

With all the orders I have placed over the years, I honestly can't remember a time when I didn't get my order correctly with the items in great shape.  That may not give me any customer service stories to tell, but I still consider that great customer service.

Conclusion

I may not order from them very often, but it isn't because the company has gone downhill.  If you are looking for family friendly products in general and Christian products in particular, be sure to check out Chrstianbook.com

Website Review: Amazon.com

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Just about anything you could want at good prices
Cons: Some concerns about how it is shaping America
The Bottom Line:
Looking to buy stuff?
You've come to the right website
Almost everything

I Have Sent a Lot of Money Up This River

Back during the internet boom and bust of the 90's, everyone and their brother had some idea for making money on the internet. While most of those sites faltered or died, Amazon.com has pretty much stayed the course. And I have been an addict of the site for many years.

Products:

So, what can you buy at Amazon? Anything. Think I'm kidding? Well, I'm not.

The site started out as an on-line bookstore. And they still sell books. Then they expanded to CD's and movies (both VHS and DVD, now including Blu-Ray and the defunct HD-DVD). But they didn't stop there, either. Through "content partners," you can buy toys and games, stuff for your home and garden, clothes, sporting equipment, tools, electronics, food, drug store items, even at one time, bumper stickers.

Now Amazon doesn't actually stock and ship all these items. Their content partners do. And just what are the content partners? They are people who specialize in one specific area. If you order something from them, they actually package and ship the item to you, and Amazon gets a commission. But don't worry, Amazon still stands behind the product and you can get refunds or replacements just as if Amazon had fulfilled your order.

Frankly, I don't buy most of what their content partners offer via the web. Instead, I stick with the media categories to buy from Amazon. I love ordering books from them because they discount all their hard covers. I can usually get a book 30% off, more if it is a best seller. Many of the authors I read aren't as well known, so my local chains don't carry them. That's not an issue at Amazon. If it is in print, they have it, which saves me a trip to the out of town specialty store. Unfortunately, they no longer discount their paperback books, but I still order them if I can't find them locally or need to complete my order.

Discounts on CD's seem to be hit and miss. I will occasionally buy a CD from them, but most of the time I don't because I can find better discounts locally.

Most new release movies are discounted pretty heavily, and I will sometimes buy from them. Amazon seems to have frequent sales on their movie titles, so if you are looking for something that has been out for a while, keep an eye on this site. Odds are you can find it cheap.

And I haven't even touched their used catalog. Amazon allows third party sellers to list used items on their site as well. When they sell, Amazon gets a commission. This is wonderful for tracking down out of print titles. In fact, it makes Amazon a new and used bookstore all rolled up in one. You do have to watch some rarer items because the price can be rather steep. But many newer or unknown items sell used for dirt cheap. I've found some bargains on the site. Even though these are third party sellers, Amazon will help work out any issues that arise from the sale. Not that I've ever had any.

Ease of Use:

Amazon is fairly straight forward to use. Easy to spot on the top page is a search bar. You can enter your search terms, and they will bring up anything they think relates. Unless you narrow it down by category, they'll give you stuff from every category on the site. Most of the time, I find what I am looking for in the first few results. About the only time I don't is if I enter an author's name instead of a book title or if the book title is popular. Even then, it is easy to narrow it down to find the results you want. You can even sort your results by best selling, release date, and alphabetically to help narrow things down.

Once you click on the item you want, you are taken to a page that gives you everything you want to know about the item from weight and number of pages (for books) to length and actors involved (for movies) and track titles (for music). You can also read thoughts from customers in their review section. The links to add the item to a personal wish list or your shopping cart and prominently displayed. Once you have added all the items to the cart you want, the site walks you through the easy check out. They even have a service called "One Click" that automatically sends anything you order to you without completely those steps. I don't use it because it is too easy for me to order things and be shocked when the bill comes later.

Shipping:

Shipping can be downright expensive, especially for bigger items. They generally charge a per shipment fee plus a per item fee. And if you order stuff from several different categories, they charge you based on the highest shipment fee, naturally.

They do offer several different options. Standard takes 3 to 5 business days from the date of shipment. They also offer second day service and overnight. Naturally, you pay more for those last two then you do for standard.

Personally, I take advantage of their free shipping. If you order $35 in qualifying purchases (and almost all new books, music, and movies qualify), you can get your items shipped to you for free. They wait until all the items in your order are ready to ship. Then, they wait a few more days. Then they ship it at standard speed.

