The Wonders and Perils of Online Shopping this Christmas>
November 16th, 2012
Australians are forecast to spend $1.2 billion this Christmas, with Internet retailers looking for a bigger piece of the pie than ever before. People choose to shop on the Internet for a number of reasons, most of which are related to ease of use and product selection. The advantages of online shopping are highlighted even more during the Christmas period, with people using the Internet to avoid big crowds and access different products than those available in physical stores.
Internet shopping is not without its perils however, with people advised to be careful this holiday season. According to NSW Fair Trading Minister Anthony Roberts, Fair Trading received more than 7000 complaints about online shopping in the last financial year. Many of these complaints were related to international stores, where the level of consumer protection available is not the same as Australian stores.
"When purchasing online from an overseas website, protection provided under the Australian Consumer Law may not apply and getting a refund or replacement if the goods are faulty or not what you paid for, can be very difficult," said Roberts on the Fair Trading websit [...]