I am contemplating making an expensive purchase and find that the item I want is available on Amazon UK at several hundred pounds less than I can find it anywhere else.

The problem is that the blurb says "Usually dispatched within 1 to 2 months". The saving would certainly be worth waiting that long. However, it strikes me that they probably get such items in when the manufacturer gets round to sending them. If so, I could end up waiting a whole lot longer - like for ever.

I know that Amazon has a cancellations policy on what they call "open orders", but has anyone ever used it, and how reliable is it?

The item is extremely bulky and would cost a fair bit to send back. So I don't want to find something similar somewhere else, and cancel the Amazon order, only to have it arrive on my doorstep 6 months later.

Many thanks