1. A method of testing item delivery performance of items ordered from an e-commerce site, the method comprising the steps of: (a) generating a request for a user with a computing system for a first item to a first server supporting a first e-commerce site; wherein said first server is adapted to conduct transactions with users for items on said first e-commerce site, including delivery of such items; (b) confirming that said first item is available at inventory maintained by said first e-commerce site by contacting said first server with said computing system in response to said user request; wherein said confirming is performed by said computing system accessing availability information presented by said first server in response to a proposed transaction for said first item, and which availability information is derived from but is separate from a database of transactions or inventory maintained by said first server; (c) repeating steps (a) to (b) in response to said user request with said computing system for a separate e-commerce site; (d) when said first item is available at said first e-commerce site or said separate e-commerce site, receiving a first notification with the computing system from said first e-commerce site or said separate e-commerce site of a target delivery time for said first item to be delivered to a first location associated with said user; (e) measuring an actual delivery time of said first item from said first e-commerce site or said separate e-commerce site; (f) generating a performance rating for said first e-commerce site or said separate e-commerce site based on steps (d) to (e).