One of the first sites you may look at for an Android application download is Idealo. But how does it work? Does the site offer an application download interface similar to other Android e-store frontiers? And if so, how much of a customer support and delivery service does Idealo provide to its existing customers, especially if they suddenly have a technical problem or other issue?
I was interested in finding out more about Idealo's business model, but more specifically I wanted to know whether or not the site was a reliable source of an idealo application and whether or not the company (IA) had the same business model as several of its competitors (some of which are more established than idealo) and whether or not they had any license to sell the software in Europe and whether or not they had a price comparison website which let me compare their prices with other outlets. After a little bit of surfing, I discovered that they did indeed have a price comparison website but it seemed very limited compared to other outlets. Their search engine was also pretty bad, despite having been a premium site to begin with, and they claimed to have over 60 thousand downloads last year. They seemed to lack the key elements I was looking for in a mobile e-commerce application.
However, after leaving their site I decided to take a further look at their customer support by using Google Maps. Fortunately, they allowed me to make a mock purchase using their online form which allowed me to enter my credit card information just like on any other e-commerce site. I was then able to access their Support Center where they helped me with all of my problems, which was a pleasant surprise because their phone support has always been nothing short of excellent. Overall, I would definitely recommend Idealo as a German e-commerce solution. Not only is it priced competitively, but it seems that they've taken great steps to protect their intellectual property. Overall, I'd give them thumbs up.
