TigerDirect.com

Full review
General Thoughts and Advice
If you know what you want and do your homework, TigerDirect is an excellent source of cheap computer accessories and parts. I have shopped with them for years, and so far the only problems I have encountered have been from poor or inaccurate catalog descriptions and/or undertrained salespeople. So make sure you know about the product BEFORE you shop, and don't ask them for information about products unless you're asking very specific questions (e.g. "does it have a USB port?" but NOT "what kind of digital camera do you think would be best for me?"). This last part goes for any retailer in my opinion -- they will usually tell you what you want to hear, upsell you, or have poor/inaccurate knowledge of said product. I recommend that you do your research either in a brick&mortar store where you can see the packaging and specs on the box, and/or check the manufacturer's website and then run the model number through epinions :) before buying.

Selection
If you have ever seen their mailing catalog, you probably have a good idea of the kinds of things they sell and their intended audience: lots of computer parts for people who more or less know computers.

I have purchased CD-Rom drives, 2 PCs (by UMAX and SONY, click here for a review on an excellent deal I got on the Sony RZ22G), memory chips (RAM), blank media (CD-R, CompactFlash, Memory Stick, ZIP, DVD+R/W, DVD-R/W), refurbished items (a ZIP drive), a motherboard (with processor) and plenty of other odds and ends. All have worked as advertised except for a defective Sony CD-ROM drive I bought in 1994.

Be warned that the version that TigerDirect has isn't always packaged with the same accessories as it would be elsewhere -- and this is where it pays to ask them: my CompactFlash card, for instance, was packaged with a USB reader on Pricegrabber.com (same model number), and even though I bought it through a link from that site with that model number it came in an "econo" version with just the card from TigerDirect...

Website
The website is pretty straight forward, but once again, it is aimed at people who know for the most part what they want. The search engine is great, although sometimes you have to re-enter an item because it didn't recognize the dash or spacing (HP 143F, HP-143F or HP143F?) if you are entering model numbers (although they seem to have improved the "fuzzy logic" recently and I have not had as much trouble).

There is a category list that is always available on the left side of the page, and this gives you an idea of how many different things they sell (and their emphasis on parts).

The help section if fairly thorough and easy to get around. The sections have obvious names and I didn't find myself getting irritated trying to find what I needed.

Online ordering is easy and straightforward. Returning customers can enter in a username and password and make it even faster. They claim that their website "uses the latest 128-bit encryption technology to protect your personal information. Our ordering process is totally secure from beginning to end." I have never had any trouble with billing errors or "mystery" purchases on any credit cards I have used with them. See below for more on payments :)

They also have a link for Canadian customers.

Payment
TigerDirect takes pretty much anything you have: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Carte Blanche, Diner's Club, Personal Checks, Cashier's Checks, and Money Orders.

The one time I had to return anything (defective merchandise) they gave me an RMA number without any hassle and took care of everything - this was years ago (1994), so I can only hope it reflects current practice.

They charge state sales tax only when shipping to Florida, North Carolina, and Illinois.

Shipping
My experience with shipping has been *mostly* positive. They package well in sturdy boxes with plenty of room (filled with packing materials) between your items and the box. A small order of blank DVDs I recently purchased, however, shipped loose in the box and a jewel case was shattered. Also, they shipped my brand new Sony computer in the Sony box, with no additional packaging, which made me nervous (I checked with the UPS driver and he said that was pretty common for vendors to ship computers in the manufacturer box). They ship quickly, too. They offer UPS regular, UPS blue (2-3 days) and UPS red (next day). Their rates seem fair -- according to their website, this is how they assess pricing: "Our customer-friendly shipping schedule is calculated on the ACTUAL WEIGHT of your shipment and the TYPE OF SHIPPING SERVICE that you specify (ground, air or overnight). Shipping and handling charges will be applied to all orders placed with us. If your order must be shipped in multiple boxes, or in separate shipments in the event an item is not in stock and must ship at a later date, shipping and handling charges for the entire order will be assessed at the point when the first item is shipped. We charge only ONCE for shipping and handling, for the entire order."

Their warehouse is well located (Naperville, Illinois) which is a nice central spot to ship from. The company is based in Miami.

They offer Order Tracking of their own, as well as the UPS tracking number which can be used on UPS's excellent tracking site.

I have never had a problem shipping to a work address, ordering to my new address once I moved, etc. The credit card section wants you to make sure the billing address you give is the same one your credit card company has on file "to avoid delays." They often ship your items separately, even if they are the same order, but this does not affect shipping price and the packages usually all arrive on the same day.

Conclusion
If you know what you want, they are inexpensive, have a good selection and ship quickly. I now shop online with them, and so far so good: I used to order over the phone, which also worked, but I found myself asking questions and getting nebulous or questionable answers. So if you don't know much about the items you want, or would prefer a store that could help guide you to the right item/part for you, I'd go elsewhere. But if you know what you want, TigerDirect is the place to go.

Hope this helps!