I had to share this surprisingly positive experience I had with the Amazon UK store recently. Last month I ordered The Skids "The Singles Collection 1978-1981" 2-CD set along with several other items. The other items were shipped separately and arrived within 2 weeks, but the Skids CD was shipped a couple of weeks later and after 3+ weeks still hasn't arrived. I contacted their customer service, and within a day they replied. Because the item wasn't currently available from their distributor, they issued a full refund, and told me that if the item does arrive I should just keep it (since shipping it back overseas would be cost-prohibitive).

Their email also suggested, if the item DOES arrive, "Perhaps you'd like to donate it to a charity in your area if you feel it would be appropriate to do so." I like that attitude. That's great customer service. All businesses should treat their customers this way.

Of course I'm disappointed that I haven't gotten the CD, but hopefully it'll eventually show up...or I'll get it from a third party seller.

Rich, I had a similar experience last year. I emailed AmazonUK when an order I had placed still had not shown up after more than a month. They immediately dispatched a replacement order, which was delivered to my door a week before the original order finally arrived.

I also received the same suggestion regarding donating the original shipment should it show up, which I chalked up to it being easier for Amazon to write off the loss on their ledgers, than dealing with trans-atlantic returns.

I inquired about donating the duplicated items (which included several expensive Deluxe Editions) to my local public library. However, they politely informed me that they could not add donated items (even sealed and un-opened CD's and DVD's) to their inventory, and that if I were to donate the discs, they would be placed in the "For Sale" bin and sold for one dollar apiece. I decided to sell the items myself, and donate the proceeds directly to the library fund.

Well done. Since I won't be getting a replacement copy, if the original ever arrives I'll donate the purchase price to a worthy charity, keeping my local library (which is just around the corner) in mind.

I've never had any unresolvable problems with Amazon.UK; as Linda has joked I tend to prefer them to Amazon USA.