UK consumers complain when buying expensive items online

Friday, June 20, 2014 - 09:46 by David Aiken

A new report from Goldsmiths University has shown that the majority of people who shop online in the UK will only bother to make a complaint if they are dissatisfied with the service when the price they paid at the checkout was over £20, according to the International Business Times.

Spokesperson Zbynek Loeb, claimed that consumers have got into the habit of putting up with less than stellar retail experiences and so British buyers tend to let poor customer service slide, as long as they are not paying a significant amount of cash.

However, retailers should take note that although complaints may not be coming through from consumers, there is a significant likelihood that someone who does not have the best time while carrying out safe shopping online on a particular site, will not end up using the same company again for their next purchase.

Over a third of the 3000 people questioned in the study said that they have previously switched allegiances from a retailer after a dissatisfying experience. And nine out of 10 respondents said that they tend to do quite a bit of research before committing to any kind of online purchase.

This includes browsing forums and customer reviews, to find out what other customers think of a firm, so if a disgruntled shopper goes online to vent their spleen, it could leave a stain on the reputation of a site for some time.

Retailers operating in the e-commerce market need to think carefully about how they engage with shoppers, because even if people are not complaining when purchasing cheaper items, there is still a knock-on effect derived from unfortunate experiences. And, hopefully, this will lead to better site designs and customer service in the future.