Actually, it is I, who has the problem. The first step they say is admitting that I have a problem. Well I am ready to put it out there on the World Wide Web: I have a problem with Amazon.com. I was tempted when I began to write this article to add up how much I spent on Amazon.com last year but decided against it. Some things are best left unsaid or undiscovered. I know I have a problem. I don’t need further confirmation. I can however without checking anything tell you how many times I have been to the shopping mall in the last two years. The answer is twice and that was two times too many. I hate shopping. By shopping I mean browsing for goods or services with only a general sense of what you are looking for. I am relatively fine going to a store to get what I need. That’s easy and mostly painless. But going to a store or shopping mall to browse makes my head hurt just thinking about. I suspect there are more than a few of you guys out there that know what I am talking about. My addiction to Amazon.com though is only partially rooted in my extreme aversion to shopping malls. Amazon.com is nearly a one stop shop for anything retail. When I’m looking at a product, nearly any product these days, Amazon is my first point of reference. I check to see if the product has been reviewed and how much it cost. I look for pictures and related products. I do this regardless of whether or not I am even going to buy the product from Amazon. Amazon is simply a wealth of retail knowledge. Moreover, Amazon’s prices are often competitive or outright better than many other options. I am a bargain shopper I assure you. Amazon isn’t my only stop when looking for the best price but it is usually my last stop. Now, being an Amazon Prime member is an important part of Amazon’s convenience and I have long forgotten how expensive a hundred dollars or so a year seems. I do after all get access to a large library of Amazon’s digital content. Its no where near the deal that Netflix is though and truth be told I would likely commit to Prime for the free shipping and guaranteed two-day delivery alone. Don’t tell Amazon though. Speaking of the two-day delivery, I can wait two days to get just about anything I need. Knowing when something is going to arrive is more valuable than you might imagine. Being able to time packages so they arrive when I will be home, or home soon, reduces any anxiety of having packages sitting on my stoop all day long. Free shipping is pretty awesome as well. I find myself cringing when I buy anything from other online retailers and have to pay $5, $6, or even $10 dollars in shipping. Often I won’t bother unless it’s something I can’t get anywhere else or an exceptional deal.

Finally, I have to admit, I take a certain undefinable joy in receiving packages. Something about coming home and finding that package on the door step just brightens your day, or mine at least. That of course would be the worst possible reason to order something online and I sincerely don’t believe that’s why I buy anything, but who knows…those guys and girls at Amazon.com are a crafty bunch. Speaking of which, the customer service at Amazon is top notch in my opinion. When I have the infrequent problem they quickly and simply fix it. When I buy something on Amazon I generally feel confident that they will stand behind the product they are selling. If I don’t like it, they will take it back. If it was broken or lost in transit they will send another. I won’t say I have been 100% satisfied with everything I have purchased from Amazon.com but I will say that I am 100% satisfied with Amazon.com.

I’m glad I got that off my chest. Now I have a bigger problem. My wife is addicted to Amazon.com….

JD