Maker101:
I have been wondering if there any ideal website to buy components from.
This is dependent on what country the person in. where I am ( in Australia ) there's no retail e-stores that aren't a complete and utter rip off on pricing.
Maker101:
Is it better to have fast shipping vs slow shipping?
Fast shipping, but again it's another rip off point. That 3 gram flat item I just bought for $1(aud) doesn't cost $12 to express post to me ( still often being a 3-4 day wait ). It's easy to see someone padding the shipping price for extra profit on the base item.
Maker101:
Would you prefer US shipping?
Being in Australia, nope. The shipping costs of US to other countries is ludicrous.
Maker101:
Would you like to have products tested before you buy?
I would expect ANY assembled device is tested by the manufacturer. If a distributor is buying untested products from a supplier, then they should be testing items themselves. Pretty standard practice to expect a guaranteed functional item on any purchase. Returns are often more expensive than the item you originally brought and it leaves a sour taste.
Maker101:
Would you be willing to pay more for products guaranteed to work?
NO, as I said above, items guaranteed working is a responsibility of the seller. If your manufacturer isn't testing their products, it's not a good sign.
Maker101:
In other words, what would your ideal website to buy components from offer.
If were talking arduino level components, obviously having inventory for the voltage / current ranges encountered during typical arduino use. Having 10,000 Kv transformers or 100 Amp fuses for example is just a waste of time for both the seller and the purchaser.
As far as arduino type devices and boards go, the china-cheapy's brought via a distributor ( Aliexpress for example ) or e-bay fit the niche currently. I'd rather buy 10 items from china and donate directly to the Arduino project than buy a single "Genuine Arduino" product that's been marked up beyond all reasonable sense. Iv'e often found the exact same item ( down to PCB color, circuit track and silk screen markings ) available for as little as a 10th of the price from china and so far Iv'e had 1 item fail ( an arduino nano clone that cost $3 AUD ) out of about 100 bought. I'm all for supporting a commercial business, but the price gouging is real.