ExamineHealth

I'm not sure how comfortable you are with ordering things online, people's experience varies widely.  Personally I've been ordering things online for over 5 years now and I will purchase anything I need online if possible.  There's something to be said for the instant gratification of going and picking something up yourself, but there's also something to be said for having it arrive on your doorstep.  If you don't need to have it today, and don't mind waiting, I highly recommend getting comfortable with online ordering if you're not already.

Most specifically, I think that the best online ordering is done through Amazon.com.  Here is a company that obviously specializes in online shopping and merchandise.  They got their start with books, and that is still their primary outlet, however they've expanded to almost every consumer item you can think of.  They have partnered up with other online vendors to offer things that they don't directly ship.  The nice thing about ordering through them is that you get a consistent experience each and every time.  And it is one of the best experiences you can have online in my opinion. 

Specifically I enjoy their order processing and tracking capabilities.  It's very easy to log into your account and check on the status of your order, right down to tracking it through the shipping and seeing where the truck that is carrying your precious cargo happens to be at the time.  You can use the same interface to review past purchases and process returns as well.  I've had to do a couple of returns in my day, and they happen quick and easily.

Probably the best part of shopping at Amazon from my experience is the reviews.  I have gotten to the point where I won't buy something in the store until I get onto Amazon and read some reviews about it.  I really appreciate the real-world description of the product.  I don't trust marketing materials and propaganda, I like to hear it from real people who have taken these items home and tried them out.  They're not always all helpful, but by reading several, you can learn to pick out the truth hidden amongst the disagreements.  The one or two best and worst reviews may be flukes, so I usually focus on the mid-range reviews for the best information.

Of course Amazon is also the master of the up-sell, constantly showing you what other people that view what you are viewing also look at or buy.  This is a great way to get lost in the 'halls of Amazon' for hours on end.  I know that I can spend a bunch of time on that site, opening 5 or 10 different windows, going down one rabbit hole after another.  It's just too easy to browse and research from that portal.  I've got a Wish List that is 7 or 8 pages long worth of stuff - I'm very easy to shop for at Christmas!  Some times I use the shopping cart as just a reminder that I want to get something, even if I'm not ready to actually make the purchase yet.  Once it's in your shopping cart, you can watch the price fluctuate over time.  Some items fluctuate more than others, but I've caught some really good deals by seeing something in my cart go on sale and drop 20%.

All in all, I feel really safe shopping from Amazon.  I've ordered hundreds of items over the years and have never had a bad experience.  Not so say that they're impossible to come across, there's always going to be mishaps, but I think that Amazon does a great job of minimizing them.  I also highly recommend their Amazon Prime service if you order from them on anything resembling a regular basis.  It's $75 a year, but gives you free shipping on most items sold directly by Amazon.  I originally started this service during Christmas time.  Since I order all of my Christmas gifts online, this made a lot of sense.  By the way, Christmas shopping online was one of the best discoveries I've ever made.  You can miss all of the rushes at the store, browse a much larger selection without having to brave the malls, and have the gifts shipped directly to out-of-town friends and relatives.  They'll even gift wrap for you!

I hope that you give Amazon a chance if you haven't already and let them win you over, it's really the best way to order online in my opinion.