Depends what it was - a few bucks I will risk, but if it is more than that, then no.

I have done that - that kitchen set I bought? I couldn't find the item I wanted anywhere else but I googled their name and checked out the standard complaints sites and found they were straight.

I think that the unknown store has a chance (everyone out there was nobody once, right?) if you have the right product, price and service. Word of mouth is what I see as the key success maker on the web. People post good experiences and bad and Google will find them. :)

Do you love it or do you avoid it? Love it. I do it whenever it's convenient, which is several times a month.
What are your reasons for doing so? Convenience. One can find anything online and it can be brought to my door.
What sites do you prefer and why? Amazon (they have everything and accept check cards).
Is there anything that convinced you to buy something when you normally wouldn't? Yes. Low prices on old t-shirts.
Are there any website features that you enjoy that help you shop? Wish-lists, what other users like with similar taste
How do you research what you are going to buy? I compare prices.
What kind of products do you buy? Electronics? Media? Clothes? All three.
What's the most "personal" (something that you're picky about and usually need to check out in person before you buy) item that you've purchased online? A painting.

Yes, I have bought several items from small companies found with searches. One was for some hard to find parts for Aladdin Oil lamps and others were parts for some appliances and lawn mowers. If I have a problem with the web sites it is reassuring to have a phone number to call sometimes.

i've done that a couple of times with small items. solar lights and fridge water filters, stuff like that. i only use one CC for online purchases so i can keep a closer eye on the bills. easier to catch anything out of the ordinary.

-Do you love it or do you avoid it?I have had both positive an negative experiences buying things online. As a college student without a credit card, I tend to use Ebay the most. A couple of times I got shafted, but not by Ebay, but by the individual seller. That's the one downside to Ebay; you are not buying from them, you are buying from some unknown person on the other side of the country. You really have no idea who you are dealing until after you've dealt with them. But still, most of my experiences on Ebay have been fine.

-What are your reasons for doing so?It's convenient to shop without having to actually go anywhere. I'm not a fan of large crowds wondering aimlessly around a shopping mall. If I can shop from my computer, I'm going to do it. Plus, somethings are just too hard or impossible to find out and about. Sometimes online is your only venue.

-What sites do you prefer and why?I'm a big fan of Ebay, but have also used Amazon.

-Is there anything that convinced you to buy something when you normally wouldn't? (Evil question, I know.)Nope.

-Are there any website features that you enjoy that help you shop?Ebay has a way to find out the dirt on a particular seller. If they have a negative rating, you know not to buy from them.

-How do you research what you are going to buy?I research the seller. If he/she has a positive rating, then I will do business with them.

-What kind of products do you buy? Electronics? Media? Clothes?I've bought some clothes; mostly I buy DVDs

-What's the most "personal" (something that you're picky about and usually need to check out in person before you buy) item that you've purchased online?I don't think I've ever purchased something that I would need to see in person first.

Do you love it or do you avoid it?
I love to shop online.

What are your reasons for doing so?
I prefer it versus going to crowded stores.
Better deals.
No Sales Tax (almost always)
Shipping is covered by the lower price, or is free.
Less crowded.
Can comparison shop without having to call multiple places or visit multiple stores.
Don't have to carry it home.

What sites do you prefer and why?
Amazon. Straight up easiest to purchase from including buying used or from cheaper vendors.
Newegg. cheap, inexpensive shipping, good return policy.
J&R, B&H

Is there anything that convinced you to buy something when you normally wouldn't? (Evil question, I know.)
Yes, a good sale with free shipping and no hassle return is a good reason for me. I just found a store that has free shipping both ways in case you have to return the item.

Are there any website features that you enjoy that help you shop?
wish lists, they help me save things for future gift giving.

How do you research what you are going to buy?
forums, trade magazines, friends,

What kind of products do you buy? Electronics? Media? Clothes?
electronics, media, some furniture that I have already seen in a store, some clothing I have already touched in a store.

What's the most "personal" (something that you're picky about and usually need to check out in person before you buy) item that you've purchased online?
pretty much everything I buy I have seen in a store first. The only things not seen in store first is impulse buys under $30

Oh, and if a website is going to have some fancy feature, I want it to WORK.

For example, I was just trying to design some custom business cards on Staples' website, but half of the functions in the design feature are broken. They had some cool-looking business cards, but they just lost my business because the feature I wanted to use didn't work correctly.

agreed. I like the cart to work well and simply. The checkout process has to be simple and easy as well. I have abandoned many a purchase at that checkout stage because it was too cumbersome or some gotcha at the end.

I just bought COD4 from the SoHo BestBuy during my lunch hour because I had a coupon for $5 off.

I could have d/l it via Steam or a number of places for $49.99, but the d/l time was a killler at 6Gb. Bestbuy price with coupon was $48.76. While I only saved pennies, I do have a physical medium and didn't have a 4-6 hour download. I wouldn't have been able to play it last night anyways, so it worked out the same.

Do you love it or do you avoid it?
Prefer shopping online to store shopping

What are your reasons for doing so?
want to find the cheapest price, or want to compare specs from many retailers at the same time

What sites do you prefer and why?
I usually check Amazon first because it's easy to search for what I need, and I usually have a gift card for Amazon. But then I'll do a google search on the item and see where else I can find it.

Is there anything that convinced you to buy something when you normally wouldn't? (Evil question, I know.)
Only considered it when Amazon logged my interests and showed me a book that I'd been thinking about but hadn't searched for. Didn't buy it, but it sure was tempting

Are there any website features that you enjoy that help you shop?
A functional search feature. When clothes shopping, accurate size charts are essential. Dimensions are a must on furniture, vase, glassware, appliance, lamp, etc. Also, it's handy when I can change the item into all colors available

How do you research what you are going to buy?
depends on what I'm looking for. For something like a hand lens, I ask a few people in the herbarium which one they use, then I look online for the best price on that lens. If I'm looking into clothes, shoes, linens, kitchen stuff, and just about anything else, I'll find as many reviews as possible and read. I also like to read the reviews on who's selling. I will choose a more expensive option if the cheaper one has significant bad reviews.

What kind of products do you buy?
Clothes, kitchen do-dads, gifts, books, books, and more books.

What's the most "personal" (something that you're picky about and usually need to check out in person before you buy) item that you've purchased online?
Shoes. I was shocked when they fit.

One more question: Would you consider buying from a store that you only come across with a search engine? That means you've never heard of the place, but they have what you want and have a decent site. Not a million bucks, but decent.
Yes. I've bought from such sites before. I have to spend more time dinking around on it, to be convinced that it's legit and secure.

I tend to make every substantial purchase online, but I still enjoy walking into stores occasionally. I like the fact that with online shopping, I'm not required to walk into a store every time I need a book or a mosquito netting, or whatever else I randomly seem to require.

I don't like it when a website shows me a bunch of pretty flash/video stuff with models rather than a straight-up catalog. Sure, that video stuff is nice sometimes, but I immediately leave the site if I'm not given the option to bypass and search for what I'd like.