Review: Online Shops
These days it is easy to obtain shopping cart software which works and is simple to use. Speed of fulfillment, customer support and condition of goods are the most important factors, so I have rated ease of use of site, and quality of customer support. It's also a legal requirement that you are provided with a receipt at the time, either by email or as a printable web page. All shops used encrypted transactions and appropriate security.
I have also awarded a star rating from 0 to 5. Five starred shops gave perfect service - four starred shops gave very good service but with one small detail wrong. Three starred shops were adequate - avoid anything lower. Unstarred shops completely failed me.
I am often asked to review stores, but those featured here are the ones I have had legitimate cause to visit. If you would like me to review your store, please send a voucher to cover a small purchase and postage, using the contact form.
| Shop | Business | Last Used | Ease of use | Service | Despatch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Amazon
| Books, CDs etc | 2007 | Simple to use and buy | Works well and customer support is good | Next day |
|
Aquatics Online
| Aquatic supplies | 2003 | Easy to use | Works well. Customer support proactive and helpful | Few days |
|
Battery Force
| Batteries | 2006 | Easy to use | Not needed to use customer support | Couple of days |
|
Birmingham NEC
| Event tickets | 2002 | Unable to handle promotional offers. Ok for basics. | Emails not responded to, phoneline not answered. Very poor. | Few days |
|
Blinds 2 Go
| Blinds of all sorts | 2007 | Very easy to use | Customer services very helpful, and free samples are available | Couple of days |
|
bol.com
| Books, CDs etc | 2002 | I ended up with someone else's shopping cart. Worked second time. | Online helper very slow to respond and not really interested in helping! | Next day |
|
Craft Creations
| Craft accessories | 2004 | Easy to use although cookies must be enabled. No order confirmation by email. | Customer support responded by email within 1 working day; phone rings for a long time before answer. | 2 days. Free catalogues included. |
|
Crocus
| Garden plants and equipment | 2007 | Easy to use | Usually on time or else well communicated, great quality plants | 1-2 weeks |
|
Crucial
| PC memory | 2002 | Easy to use as long as you know what you want. | Works well and customer support never been needed | Next day |
|
Curtains2Go
| Curtains | 2002 | Easy to use and free samples are available | Excellent, and the free samples encouraged me to buy | Few days |
|
Cyberglow
| Reflective products | 2003 | Easy to use. | Goods arrived with handwritten note and a reflective cyberglow branded clip on tag as well. | Next day |
|
Dog Tags
| Rectangular dog tags | 2004 | Easy to use. | All emails they send are in HTML format. Failed to tell me my original order was declined until I chased - but quick service and great product. | Two days |
|
Edkins Aquatics
| Aquaria | 2005 | Easy to use | Continually excellent, friendly advice via email, with a fast response time. | 1-2 days |
|
Everydayprint [No stars] | Business cards, flyers etc | 2003 | Easy to use with online wizard although pricey postage charges are only revealed at the end | After a 7 day delay I complained and was told my image size was wrong - but I'd emailed to check beforehand! Cards still not here after 12 days when needed. I cancelled the order. | They claim 48 hours - but arrived 15 days after order (after I'd cancelled) - damaged and misaddressed too |
|
Figleaves
| Lingerie | 2001 | Easy to use, sizing guides online | Have been sent brochure regularly since ordering | Next day |
|
Firebox
| Boys' Toys! | 2007 | Fun website, easy to buy what you want and all the info you need on products | Called cust.serv. because I needed a quick delivery; they were friendly and it came on time! Catalogue and fun Christmas Card received from them in December | 2-4 days |
|
Fotopic
| Prints and photographic gifts | 2007 | Easy to use website | Friendly customer service; when one delivery didn't come, another was sent without question (most deliveries fine though!) | Few days |
|
Garden Supply Direct
| Garden plants and equipment | 2006 | Easy to use website | I chose them due to next day delivery - after a week of chasing they admitted the item wasn't in stock. Postage was refunded however. Phone support number withdrawn from website while I was chasing. | 8 days |
|
The Glow Company
| Glow sticks / glow products | 2004 | Easy to use website | Customer services very helpful when I wanted to track my order | 2 days |
|
The Glow House
| Glow sticks / glow products | 2005 | Easy to use | Very helpful - made up order with extras | Next day |
|
HMV UK
| Music | 2005 | Easy to use website | Email told me my order was sent - but it had already come! | 1 day |
|
Freepost Inkjet Cartridges [No stars] | Inkjet Cartridges | 2003 | Various websites - all usable but dull, took a while to find correct product | Sent a faulty cartridge (and the website hadn't stated it was a reconditioned one, only that it was own-branded) and the replacement was wrong type. After 2 months I had another replacement, which also didn't work. Given up hoping for a refund. Customer service slow, brusque manner | A working product never arrived - all were faulty |
|
Gadgets.co.uk [No stars] | Gadgets | 2002 | Easy to use - placed preorder | After delay to my pre-order, was told they would not get many of this item and to confirm order (again) by email or it would be cancelled | Never arrived |
|
Interflora
| Bouquets | 2002 | Easy to use although chocolates etc are annoyingly upsold | Email customer service prompt | Same day! |
|
Java Plants
