Best electronics retailers: Web sites and stores

No single retailer has it all--the best prices, selection, product quality, and customer service--according to our separate reader surveys on computer retailers and other major electronics retailers, conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center. But two of the highest-scoring retailers for electronics, both of them online stores, came close: Crutchfield.com and Amazon.com offered above-average selection, and they matched the best walk-in stores for the quality of products they sell. Crutchfield had the higher marks for customer service among the best electronics retailers; the site promotes its phone and online "sales advisors," even running photos of them and messages from them throughout the site. Amazon had the better scores for price.

Both Web sites stood out for the quality of the sites themselves. User reviews were among the online shopping tools that survey respondents found to be very helpful when buying major electronics items, and Amazon offers plenty. Crutchfield offers a host of online guides, selectors, and articles to help educate you about your purchase.

Both sites also stand out as best electronics retailers for returns. They allow you to send back a TV to the site even after you've accepted delivery. Also, Amazon is among the few top-scoring Web sites that will accept returns of any brand of computer it sells. Most other sites force you to deal with the TVmanufacturer and at least some computer manufacturers, a significant inconvenience. One caveat about Amazon: The third-party merchants that sell on the site have their own return policies, which may differ from Amazon's.

Other sites and stores are worth considering for computers and other major electronics purchases if you're prepared to live with trade-offs. In both the computer and electronics surveys, the walk-in stores and Web site for Costco, the warehouse retailer, were among the leaders in best electronics retailers for price and among the laggards for selection. Local independent stores, though not outstanding for price, scored above most other chains in our Ratings of walk-in stores for electronics. With their combination of decent prices and outstanding service, they're ideal for those who need some in-person hand-holding.