Professor Lloyd suggested in this podcast some questions that we may want to discuss here. To start the ball rolling I’ve noted them along with my responses. Jump in with your own answers and thoughts, or add in any discussion questions that I may have missed from the podcast.
1. What your attitudes are to buying off the internet?
I've been buying and selling on ebay since 1998, first in my native US, then in Germany, and finally now in the UK. I trust the internet more than traditional High Street sellers, although I wouldn’t buy from just anyone. I do extensively research anyone outside the ebay and amazon platforms and tend to avoid sellers outside of the following areas: UK, Western Europe, the US and Canada. Beyond these areas I have concerns of either a lack of regulation or high postage on shipped goods (I still have a US address for US purchases).
2. What are your concerns?
A key concern for me would be the ‘trust factor’ mentioned in the podcast. And in addition, I’d recognize a ‘hassle’ or ‘stress’ factor. I wouldn’t be so willing like Professor Lloyd to purchase a car online--while I know the credit card company would need to handle any disputes, I am wary of depending on any credit card company to bring reparations swiftly.
3. What benefits do you think it brings?
The majority of my purchases are items that I cannot purchase locally. The draw for me is not purchasing mass-produced goods like songs off of itunes, but rather books that have limited availability that I wouldn‘t be able to find otherwise.
In addition, one cannot deny the benefit of cost savings; I do buy all computers and airline flights online.
4. Trust: how do you decide who to deal with in life or online?
I base trust on actions and reputation, regardless of whether it is in life or online.
5. Thoughts on sites such as Tripadvisor and the reviewing process on the likes of Amazon and ebay?
It’s been a few weeks since the Tripadvisor review scandal has been in the news. For any of the major sites I always read the reviews and then try to read between the lines of any reviews. The review process for each could probably be improved through enhanced user verification though.
Hi Heather, Thanks for posting this up. I was thinking about doing the same thing but you beat me to it. I guess this doesn't go too deep into legal aspects but here are some thoughts from me:
ReplyDelete1. What your attitudes are to buying off the internet?
In all honesty I have limited experience with transactions beyond North America and Europe so couldn't possibly comment on that but I would quite as happily buy online or offline. Personally, I don't consider that I treat online and offline retailers differently and think that the "amalgam" Ian speaks of is indeed the case (I am also to some extent concerned about real-world retailers who don't have some sort of online presence!)
2. What are your concerns?
My concern is primarily the ability to pursue action beyond the initial transaction. This relates to trust but it stems again from a lack of data or information on the company or organisation itself and the nature of its approach to the market i.e. if it utilises ebay as its primary sales mechanism and does not contain its own branding/website. I, like Heather, am wary of going through the credit card route for similar reason in spite of the added protection. If I don't trust the seller enough to believe that I may need to use a credit card, I would be inclined to ditch that seller all together.
3. What benefits do you think it brings?
Numerous! Speed, price, variety and many more.
4. Trust: how do you decide who to deal with in life or online?
Reputation through word of mouth is usually a key decider. For particular online items available for purchase there are communities founded based on these products. One example I can think of, in the technology area, would be for smartphones. These communities and blogs have many users that frequently consume these products and websites that satisfy these more "hardcore" purchasers would build trust at a exponential rate. The websites http://www.clove.co.uk/ , http://www.expansys.com/ are examples of this. They also have a strong social media presence and provide full contact details (Phone, Email and postal address) within a click from the main webpage. Just like in real life, you would ask and consult those who, in your opinion, know what they are talking about...
5. Thoughts on sites such as Tripadvisor and the reviewing process on the likes of Amazon and ebay?
It is very hard to control this sort of activity online compared to traditional published media. As a end user I too believe it is important to read between the lines - many advocates for and against particular products may be overly vocal. Many reviews on amazon refer to amazon service rather than the product itself which makes the 5 star rating misleading.
As a business, I do think having a mechanism to clarify remarks is important but then again, it is extremely difficult to control. I think running any sort of business now comes with the added opportunity/risk that comes with online communities it is important to build a positive counter community to any negative review or remarks received (regardless of where they came from).
