Think what you will about Amazon, but they proved their usefulness to me last week.

It was two days before a birthday and I needed a present, which interestingly was as unusual as a spotting scope. I found it on Amazon, paid a tiny amount extra for express delivery, and it arrived the next day at lunch time. Fully functional, no scams or trickery.

Before I bought it, I checked with all shops in mine and nearby cities, no luck. I went on PriceRunner, where the cheapest option was 30% more expensive and everyone had (at best) 3-5 days delivery. Then as a last check, I went on Amazon.

I don't love Amazon, there seem to be a lot of things that doesn't seem right. Plus they easily push out small shops everywhere.

But they do deliver.