Web shoppers dissatisfied with returns processes, survey says
Almost 40% of Internet shoppers are not satisfied with the process for returning items they purchased online, according to a new survey. Their biggest areas of dissatisfaction: Paying shipping costs for returns and standing in line at a post office.
Price comparison site PriceRunner.com surveyed 400 veteran online shoppers on their returns experiences. The top reasons that respondents cited for returning merchandise are damaged items, wrong items, and unwanted or duplicate gifts. While these were the top reasons, most other replies (totaling 61%), cited other reasons for returns, the survey says, including size, fit, color or a change of mind. For these reasons, survey respondents indicated that clothes, shoes and apparel are more likely to get returned than any other consumer goods.
PriceRunner also delved into the frequency of returns and found while 51.1% indicated they had never returned an item purchased online, 16.7% said they had returned an item once, 15.3% twice, 5.5% three times, 3.5% four times, and 7.9% five or more times. However, the length of time a shopper has been shopping online affected frequency of return: The longer someone has shopped online, the less likely that person is to return an order, says the survey, conducted the week of January 15, 2007.
“The findings reflect a general sentiment in the marketplace that online retailers’ return processes have room for improvement,” says Dan Gerler, founder and CEO of Onlineshoes.com. “While our customer service team is equipped with extensive product and sizing information that reduces the likelihood of returns and exchanges, it’s inevitable some customers will change their minds about orders in hindsight. We accommodate this reality by offering a simple, unconditional 90-day return policy and free exchanges. These lower the purchase barrier for first-time shoppers and build long-term loyalty with repeat customers.”
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