Possibly the first in a series of “Top 5″ posts. This one is about my top 5 rated online stores. These are sites I’ve found useful or regularly visit to purchase items (usually electronics).

  1. www.digitalrev.com - DigitalRev is an online store selling photographic equipment. I buy most of my camera equipment there – they sell cameras, lenses, filters and accessories both at their online store, and also via eBay. I’ve found the eBay store is usually cheaper, but doesn’t always have the items I want. Packing, shipping, price and service are all top notch (though repairs can take a while compared to a local store), and they actually have a couple of points of presence in Hong Kong I’d love to visit.
  2. www.betterworld.com – Better World Books is another online store, selling… you guessed it – books! They collect and sell both new and used books, with part of the money used to fund literacy incentives worldwide. The price and range is a million times better than even the biggest book shops here in Brisbane, and you can use coupons to save even more! Not only do I love a bargain, but it’s good to know that it’s also contributing to a good cause (they also offer carbon-neutral shipping for 10 cents!).
  3. www.ozbargain.com.au – Not strictly an “online store”, OzBargain is an online community where users post up great deals and coupons in Australia. Great for pizza vouchers and electronics amongst other things :)
  4. www.ebay.com.au – Yes, that’s right, eBay! I find eBay quite useful for purchasing items, just make sure you check the seller’s rating and feedback before making the decision to purchase. Use Paypal for added buyer protection.
  5. www.catchoftheday.com.au – This website offers a new deal at 12pm each day. The items are usually quite crappy, useless things but occasionally a great bargain will pop up when manufacturers are trying to clear stock.

Other worthwhile shopping-related websites that didn’t make it into the top 5…