Having recently got hopelessly lost in both Swindon and Bromsgrove on the same trip, I decided it was time to invest in a satellite navigation system. Having looked on the 'usual suspect' websites I opted to go for a unit from Tesco. Given that I was looking at much the same range of products at similar prices on all the sites, it was the lure of the 'double Clubcard points' offer that attracted me - a lesson for those retailers that don't offer a loyalty card perhaps?

I'm not going to talk here about the buying process - it was far from perfect - I want to relate the fulfilment process. It started with a confirmation email:

This was followed by another email later the same day informing me that the package had been dispatched from Tesco's distribution centre:

On their own these were reasonably impressive, though no more than might be expected. However, I then received a text message referring me to the online order tracking web page which stepped things up to the next level. At that time I could have changed my delivery day, and the next day I got another text, this one giving an approximate delivery time [accurate, as it turned out]. Shown below is the final version of the package's journey from Tesco to my employer's reception. The dates and times were originally blank, with each being entered as the package progressed:

Also worth noting is - as you will have noticed - is that Tesco are happy to deliver to an address that is not the home address of the credit card holder. This can be a potential opening for fraudsters using stolen cards and so is often a problem for smaller companies. I will assume that either [a] my registration with Tesco Direct is enough to satisfy their security concerns, or [b] Tesco use direct links to their bank to ensure the card is not stolen before dispatching the goods. Delivery to a office, factory etc is a big plus for both buyer and seller if the customer cannot be at home during the day to receive the delivery.

This standard of fulfilment service - at least - should be standard for all online sellers.