Yes, I'm being a little factious there. They do wait an extra few days to ship items that you choose to have shipped to you for free, so this isn't an option if you are in a hurry. And they do wait until all items are available, so if you are ordering something that doesn't come out for a couple months, your whole order will wait until then. On the other hand, I have pre-ordered stuff using free shipping and had it arrive the day it was released. Most of the time, using free shipping, I have my order within a week to 10 days. I consider any extra time the items take to get to me my shipping fee. And since I usually don't start using the item the day I get it, I'm fine with an extra few days.

Customer Service:

I have rarely had to use Amazon's customer service. When I have, I have found it hard to find. There are links for it, but they are buried in the small print and you have to search the site to find them.

The people at customer service are helpful and usually take care of any issue right away.

The only time I really remember dealing with them was this Christmas when I learned that returns are expensive. I accidentally ordered two copies of a DVD for someone for Christmas. Not only did I have to pay postage to return it, but I had to pay several dollars in a restocking fee. By the time all was said and done, it cost me half the price of the DVD to get Amazon to take it back. Of course, if the mistake had been their fault, they would have taken it back no questions asked, paid for postage, and given me all my money back.

Conclusion:

Amazon.com has a couple quirks, but they are basically a good site. I spend too much time surfing the site browsing for things to buy and too much money buying them. If you are looking to order something, check them out and at least compare prices before you do.

Website Review: TaxAct.com

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Quickly and painlessly files my taxes

Cons: Ads if you use the free service

The Bottom Line:

Free and easy way

E-file your Federal tax

I've used it for years

E-File for Free with TaxAct.com

Slowly but surely, I adapt to technological change. For several years, I resisted e-filing my taxes, mainly because I didn't want to try to figure out the entire process. Plus, I had heard there were fees attached, and I didn't want to pay. But several years ago, I decided to check out the IRS' list of free e-file sites. That's how I became a TaxAct.com customer, and I've been using them ever since.

When you go to TaxAct.com, you'll notice that you have many choices. The free tax service is their standard service. It has no bells or whistles. For $9.95 (in 2008), you can upgrade to their deluxe version. This version offers tax advice, the ability to import last year's information, and it will import this year's information into the FAFSA form for you. While I don't have any college kids, those who do will love this short cut to applying for financial aid. Then there's the ultimate bundle. It will set you back $16.95 (again, the 2008 price). It includes the deluxe bundle plus state filing.

But that's not the only choice. You can either do your taxes right on their secure web site, but you can also download their software onto your computer. The standard service is still free, but the deluxe and ultimate bundles cost $3 more if you want to download.

Personally, I have only ever used the standard level of service, and I have always filled it out on-line. I've been perfectly happy with this level. And it is the level I will be discussing for the remainder of the review.

Once you chose your level and have created your account, you can start inputting data by answering a series of questions. After entering the basic information like name and date of birth, they move you on to information about your income. For each level of income, they have a series of prompts. For example, when I input the information about my income from my job, I have to fill in my employer's Federal and State Tax ID Numbers and the amounts from the various boxes on my W-2. Don't know where any of that information is? Don't worry. When they ask for information, they tell you what box number it is in. It really couldn't be more painless.

Once you are done with income, they move on to deductions. You have the option of taking the standardized deduction and skipping those questions, or entering any deductions you have and then choosing the greater of your standardized or itemized deductions.

If you start your taxes and realize you are missing something, don't worry. The site saves your information as it goes along, providing you with several chances to get out. When you have the info you were missing, you can log back in and pick up where you left off.

One feature I love is the running total in the upper right hand corner. After every new piece of information you enter, it tells you how much you owe or how much you are getting back. I just love watching those numbers change.

One drawback to the standard level of service is the ads. After every step, they tease you with some information you could get by upgrading to the deluxe level. This is especially true at the end before they run the alerts to see if there are any glaring errors. I probably went through 8 different ads before they decided I wasn't going to upgrade.

TaxAct also offers to file your state taxes for you. In fact, they keep a running total of that return as well. Again, I am cheep. Since I can do it for free with my state government, I don't want to pay them to do it for me. For the standard service, it is $13.95 to file the state return. An extra $7.00 on the deluxe package will get your state taxes filed. (Um, that's exactly the difference between the deluxe and ultimate packages). Those fees cover one state. Each additional state costs you $13.95.

My taxes are fairly straightforward. About the only weird thing I have is the rental income I got from my roommates. But even that is easy enough to enter on their site. With all my information gathered, it took me an hour to file my taxes this year. Most of that time was spent entering the information into their forms, too.

A word of warning. If you are using their web program on the standard (free) level, be sure to print out your forms when given the chance. (Before you e-file, they give you the option of printing out the forms.) Once you e-file and log out, you can't get back in and access them any more. Obviously, you'll want a record of your return. If you pay for the deluxe platform, you can get back in and retrieve that information at a later date. Even so, I'd want to print it out as soon as given the chance.

