Many people's main fear is that packages won't arrive on time, expenses will escalate or nothing suitable will be found. The fear of falling victim to fraudsters also concerns many people. The Austrian E-Commerce Quality Mark has questioned the trends in Christmas gift shopping and gives tips for more security when shopping online.
Online gift shopping is becoming increasingly popular
This year, gifts for Christmas will again be largely done online - this is the result of the already traditional Christmas study by the Austrian E-Commerce Quality Mark , for which 1,000 Austrians were surveyed: 53.1 percent buy at least half or even the majority of their gifts online. That's significantly more than those who only want to buy what they absolutely have to buy online (33.5%) and the 13.5 percent who don't buy any gifts at all.
The main advantage of online shopping is that you can choose and compare at your leisure (85.9%). Also among the top five reasons to buy Christmas presents online: you are not tied to opening times (82.8%), the selection is larger (79.4%), time savings (79.1%) and the opportunity to simply put a product in the shopping cart if you can't decide immediately - without having to go back to the store (74.5%).
45.1 percent worry about timely delivery
Although a total of 91.5 percent of all Austrians say they feel safe when shopping online, there are also concerns, especially when ordering Christmas presents: Above all, the worry that the packages won't arrive on time (45.1%). More than a fifth are afraid of spending too much money (21.6%) and almost as many (20.1%) are afraid of not finding anything suitable. Another cause for concern is the thought that exchanges or returns could become complicated (18.9%) or even no longer possible (17.4%) because the gifts were ordered so early. And the fear of falling victim to fraudsters worries 14.6 percent of all Christmas online shoppers.
Most of these concerns are fundamentally justified. However, many problems can be avoided if you follow a few tips and rules when shopping online. Budget concerns are plaguing many people right now - but ill-advised impulse purchases online seem to be far rarer than expected. After all, 42.4 percent of all respondents said that they spent more on Christmas gifts in brick-and-mortar stores than when buying online.”
Thorsten Behrens, Managing Director of the Austrian E-Commerce Quality Mark
Cliché debunked: Buying online is not an embarrassing purchase
The fear of not finding anything suitable when shopping online can also be alleviated by the study: although a quarter of those surveyed say that they are sometimes tempted by bargains on the Internet (25.3%), the total is more than twice that so many say that they are much less prone to embarrassing gifts online because they take more time and calm to choose (27.6%) or that this is more likely to happen to them when they rush through shopping centers in annoyance (25.2%).
E-commerce expert Behrens advises online retailers to support customers with ideas. Almost 40 percent of those surveyed at least occasionally use gift tips on the Internet to get inspiration when looking for Christmas presents. And 18.9 percent would use such a service if they knew of a good source.
5 tips for safe Christmas shopping
To ensure that all the presents are under the Christmas tree in time and can be unpacked in a relaxed manner, Thorsten Behrens has practical tips on what to look out for when buying online:
- Note delivery date. Timely delivery is particularly important at Christmas - the package will arrive on December 27th. on, it's too late. Of course, it's best not to shop last minute. To avoid trouble, you should check the binding delivery date before completing the purchase. Many online retailers inform you some time in advance when the last order is possible so that the package arrives on time before Christmas; for others, it is included with the respective product.
- Check parcel service. Reputable providers indicate which parcel delivery company they commission with the shipping and often also offer a choice. Especially if delivery could be tight and you are not at home during the day, you should pay attention to whether the delivery service offers pick-up points near where you live or work. Most parcel service providers now also offer digital shipment tracking or the option of redirecting parcels.
- Check return policy. Even the Christ child can make a mistake. If you want to exchange or return gifts, you should take a close look at the conditions of the online shop before ordering. In principle, there is a statutory right of withdrawal of 14 days for purchases made online. However, many online retailers offer an extended deadline, especially at Christmas. It is always worth checking the relevant information about exchanges or returns in advance.
- Expose fraudsters. Criminals also look forward to Christmas, because many online shoppers fail to check the reliability of websites in the stress of presents. A look at the imprint, skepticism about prices that are too low, reviews from other customers and checking secure payment methods (scammers often only allow advance payment - be sure to stay away from this) will help you identify fake shops You can shop without hesitation in online shops that are certified with the e-commerce quality mark.
- Systematic shopping. It sounds banal, but it can save you a lot of trouble: If you create a list of Christmas presents in good time, you can work through it cleverly. What needs to be ordered and when so that it arrives on time? Which online shop is the best and cheapest place to buy the present? Are all selected providers trustworthy? And finally, you can keep an eye on your expenses - Christmas can come.
Source:
Skills
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