ReplyDeletehttp://www.clove.co.uk/
A great example of an offline business - I remember going into Chris' garage, and buying Psion accessories - that has managed the transition into the online space.
Here are my thoughts:
ReplyDelete1. What your attitudes are to buying off the internet?
With the exceptions of food and clothing, my default would be to buy something online rather than in a physical shop. I'm not a fan of shopping, particularly in crowds, and prefer to purchase from the comfort of my own home.
Since I use eBay a lot, I make sure that I purchase through PayPal, to benefit from their protection, and, with that, I'm not too worried about a seller's reputation and the like, since I can always go through PayPal dispute resolution. However, in any case, I've not (yet) had a problem with an online or eBay transaction, having bought most of my computing infrastructure at home through eBay.
2. What are your concerns?
Usually, that it is going to take too long to arrive! I've had one problem where a device was badly packaged, and arrived with significant damage, but, since it worked, I wasn't fussed by it - stuck in a rack and out of the way, I don't mind what it looks like. However, had I bought it for its aesthetic value, I would have been more annoyed, I expect.
3. What benefits do you think it brings?
I value the flexibility in particular - I can shop when I want to shop, not where a storeowner decides to open.
Secondly would be the range - I can go to a small one-mand band (who might never have been able to offer a physical store, and, even if they had, I am unlikely to have found them, or to have been in the right town or even country) and get hold of items easily - I'm thinking particularly of software here, but I'm sure the same is true with a whole range of things. I can source DVDs from the US more easily than through HMV and the like, which is great.
However, I'm very much a price-sensitive shopper, and I'm happy to switch between stores to get hold of the best price - when that is done by opening just another tab in Firefox, it's much easier than going between numerous different physical shops. Similarly, I've discovered that, on the whole, I'd rather pay for delivery than have to work out how to get a piece of furniture, for example, from the store to my home.
4. Trust: how do you decide who to deal with in life or online?
Generally, on the basis of whether it "feels" right. I don't have a conscious set of tests that I go through, but, for high value items, I'm more careful than low-value ones.
5. Thoughts on sites such as Tripadvisor and the reviewing process on the likes of Amazon and ebay?
A vital part of eCommerce. To be honest, I didn't understand the fuss around the TripAdvisor discussion - people are entitled to express their opinions, and, where a company is concerned that a review is not from a legitimate customer, but is abusive, they can ask TripAdvisor to remove it. What concerns me far more is the impact on TripAdvisor under the current notice and takedown regime, and the impact on free speech online where TripAdvisor and other ISPs are effectively incentivised simply to take down without asking questions. I'd much prefer a "take down and put back" approach.
Hi all, As John said, my answers are much more related to my attitude as a consumer than anything else, nevertheless here they are:
ReplyDelete1 - What your attitudes are to buying off the internet? Usually, unless I need something that cannot wait for tomorrow's postal delivery, I buy online. From month groceries shop to shoes and clothes.
2- What are your concerns? My concerns are mainly security (to know if the communication between my computer and the supplier system is encrypted), after sales services, postal costs, and how much of my data is needed to accomplish the purchase.
3- What benefits do you think it brings? The benefits as for my approach toward online shopping is, to my mind, numerous: comfort, the facility to find products and better deals, the opportunity to look for reviews and after sales services.
4- Trust: how do you decide who to deal with in life or online? As everyone else said reputation is the key element. However, I usually analyse the combination of the factor I listed above: security, amount of data required, supplier information (address, telephone number, returning policy and so on).
5- Thoughts on sites such as Tripadvisor and the reviewing process on the likes of Amazon and ebay? As everything online or in real life, I think the best approach is to combine information from different sources. No doubt that reviews help, but I tend not to rely only in one source. I don't remember having problems with online shopping (at least none which I couldn't reach a satisfactory solution) following this approach. I would say I'm a happy online consumer.