Consumers‘ unwanted online purchases are reportedly costing up to £8324, according to a new survey conducted by Onbuy.
Online retail sales were found to have continued to rise sharply throughout February, accounting for 15.3 per cent of total sales.
According to new data from online British marketplace Onbuy, this rise in accessibility has led to an increase in frivolous spending, with the average person racking up £104 worth of unused items in the past year.
Of those who failed to return unused items, 35 per cent stated they kept them as they felt they‘d use them eventually, whereas 26 per cent simply never got around to returning the item and a further 16 per cent stated it wasn‘t worth the time to return.
Sixty-three per cent of respondents stated they have had a bad experience trying to return an unwanted online purchase.
READ MORE: Big Interview: Cas Paton, CEO, Onbuy
“Whilst the online retail industry is growing, companies need to make a concerted effort to establish an efficient returns policy,” Onbuy‘s chief executive Cas Paton said.
“People are wasting hundreds of pounds, so developing an efficient system will allow companies to engage with their customers better.
“However, consumers need to be more aware of the accessibility to return items.
“There are often guidelines when returning the items in the packages as well as on the website.
“Additionally, nowadays it is not only the post office where returns can be made. You can go to your local shopping centre and petrol stations. Put it this way, you are never too far away from pocketing your lost pounds.”
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