Most people who carry out safe shopping online on a regular basis are likely to encounter some kind of complication during the buying process, according to the results of a new study conducted by YouGov on behalf of JDA and Centiro.

53 per cent of respondents to the survey said that at least one of the online orders they placed in the past year had been marred by an issue, with the delivery being the stage at which obstacles are most likely to arise.

42 per cent complained of deliveries being delayed, while 36 per cent said that they had missed the opportunity to take delivery of items because they were out of the house.

A fifth of those questioned said that they had even received an item which did not fit the description of the product they had ordered, while a quarter claimed that items had arrived in a damaged state, according to Business Reporter.

Overall, the study suggests that the UK’s e-commerce market has become plagued with more problems over the last 12 months, although it is equally possible to pinpoint the general increase in sales made via safe shopping online as being responsible for this state of affairs.

Consumers were found to be willing to switch to rival retailers in the event that they have a poor experience with a particular firm, whether because of a botched home delivery or a lacklustre click and collect solution. The report spokesperson, Jason Shorrock, said that the dilemma of how to actually get products into the hands of people who shop online is one that companies will have a tough time overcoming.

Most people believe that when a delivery goes wrong, retailers should be held accountable. This means that even if the delivery firm is at fault, the brand of the initial seller gets damaged.