[Yaelle]

I'm not a techie but I know there are a lot of you out there. Do you take advantage of Amazon's great prices, and risk that the product will be OK and stay OK? Is that a risk that is too big to take with a small, expensive toy in the hands of a family?

[Yaelle]

What do you think? You’ve helped me so much already; thanks.

[i_dont_chat]

What are the terms of the warranty? And who carries the warranty?

[P8riot]

Amazon is OK. They sometimes act as an outlet for manufacturers and other retailers, and can offer quite nice discounts occasionally. I have never had any problem with anything I have bought through them.

[boomop1]

Know who you are buying from, they all have ratings and pay by CC.

[RightWhale]

It’s obsolete already whatever it is. Buy books from Amazon, never obsolete.

[BunnySlippers]

I buy electronics from Amazon all the time. As someone said, always use a credit card ... in all purchases, not just Amazon. If something goes wrong the card will return your money under many circumstances.

[mnehring]

The key with amazon is checking who you are buying through. They serve as a conduit for other retailers and individual sellers.

[poindexter]

I usually prefer to buy through Amazon. Never had any problems.

[Cicero]

I don’t know about that purchase in particular. Probably you should look at it and see what kind of warranty you get. But I’ve bought a lot of books and DVDs from Amazon as well as such things as a Japanese pole pruning saw and a hydraulic log splitter, and they’ve always been very good about things.

They replaced some books that vanished in the mail, no charge or argument about it. And they allow you to return books any time if there’s a problem.

I got the log splitter from them because it was about half the price offered anywhere else. So, my general experience with them has been excellent.

[ThePythonicCow]

I have bought several electronics items through Amazon in the last month, including a couple where there was some problem with getting the right thing. In each case, the problem was resolved quickly and properly. So far as I can tell, Amazon deals with a variety of resellers, and does a good job of keeping them in line and responsible.

I usually prefer newegg.com, if Newegg has what I want, as Newegg prices tend to be better, and their computer related selection, my area of interest, wider. But I don't hesitate to go with Amazon if their price is better or they have what I want and Newegg doesn't.

I recommend Amazon.

risk that the product will be OK and stay OK?

No one can guarantee that the product will be OK initially; they usually are, but occassionally something fails and then you are depending on buying from a responsible reseller who is willing and able to resolve any up front problems quickly and fairly.

And no one can guarantee that a product will stay OK, nor does whom you buy it from have much to do with the chances that it will stay ok.

[ECM]

I have spent tens of thousands of dollars on all manner of things at Amazon over the years, and I have never had any problem with anything. I also willingly pay for Amazon Prime shipping each year ($80 for unlimited 2-day shipping; $5 per item for unlimited next day) because the service is just plain wonderful.

In addition to that, if I ever had to return something (for any reason) back it went with no hassle to me (you can even have UPS come and pick it up for a small charge.)

[TheBattman]

I cannot think of any overwhelming reasons to not buy from Amazon. The prices can be good, shipping is up to you, and they are pretty good with returns of defective products.

About the only thought I have is the lack of a local retail outlet that you could return (convenience and speed).

As far as manufacturer taking care of you - it depends on the manufacturer, but you should generally receive the same treatment regardless of where you buy it (other than “gray market goods - a whole different story).

Some credit card issuers have automatic warranty extensions built in (been so long since I even had a credit card, I don’t remember which ones).

And as far as extended warranties - they are generally a waste of money, particularly in your case - as they normally don’t cover abuse (children tearing it up). Some can be a bit forgiving, but most will deny the claim if it was dropped, had parts twisted off, etc... IN fact, any signs of abuse can often result in canceled warranty...

[TheBattman]

You might also look at NewEgg.com

[ShadowDancer]

I can tell you who NOT to buy them from.

[TomServo]

Never had a problem with ‘em and am currently enjoying my new Kindle.

[Mr_Moonlight]

Figure that Amazon has that electronics vendor outsourced rather than in-house, as Amazon directly deals with books, CD’s, and DVD’s. I used Amazon almost exclusively for Christmas gifts recently, which included several “outsourced” vendor products within their domain. I have been nothing but very pleased with Amazon’s follow up on these outsourced vendors, they even sent a follow up email survey asking how those transactions went. Amazon has a great business model and growing reputation for solid quality customer service. You will not be disappointed.

[MarkL]

First things first... Amazon often acts as a broker for other companies. So you need to find out who the actual seller is, and if they're an authorized dealer. If they're not, what you'll get is a "gray market" device, which means that the manufacturer will probably NOT give you a warranty. In addition to that, if the price is really low, you'll want to make sure that the package has all the parts in it. Some unscrupulous dealers will remove things like a case, battery, power supply, etc, and charge you extra for these "accessories."

Finally, you will want to know who you will be dealing with if there are any problems in the order and shipment: Amazon, or some third party.

Mark

[HoosierHawk]

I've been a customer of Amazon.com for years. I've purchased everything; books, CDs, DVDs, software, cameras, kitchen appliances, etc.

Any order of $25 or more is shipped free in 2 days. There are no taxes, and their prices are competitive.

The one problem I had was easily remedied. They sent me a new one and I sent the defective one back.

On another occasion, I bought an old history book from a third-party retailer. The condition of the book was not as advertised.

So, as long as you're buying direct from Amazon.com, you should be OK.

[Caramelgal]

While I've only purchased CD's and books from Amazon and never had any problems, I would imagine that your purchase of new electronic equipment would carry the same manufacturer's warrantee as if you bought it from a Wal-Mart or Best Buys. Just like the former, Amazon is a still a retailer even if it isn’t a “brick and mortar” store. One of the reasons that some non-brick and mortar stores can sell at cheaper prices is because they have less overhead.

When you purchase a new electronic item in its original packaging, there should be a warrantee card, registration form and information from the manufacturer about the warrantee included in the packaging. If you buy a defective product that doesn’t work or is damaged when you purchase it, the retailer will usually allow a refund or exchange.

But if after your initial purchase you have a warrantee problem, it’s not the retailer that will stand behind the warrantee; it’s the manufacturer who honors the warrantee.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=468516

[Vermonter]

Check your credit card benefits. My Visa offers to extend the manufacturer’s warrantee for a term equal to what the original warrantee was. I got a computer replaced well past the manufacturer’s warrantee expiration.