Amazon

www.amazon.com and www.amazon.co.uk: Offers books, videos, DVDs, software and hardware, CDs and more.

Huge. Very good on specialist area books.

Equal or cheaper than shop.

Site design: Can be confusing but easy to navigate once you figure out what merchandise you are interested in.

Privacy policy: Amazon recently decided to claim the right to include user details as an asset if the site or parts of it are ever sold.

Purchase: In US, five CDs and a portable palmtop computer keyboard, $149.66 (€169.76); in UK, seven books, £50.60 (€82.60).

Confirmation: Sent immediately with regular updates.

Postage: US order, $7.76 to a US address, waived as Christmas offer; UK order, £9.95 to Ireland.

Delivery: US order, free upgrade to three-day priority delivery for free. An e-mail to customer service to complain of a oneweek shipping delay on two items received an apology and $10 gift certificate. UK order, six items held two days after order, to wait for the final item.