E-shoppers criticise online services

The new year began badly for ecommerce as it emerged that online shopping over the festive season had failed to come up with the goods.

Despite an estimated seven million people logging on to purchase Christmas presents, it seems that hundreds of customers were left angry and frustrated at the level of after-sales service.

According to a survey of 25 major ecommerce websites by PLAUT Consulting, 72 per cent of sites had serious problems with order cancellations and the returns process, only 15 per cent provided a service equal to that of the high street and the remaining 32 per cent managed just an "average" service level.

The survey unearthed 13 major problems in the ecommerce after-sales process including customers being unable to contact the company via email or phone, goods being delivered after customers had confirmed a cancellation, customers being charged for purchases that had already been cancelled, and e-tailers losing online orders and failing to accept returned goods by post.

Karl Thurston, managing director at PLAUT UK, said: "This study shows that many ecommerce sites are paying lip service to customer service. Service this poor wouldn't be tolerated on the high street, and must be putting people off [online] shopping."

See also:

Nine in 10 websites 'should be scrapped'

Some 90 per cent of websites should be taken off the internet as they could do irreparable damage to a company's branding, an application software provider has claimed.  29 Mar 2001

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