I'd just like to add a couple of bits of info to all the above, mainly info for NON-UK based members:
1. 1st, just general - sticking to chat is "fine" (sort of) BUT I find it generally rather inconvenient - being a PC klutz, I have a lot of problems with it, like it doesn't always start 1st time, then it often cuts off half way through a message (even though I type fairly swiftly and keep the messages short), etc, etc;
2. For non-UK based people like me - I'm in Switzerland, so Amazon offers me a choice of their German, French, and Italian websites (Amazon doesn't have a Swiss website). That's understandable at 1st sight, because the 3 "official languages" here are those 3 languages.
BUT I normally want to buy books (usually Kindle e-books) in English, not in the above 3 languages. BUT Amazon will NOT "allow" me to sign on to the amazon UK website - ONLY the above 3.
As my German is not too bad, I can navigate the German site OK, BUT the choice of available English language Kindle titles is MUCH more limited than it is on the UK (or US) web sites! (As one would expect).
3. Then I wanted to buy a fairly hard to find English hard back book for someone for Christmas. It's not listed on the Amazon US website. It IS listed on the Amazon UK website, BUT I cannot order it (or rather they wont ship it) to me in Switzerland.
It is NOT available as hardback on the Amazon German website, BUT a paperback version IS available (and also, please note, a paperback IS available on Amazon UK too - who, of course - will not ship it to me, 'cos I'm in the "wrong" country)!
So I ordered the paperback from Amazon Germany and then found out that while the same paperback book in English costs nearly 12 Euros from Amazon Germany, it only costs 7 quid from Amazon UK!
There is of course a way around this fettifogging difficulty - get Amazon UK to send it to someone living in UK, who will then send it on to me here. But that will cost more than the above 12 Euros/7 quid price difference!!
SO THAT's how Mr. Bezos comes to be worth "umpty trumpty trillions"!!!!!!!!! (Or one of the ways he does it anyway)
But as far as Customer Service is concerned, on the rare occasions I've found it necessary, I've found then EXCELLENT (apart from that awful CHAT) - and anyway, Amazon Germany - and Amazon US too - just calls you back if you ask then to - no charge.
I suppose the above is a bit of a rant really but there may be some helpful info for non-UK residents who do use Amazon.
And BTW, it's very seldom I buy anything other than e-books from Amazon - if it's woodwork, etc, type stuff, then only if I can't get hold of it locally.
