Almost half of consumers have negative experiences shopping online

Almost half of consumers (47 per cent) have had negative experiences shopping online, research from Trusted Shops revealed, with 20 per cent saying the main issue was late delivery.

The research also found that 50 per cent of shoppers would be willing to pay for extra services such as money-back guarantees or postal insurance.

“Online shopping has become standard, whether it’s on a mobile device or a home PC – shoppers want to buy online. However, it’s very clear from these statistics that our industry still has some work to do,“ said Jean-Marc Noël, co-founder and managing director of Trusted Shops, Europe’s leader in online accreditation.

“Having nearly half our market report negative experiences clearly tells us that service levels need to improve in an increasingly competitive industry. Shops need to differentiate themselves by communicating to shoppers that they can be trusted, and then crucially back that up with excellent customer service.”

The research, conducted by TNS Emnid, surveyed 1,024 people in the UK, found that wealthier households were significantly more likely to report onnegative experiences, but they were also more likely to pay for extra services. Households with an average income of more than £39,150 were 15 per cent more likely to report having a negative experience than those households with anincome of up to £17,399.

24-hour delivery was the most popular extra service, and a third (32 per cent) of respondents said they were willing to pay extra for it.

While there were many variations in habits between age groups and between different household incomes, men and women reported nearly exactly the same preferences and experiences when shopping online.

“This research shows that there can be a great difference in expectations between socio-economic groups, but interestingly, not between sexes,” explained Mr Noel.

“Retailers need to understand their customers so they can deliver a tailored service that will meet the expectations of shoppers. Only this will ensure that consumers keep coming back for more.”

Currently 13,350+ shops around Europe carry the Trusted Shops Trustmark, which gives customers the re-assurance that they’re buying from a verified seller. The process to be approved for a trustmark includes auditing of the company’s financial stability and regulatory processes, and the existence of customer feedback forums.