Which of these would you potentially buy online?
From June - August 2008 we asked you, 'Which of these would you potentially buy online?' 1256 of you responded with the following results:
| Never | Very unlikely | Might consider it | Would buy it | Have bought this | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Car | 48% | 21% | 17% | 7% | 7% |
| Garden shed | 33% | 21% | 28% | 15% | 4% |
| Diamond ring | 53% | 20% | 16% | 8% | 3% |
| Groceries | 20% | 13% | 23% | 20% | 24% |
| Prescription drugs | 38% | 17% | 20% | 18% | 7% |
| Wallpaper | 29% | 22% | 26% | 18% | 5% |
| Pets | 69% | 14% | 9% | 4% | 3% |
| Clothes | 12% | 7% | 18% | 18% | 45% |
| Books | 6% | 3% | 7% | 16% | 68% |
| Antiques & artwork | 27% | 21% | 23% | 14% | 15% |
Why you voted this way
A big thank you to all of you that took the time to tell us why you voted how you did. Some of our favourite comments from you, divided up by how you voted, are:
General high value items
The higher the perceived value of the item makes you go for never because you'd rather touch it and hand out your money face to face.
Elizabeth Michel, London, UK
High value items such as cars & diamond rings generally have a decent profit margin for the retailer. As such I'd always expect to be able to negotiate a better price. I'd feel that in paying the listed price for these big ticket items (however they may be marketed) that I'd be paying more than necessary.
Tom Hammarberg, Victoria, Canada
Big ticket items need to be seen in person.
Tofudisan, Wisconsin, USA
Cars
I have purchased certain products online like cars, etc. because I find the service is better, they do what they say they will do, and they are much cheaper than at home.
Paul, Plymouth, UK
Certain items such as a car need closer inspection for actual condition, a photograph can make any old heap of rust look good from the right angle. Does the documentation check out and is it legal. I would never pay any cash until I have physically seen the vehicle, although I do use the internet to research any vehicle purchase.
Peter, Birmingham, UK
With a car, I would like to look at what I'm buying to see if everything works. Everything else I would buy depending on what the price is and condition.
Juneau, Alaska, USA
Lower value items
Homogenous items like books or groceries are fine for buying online, but unique items such as pets and antiques I'd have to see first-hand.
Mark, Edinburgh, UK
When the object is unique I want to see it in its original form - unless it is really cheap. When it is mass production I am not as concerned and assume I can change it anyway.
Sonja, Melbourne, Australia
General purchases
I probably purchase 90% of everything I buy through the internet. It is the most convenient form of shopping for me. I do not like driving into town, finding a parking spot, and going into even one store. I am very careful as to which sites I purchase things from and am very careful with my personal information. I have not had a bad purchasing experience yet.
Bertha Carlton, TX, USA
I have successfully have bought cars, pets, etc. online. What I can buy in stores I also can buy online.
M.Schonbachler, Zurich, Switzerland
When I buy an item, there is a lot more involved than just looking at images and reading descriptions of the items. It's also down to trust and experience. I window shop online but buy in-store where I can see exactly what I'm buying.
Jane, Brighton, UK
You can buy anything online - you often get discounted prices. You can always walk-up to a store if you want to see or try the actual brand. In essence, if it's easy to predict the quality of the final good, I would buy it online for a better price - especially if it's expensive, and it would not matter if it's cheap.
Anshu, London, UK
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