30% ‘afraid of shopping online’

Almost a third of internet users are too frightened to hand over their credit details while shopping online, a report published has found. The Office of Fair Trading said 30% of internet users do not shop online because of a lack of trust.

It added that although consumer confidence is gradually improving, online markets cannot reach their full potential because it is still too low. Chief executive John Fingleton said: “Online retailing is the future for many businesses and increasingly important to the economy.

“If consumers are not confident online, demand will grow at a slower rate. So we must tackle these concerns right now if the online market is to grow at its full potential.” Minister for Consumer Affairs Gareth Thomas said: “UK consumers buy almost twice as much over the internet compared to their European neighbours. It’s encouraging that the OFT’s survey shows increasing consumer confidence when buying online – but people still have concerns.

URL: http://www.hackinthebox.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=31237