UK Internet Sites

Hi All,

We made the big move a little over a month ago, and are finally starting to settle in.  One of the big dilemmas that I've run into is that I haven't found any really good online, UK-based shopping sites.  Amazon.co.uk is really disappointing in terms of housewares (says the consumerist American) and I haven't had much time to investigate alternatives.  Also, does anyone know of something like epinions or drugstore.com that has reviews of cosmetics/beauty products?  Basically I just need to get hooked up with the internet resources over here.  What other sites (shopping aside) do you often use? 

Thanks for all your help!  This board really helped to alletivate my fears before (and after) the move!

for electronics and computer stuff, I fancy

www.ebuyer.co.uk

Health & Beauty:
www.boots.com

Catalogs:
www.argos.co.uk
www.next.co.uk
www.littlewoods-online.com

Also I used www.yell.com all the time (like the yellow pages) and www.qjump.co.uk for train timetables and tickets.

You can still get a lot from amazon.com (vs. amazon.co.uk), if you're willing to pay extra for shipping...

i check www.ebay.co.uk first before buying anything elsewhere.

www.tesco.com
not only will they deliver your groceries, but they also have electronics, books, cds, etc.

www.lupepinto.com
www.coolchile.co.uk
for mexican cooking ingredients

You can still get a lot from amazon.com (vs. amazon.co.uk), if you're willing to pay extra for shipping...

Do you know if customs regulations apply to shipments coming from amazon.com?

Do you know if customs regulations apply to shipments coming from amazon.com?

yes - any shipment from the US, particularly those from 'shops'!

Customs seems to be hit or miss here, as far as getting anything from the States goes. Sometimes they'll open a package and charge ludicrous tax, and sometimes they don't bother with it at all. I don't know what specifically makes them decide to open packages--be they from a private individual or a company. it's very unpredictable, which is maddening.

I get kitchen gadgets and stuff from www.lakeland.co.uk.  For more upscale stuff, www.decuisine.co.uk is nice.

For sheets and towels, I always go to www.whitecompany.co.uk. In a pinch, www.lauraashley.com has some nice things too, but not as much selection.

Thanks for all the responses!  I just ran across a great review site:  http://www.reviewcentre.com/