INTERNET
Delivery issues key gripe for e-shoppers
17-06-2008
by Bryan Collins
Online shoppers who complained to the European Consumer Centre network during 2007 mainly cited problems with the delivery of goods and poor customer service.
The European Consumer Centre's (ECC) fourth e-commerce report analysed 10,386 consumer complaints regarding online purchases which were reported in 27 states across the European Consumer Centre network last year. Issues with the delivery of goods were the biggest problem online shoppers faced, with 50 percent of complaints in this area.
According to the report, the biggest delivery problem was when a product simply failed to arrive. Consumers also faced issues when they hurriedly signed for a product only to find it damaged, making it difficult to prove how the defect occurred. In cases where the consumer returned a product the trader rarely covered the shipping costs.
Product and service issues made up 25 percent of ECC complaints, particularly regarding electronic goods. The report explained that electronic goods are especially prone to defects, due to their complexity, and it can often take several months for online consumers to get these goods repaired. In some cases this meant that by the time the consumer could use the electronic product, it was for sale at a far lower price than the consumer originally paid.
The ECC report also revealed that some companies seem unwilling to sell electronic products into other countries because of an apparent lack of clarity around their equipment disposal obligations under the WEE Directive.
Some consumers also had problems with travel tickets that they bought online from third-parties. The tickets arrived late or not at all, typically resulting in extra expenses such as cancelled flights or accommodation. The ECC report also found that fraud is a growing issue thanks to fake web-traders and various scams concerning the purchase and sale of second-hand cars.
The ECC report authors said that traders must recognise their obligations under law and advise Europe's 500 million consumers to educate themselves about their rights and about the necessary precautions, when shopping online. The Irish branch of the ECC provides practical advice on its website.
In spite of these issues there are many advantages to online shopping, the main benefit being the value that can be found online. A survey conducted by eBay.ie, has shown that people who make offline purchases could be paying far more for the same product than those who buy it online. The eBay.ie survey highlights that significant savings can made when buying the likes of cameras and MP4 players, clothing and footwear.
The survey claimed that Sony PSPs and PS3 memory cards on sale on eBay.ie -- provided by a UK seller -- are 72 percent cheaper than if purchased on the high street. It also found that a Karen Millen dress is 44 percent cheaper online than in-store.
"In response to recent claims that UK retailers are overcharging by as much as 50 percent, Dermot Jewell, CEO of the Consumers' Association of Ireland, suggested that buyers should vote with their feet. I would suggest that Irish buyers, who our survey shows are suffering as a result of overcharging, should check online pricing before parting with their hard earned cash. With a slowing economy we all need to start counting the pennies," said Eamonn Galvin, head of product, eBay Ireland.
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