| Aquatic plants | 2003 | Easy to use but no email confirmation | First purchase did not arrive for over three weeks, second purchase came on time. Email support patchy. Quality of goods was excellent however. | Few weeks |
|
JB Silverware
| Silverware | 2005 | Couldn't see delivery / postage information, so rang up to order instead | Was told it would be courier delivered and paid £5 for P&P, stayed in for delivery on named day only to find it was sent by Royal Mail recorded delivery (first class plus 66p). Courier costs not refunded when I complained, and I missed the delivery. | Few days |
|
John Lewis
| Department store | 2007 | Easy to use however once told me item was in stock when it was not | Polite, but if anything goes wrong you need to chase them | 1-2 weeks |
|
Keen Gardener
| Bird feeders etc | 2006 | Easy to use | No receipt given - otherwise it would be 5 stars | Under 24 hours |
|
Lakeland
| Plastics and household items | 2006 | Easy to use | No need to use | Up to 5 days with standard delivery |
|
Levitron Centre
| Levitrons | 2004 | Easy to use | Works well and customer support extremely helpful | Next day |
|
Maplin
| Electronics | 2005 | Item search sometimes confused key and keyboard but ok | Customer service not needed | Next day |
|
Mobileplace
| Mobile phone accessories | 2005 | Easy to use | Customer service not needed | Next day |
|
Nets2Go
| Net Curtains | 2006 | Easy to use | Customer service not needed | Few weeks |
|
Online Turf
| Turf and topsoil | 2006 | Easy to order turf | My AM delivery came at 3.45pm, but online chat support and phonecalls kept me informed, and AM premium charge was refunded | Next day |
|
Pent Up Energy
| Batteries | 2006 | Easy to use | No problems | Few days, but delivery is free |
|
Petstuff Online
| Pet supplies | 2005 | Easy to use | No problems | 2 working days (they quoted 3-5 days) |
|
Pet Tags Direct [No stars] | Pet ID Tags | 2004 | Easy to use, but available characters not displayed so I asked for an @ which they can't engrave | Impossible to get your money back from a cancelled order without paying a fee - they use Natwest FastPay for transactions | Site says 48 hours - but their engraver was on holiday when I ordered |
|
Popcap games
| PC games | 2002 | Works well, fulfilled at once over internet | Works well and customer support never been needed | [Online] |
|
PWP Direct
| Disposable urinal bags | 2004 | Easy to use | Customer support quick and friendly | Next day |
|
RCS
| Business cards and printing | 2006 | Easy to use | Very good - rang to check quality - and great quality items | Few days - you can pay 50% extra for fast turnaround |
|
Repharm
| Legal highs | 2002 | Easy to use | Customer support never been needed however they spam me regularly | Few days |
|
Ryanair
| Flights | 2001 | Requires a lot of information but then fulfilled at once over internet | Phone service good | [Online] |
|
Savile Row Co
| Shirts etc | 2007 | Easy to select the type and size you want (and product quality excellent) | Email service good | Few days |
|
Shoes Direct
| Shoes | 2006 | Easy to use | Not delivered on time, no contact until I chased. Item not in stock despite being able to order it. | 12 days - though website said 7 |
|
SIA group
| Auction | 2002 | Had to register to view auctions; multiple notification emails sent out in error | No delivery charge was mentioned until after I won an item, which eventually doubled its cost. | Few days |
|
Silvercreek games
| PC games | 2001 | Easy to use, fulfilled at once over internet | Works well and customer support never been needed | [Online] |
|
Suttons Seeds
| Seeds and plants | 2006 | Easy to use | Good and postage is included so easy to see what you're paying | Two days |
|
Teddington Cheese
| Cheese | 2003 | Easy to use | Excellent, friendly support offering the chance to sample other cheeses too | Few days |
|
Tesco
| Groceries | 2002 | Good mechanism to choose delivery time and products but final price not determined until delivery | Most items arrived as requested but some were billed at special offer prices when similar items were not. Inappropriate substitutions (e.g. not vegetarian). Delivery was late | Few days |
|
Ticketmaster
| Event tickets | 2002 | Easy to use although tricky to specify seats; disabled bookings must be done by phone | Customer service good, although advice is usually "check with the venue" | Next day |
|
Ticketweb
| Event tickets | 2002 | Easy to use | My tickets were sent out 1st class when I'd paid for special delivery; on complaint the postage was promptly refunded | Next day |
|
Ticket-on-line
| LUL travelcards | 2002 | Easy to use | Works well and customer support never been needed | Next day |
|
Waitrose Wine
| Wine | 2005 | Easy to use | Delivery can take a week but you are notified of this | 1 Week |
|
Water Features Online
| Pond equipment | 2006 | Easy to use | Delivery man carried it in for me! | 2 days |
|
Watford Electronics
| Computers, periferals etc | 2005 | Easy to use | Email support lousy; phone support ok if you persist. Took 3 attempts to send me a computer from stock. Second time of using I was sent a PC which needed an engineer visit to finish build. Poor quality. | Few weeks |
|
Weldricks Pharmacy
| Medical and mobility supplies | 2003 | Easy to use but postage on my item was wrong; had to call and check that it would be billed correctly | Efficient phone support | Few days |
|
Westons Home Health [No stars] | Medical and mobility supplies | 2003 | Conflicting delivery times listed on Terms page | Awful service; emailing a question gets an autoreply saying it will be 3-4 days before a human answers, except when I asked for a phone number and received a snappy letter saying it is email support only. Original query went unanswered. | Gave up trying to order, but website suggests it should take a week |
This page last updated: 01 September 2022
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