A solid rival to Amazon and Play (sendit.com)

Member Name: Wezzo

Product:	sendit.com
Date:	16/07/07 (92 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Wide range of titles, cheap, detailed order statuses, great delivery speed

Disadvantages: Sometimes underestimate stock acquisition times, average dispatch times

Sendit.com aren't one of the best-known online DVD retailers. When discussing web purchases, the usual suspects are Amazon, Play and CD-Wow - SendIt is often either overlooked or not known about. It's a shame, as it's a solid retailer that frequently offer better prices than the aforementioned and matches them in terms of customer service and delivery too.

SendIt stock a range of DVDs, games and electronics (they also offer a DVD rental service which I will not cover here having not used it).

Navigation at SendIt.com is intuitive and similar to most other e-tailers - you can search for a specific title or browse by genre; you may also find something that interests you in the sidebars, which list top-selling titles and current promotions, or on the homepage, which features a range of current DVDs, upcoming releases and "star features" (current bargains).

The search feature tends to work well - I've had no problems finding what I want using words from the item's title - and you can choose to search within one category or across all products. They appear to stock pretty much every in-print DVD and game in the UK - I've never come across a title I couldn't find.

Prices on items are usually very good, comparable to Amazon, HMV and Play most of the time. Item prices usually end with .89 rather than .99 so over time you can save a few pounds with those extra saved ten pences! Items include free UK delivery. SendIt accept international orders for DVDs and games but there are postage costs, ranging from £1 to more than £5.

Ordering an item is simple. Click on the "buy" button on a search page or item page to add the item your basket. When you are ready to order, click on the "My Basket" tab and follow the delivery and payment procedures. You can store payment card details but must input the card security number (those digits on the back) and your SendIt account password for each order you make.

Payment is accepted in the form of all major credit and debit cards as well as via cheque or postal order if you wish.

When you have ordered your items you can check is status in the "My Shop" area. Item status is very detailed; an in-stock item will go through four distinct stages: "in progress" (authorising your payment), "being packed", "ready for dispatch", "item shipped".

If your item is not in stock your item will also be listed as "awaiting stock" until it is ready for dispatch. Payment is not processed until the item is in stock - you can cancel until an item is "in progress" without your card being charged.

Dispatch of items in stock is usually the next working day (their site states 24-48 hrs during Monday-Friday). Items not in stock may be listed as "usually dispatched within 72 hours", "usually dispatched within 5-7 days" and "available on order". I find the 72 hour and 5-7 day estimates tend to underestimate the time it will take to acquire the item by a day or two, but items listed as merely "available on order" usually come in to stock within two weeks or so in my experience.

Delivery is generally very good. Items under £18 are sent from "SendIt Limited" which is really a word-word for "SendIt Jersey". Such items usually take around 2 to 3 working days from dispatch to arrive, similar to Play and Amazon Jersey. Items over £18 are sent from SendIt's Northern Ireland warehouse via 1st Class airmail and arrive within 1, sometimes, 2, working days from dispatch, like most other 1st Class mail.

Items are usually packaged in jiffy bags and so far I have had no packaging damage in transit and only one disc has come loose (it was in a multi-disc DVD set and wasn't damaged). An envelope is enclosed with your order which contains a receipt which has a detachable returns strip should you wish to return your item. (I've never had to return an item but I understand they have a 30-day money back guarantee policy for unopened items; they will only accept returns of opened items if they are faulty, however).

The site's help pages are very useful and easy to navigate. Should you need to contact them about a specific order an e-mail address is provided and you usually get a response within the next working day.

If you wish to keep track of an item (perhaps to buy later) you can use the "Add to hitlist" function. Your Hitlist can be accessed from your "My shop" area. The Watchlist does the same for actors and directors.

Also in your "My Shop" area you can change preferences such as image sizes, the display of adult titles, your currency and your SendIt e-mail mailing list subscriptions. You can also add, update and delete payment methods and addresses.

SendIt participate in the iPoints scheme, with which I am unfamiliar but may prove useful to those who already use the voucher/reward system.

Summary: One of the best DVD and game e-tailers