As the Christmas shopping season swings into full gear, the Government has announced that it is to spearhead a campaign to reassure consumers that it is safe to buy presents online.
A report out this week said that, out of the ten markets studied, the UK had the highest browser to buyer conversion rate with seven out of ten people who surf the web for products going on to make a purchase (see
Internet Population Increases By 10 Million). However, there are still widespread concerns about fraud and identity theft.
A new MORI survey has revealed that while 26% of Britons claim to have bought online during the last twelve months, 47% of internet users are uneasy about disclosing their credit card details and 32% are reluctant to give out personal information.
However, the study showed that the perception of security risks on the internet far surpassed the reality. 44% of web users said that they had heard rumours or press reports about credit card fraud on the internet but only 3% had actually experienced this misfortune.
Nonetheless, Consumer Affairs minister Melanie Johnson advised online shoppers to “use sites that have been recommended or those that they know” and to keep printed copies of emails and order confirmations.
