This isn't just a shameless plug, I am seriously a Newegg fanboy. I've purchased computer hardware to build my own computers for around 10 years, and since I have begun, I've been using Newegg to get my parts.

Why is that you ask? Well, I'll tell you.

1. Customer Reviews

Newegg does an amazing job managing customer reviews. Firstly, only customers who have purchased an item directly from Newegg can leave reviews. Secondly, those reviewers can come back at any point in time and leave the review. 

What does this mean? It means many people come back months to even a year later expressing how the product worked out for them in the long run. 

Also, since Newegg attracts a "tech building" customer base, many of the individuals doing the reviewing are knowledgeable about how the hardware should perform, and give amazing insights to hardware performance.

2. Easy Navigation

I still have yet to find a website that is as flexible as Newegg for navigating computer hardware and components.

Firstly, their primary categories are both logically and thoroughly laid out, allowing one to find exactly what section they are looking for quickly.  

After a section is found, their "guided search", "advanced search" and "power search" options allow one to find products when they know very little (guided) or if they know everything (power). For those who have a "general idea", advanced search gives them all they'll need.

3. Shipping Shipping Shipping Times

Newegg is actually known quite well for their excellent track record of getting items out quickly and on time. Recently, they implemented a "Newegg saver" option, which utilizes third party shipping to get items to customers at better rates.

The fact is this. I have used Newegg for over 10 years, ordered at least 50 items from them and only 1 time an item arrived two days past the estimated date. One that one item, it turned out to be UPSs fault, not neweggs. The truck driver left one package on the truck by accident. 

4. Sort by Price, Sort by Review

When users finally break down their product search through the search method of their preference, they can then decide how to sort the items. Traditionally, I always sort by price and scroll down until I find an item with a great review at a low price.

The reality is, Newegg makes shopping for the most cost-effective solution not only easy, but reliable. I can find a product within my price range that has been used and verified by multiple reviews.

5. Price… Of Course

Since Newegg is a large distributor of products, they get their products at reduced prices from the original manufacturers. This allows them to provide products at a fraction of retail price.

Even if I am forced to order a laptop from "Dell", I purchase all of the memory and hard drive upgrades separately because, quite frankly, they are at least half of the cost from Newegg.  Why pay double when you don't have too?

6. Wrong Product? Damaged Product? No Problem.

I have purchased the wrong product from Newegg multiple times and returned them for a minimal restocking fee. Their RMA system for returns is incredibly streamlined. 

All users need to do is login to their account and look at the invoice, there will be a little button that says "return" right on it. It will have you specify the reason for the return and BAM, you get a RMA number and instructions to ship it back.

Not to mention, for issues such as DOA, there is no restock and replacements are issued very quickly.

7. Retail Packaging

One of the things that turned me away from TigerDirect for certain hardware was they wouldn't send it in the original retail packaging. There were many times I ordered Memory and actually got a knockoff brand instead.

Every item I have ever ordered from Newegg is in the original Retail packaging and sealed with the appropriate certificates if they apply. If they don't have the original packaging, it will be specified in the listing itself and be extremely obvious.

8. Everything In The Box Is Photographed, And Photographed Well

I know this may sound more like a pet peeve of mine, but seriously, I hate buying an item from a website and getting a product in the mail that has a different look or packaging too it. It raises red flags to me.

Newegg does an excellent job providing gallery type pictures for all of the products. Not only that, but they also provide full sized photos for looking at jacks, ports and other inputs and outputs as well as complete photographs of everything included in the box!

There are no other computer vendors that do it quite as well.

Conclusion:

I will likely use Newegg for my remaining years as an IT professional. Especially since they recently opened Newegg for business, which allows even more flexible pricing on purchasing multiple items and special deals for companies.

What is your experience with Newegg? Ever had any trouble with them?