Shopping on line - User concerns

Electronic commerce systems have the potential to reach a much larger, and more global audience, than the traditional shop front.The number of users purchasing goods online is on the rise, however there are still many consumers who are not prepared to make purchases via the Internet.A variety of reasons have been suggested which contribute to deterring people from online shopping including; lack of knowledge, the difficulty of use of some shopping sites, delivery issues, and payment and security concerns.The major components of data collection for this study consisted of a survey of eighty Australian Internet users followed by interviews with ten of the respondents.The research suggests that Internet security remains one of the most important issues not only for those who have not yet purchased online, but also for those who do partake in online shopping.While current technologies provide the means for data to be transmitted securely, consumers' apprehension about the security issue is often prohibiting them from making full use of the capabilities of the Internet.The other major concerns for these users and non-users of internet shopping were human interaction and the issue of physical contact with the merchandise.