You also have the option of entering your bank information to get any refund by direct deposit. Thanks to that, I've gotten my refunds in about two weeks the last couple of years.

I'm glad I discovered TaxAct.com several years ago. It's made filing my taxes much easier.

Website Review: DeepDiscount.com

NOTE: Sadly, the site has changed.  The last time I looked at this site, it was charging for shipping on every order.  And their prices weren't as good as they used to be.

What follows is a review I wrote in 2007.  It was true for the site then, and I hope it will be true for the site again in the future.

I'm not quite sure how I first stumbled onto Deep Discount DVD, but I quickly fell in love. While I visited the sister site, Deep Discount CD, I never bought anything from them. Back in the spring, both of those sites vanished to become Deep Discount. They've expanded their inventory, but it's still the same great site I've been using to support my media addictions for years.

Deep Discount is attempting to become a media go to site to rival Amazon. With the rename, redesign, and relaunch, they expanded their inventory to include books and video games. And they continue to stock movies in all formats (DVD, both HD-DVD and Blu Ray, and UMD for PSP), movie memorabilia like movie posters, and CD's. They also carry cell phones, something I didn't realize. Since I don't have one, I have no idea how their prices are in this area.

Prices

The prices are one thing that keeps me coming back. While they don't advertise just how much they discount their items, every item I have looked at is discounted. I have gotten so I just look at Amazon and Deep Discount when I am looking to buy something on-line. Their price is usually within a dollar of Amazon's - sometimes higher, sometimes lower. Pre-order items or just released top sellers are discounted more then average, but every time has some kind of discount.

I am absolutely in love with their new books section. I don't know if it's temporary because of the new launch, but their prices are usually better then Amazon in this category right now. New hardcovers are about a dollar cheaper, and all their paperbacks are discounted about 10%, something Amazon hasn't done in years.

The site offers a low price guarantee. They promise the lowest total price on each item in stock when you include shipping. I have sometimes found others to be lower, but very rarely when shipping is involved. Even so, I have never tried to take advantage of their guarantee.

Search and Selection

With the redesign, they seem to have improved their site search feature as well. There old one used to drive me crazy, but now it's great. When you enter something in the search box, they give you the top listings for the item. Unlike their old search, you can be fairly general with your search terms and still find what you want. The most popular items appear first, and all the categories are mixed in together. On one side, they have options to narrow your search by category, which does help. Or you can start by selecting the category you want from a drop down box when you enter your search terms. Obviously, you'll have to do some looking if you are looking for an unpopular or obscure item. But if it is in stock, you'll be able to find it.

Which brings me to another point. Unlike many websites, this one only offers new items for sale. And they don't waste time with out of print items. If the item hasn't been announced for release yet or has gone out of print, you won't be able to find it in their database. This can be confusing at times. However, every time I have searched for something I know is available, I have found it. It's only the stuff I wasn't sure about that I haven't been able to find.

Shipping

And now we come to the true beauty of the site, their shipping policy. Standard shipping is always free to all 50 US states and territories. It doesn't matter how much or how little you order. This is how they sometimes get away with items being slightly more for their low price guarantee. But I love being able to order one or two items, not worry about the cost, and get it for free.

In stock items usually ship within two business days. From there, they take a week to get from their warehouse in Chicago to me in Southern California. They ship USPS Standard Delivery, which offers no tracking number. Their website claims usual delivery is 5 to 10 business days with a very rare 15 business day delivery time. I have never had to wait longer then the 10 business days to get my order.

Pro-orders are timed to arrive at or after the release date. I have only tried a few pre-orders, but they have arrived anywhere from a day early to a few days after release date. This is the site that accidentally shipped copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows two weeks before the release date. And no, I wasn't one of those lucky ones who got it early.

If you are impatient, they do offer other shipping options. For a flat rate of $5.95, in stock items will be shipped to arrive in 2-5 business days. For $9.95, you can chose second day air. All back orders and pre-orders are still shipped standard delivery. I have never used either shipping option, so I can't comment on service or delivery.

Customer Service

Fortunately, I can't comment on their customer service for problems. I have received every item I ordered in a timely manner. I haven't gotten anything damaged or defective, so I've never felt the need to return anything or call their 800 number. Considering I've been a customer for years, I consider that good service.

One Gripe

The site never seems to remember who I am. I have visited the site on several computers, and I always have to log in. The longest I think it has remembered me is a week. They used to have a "Remember me" box, but that is gone now, so maybe it is a feature instead of a bug.

Conclusion

The move to Deep Discount has done nothing but make a great web site even better. I have recommended the site to family and friends and plan to be a loyal customer for many years to come.