Seventy-four percent of U.S. adults have experienced buyer’s remorse after buying items online, according to a new survey commissioned by Slickdeals, the only shopping platform powered by millions of avid shoppers.
The survey of 2,000 Americans, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Slickdeals, revealed that common regrets include feeling like the purchased item was less valuable than expected (39%), not using it as frequently as expected (34%) and having spent too much money in the first place (32%).
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Many respondents blamed their shopping experience on good advertising (43%), cheap prices (43%) and the product coming in a color they like (42%).
The study found that 73% of people admittedly dislike up to 15 items they’ve purchased. Shoppers also admitted to stowing away their unfortunate online buys somewhere out of sight (45%). Others prefer gifting these items to someone they know (40%) or returning/exchanging them (39%).
Moreover, nearly six in ten also admitted they shop online while inebriated with 83% of drunk shoppers buying something “dumb or frivolous.”
“The convenience of being able to buy almost anything from the comfort of home is hard to beat, but there are some mistakes to avoid,” said Louie Patterson, personal finance manager for Slickdeals. “Always check shipping cost, return policies and fees before ordering. Also, beware of hard-to-find items being sold online for more than MSRP. Some sellers take advantage of temporary scarcity by increasing prices for the duration of the shortage.”
In addition to regrets about the purchased items themselves, many also experienced disappointments about the shipping process. Sixty-three percent of respondents reported completely forgetting they ordered something online until it showed up at their doorstep. More than half of Americans (56%) shared that they don’t remember what they’ve ordered until they open the package.
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Findings from the survey also revealed the average person has experienced five weeks of shipping delays between ordering something online and having it delivered.
Nearly two in five (38%) respondents who have had delays said it was caused by items being on backorder. The same percentage of people (38%) have had an item misplaced during shipping and 36% have had an item shipped to a different location by accident.
Meanwhile, three in five people reported having a package stolen during shipping.
Seventy-two percent of shoppers who have faced shipping delays said they don’t mind it and believe the wait is usually worth it.
Patterson added, “Another benefit of shopping online is the easy access to researching products and prices before you buy. Tapping into a community like ours with millions of shoppers helping shoppers is a great way to ensure you’re getting the best product at the best price.”
MOST COMMON ONLINE SHOPPING REGRETS
| 1 | Feeling like the item value is less than expected for the cost | 39% | |
| 2 | Used product less frequently than expected | 34% | |
| 3 | Spending too much money | 32% | |
| 4 | Finding a better brand/version of the product | 32% | |
| 5 | Having to pay for return shipping | 31% | |
| 6 | Finding a promo code after the fact | 31% | |
| 7 | Finding the item on sale after the fact | 30% | |
| 8 | Missing the return window | 28% | |
| 9 | Not buying a protection/insurance plan | 26% | |
| 10 | Not getting a different color/size | 26% |
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