Parents - Why don't they internet shop?

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Talking to my parents yesterday and they tell me they've bought a new TV for their bedroom. Nothing huge just a 26" Samsung LCD jobbie.

Now 2 issues I have with this.

Firstly they refuse to trust the internet when doing their shopping, something about not being happy about giving their card details over to someone/place they don't know. Much safer handing their details over to a shop assistant they don't know I suppose :confused: After telling me the price a quick 2 minute search of the internet and I find the same TV 130 quid cheaper, in fact even sticking with the same shop where they bought it from it's 70 quid cheaper on the internet than in the shop.

Secondly why do my parents trust salesman?? It happens everytime they go out shopping, when they tell me about their new purchase somewhere at the beginning of the conversation one of them will say 'well the saleman said' The saleman would say that wouldn't he you fools he's trying to maximise his sales!!!!!!

I've tried convincing them that the internet is as safe as walking into a shop but will they listen. They've even taken delivery of several hundred parcels for me over the years without hassle but this still hasn't changed their views.

Now normally I'll try and intercept their purchasing habits and get them to give me the cash and use the internet and my card. However every once in a while they buy stuff without telling me first and get ripped off :rolleyes:

I really don't understand why people like paying over the odds for stuff on the highstreet or is it just my parents????
 
Mine are half and half.

They know they can get things cheaper on the net, but wont use their details to do it.

They have to tell me what they want and I have to order it.

I do get some cashback on Quidco from them though.
 
It is a generational thing. Not being brought up with the internet a lot of parents cannot be bothered to learn about it. There is also the media bringing out panic stories about getting ripped-off on the internet and of course shop owners who say things like "What happens if it breaks down? You can bring it to the shop if you buy it here but from the internet you would have to go to the trouble of posting it and not be able to talk to anyone in person. A lot of parents do use the internet, some are better than others.
 
Your first point is about perception of risk. Presumably your parents aren''t as tech savvy as you. People are afraid of what they don't understand. For example, if you lived in the countryside all your life you would be a lot more hesitant about crossing a busy road than say someone who had lived in a city all their life.

My parents are the same, they won't do internet banking but are slowly getting into online shopping
 
It due to all the media scaremongering. Parents are happy to leave there card behind a bar or restaurant. where there's an excellent chance of it being cloned, but arent so sure about the internet. If it was for me checking the website there buying from (unless it's a big store) and the fact credit cards are protected. They wouldn't buy online.

I also think it's a fear of things you don't understand. They understand going into a shop and buying, but how many understand the process, security, laws and protection about online shopping. You just have to look at how many threads we have about the SOGA and thas aon a forum for computer people.
 
My parents do most of their shopping online, including my mum ordering her tesco shopping, but although my dad uses it fine, my mum still doesnt trust ebay.
 
The funny thing is my grandad who's in his 70s loves internet shopping and getting himself a bargain. If anything you would have thought it would be the other way round.
 
Mine are half and half.

They know they can get things cheaper on the net, but wont use their details to do it.

They have to tell me what they want and I have to order it.

Exactly. All i get every so often is "You got any money in your paypal?" and boom money disappearing from my bank for ebay.

My Mum has no problem buying online since she knows its cheaper. My Dad on the other hand, he kind of knows its cheaper but won't pay for it. I have to pay with my card or he phones them up. I mean come on if your gunna phone the company and pay over the phone you are verbally giving someone your card details whos to say they arent going to just write it down and do some quick transactions insted of typing it into a secured web server.

They do listen to me on purchases or often though now and have such gotten better deals.
 
My mum is the same, but what usually happens is i'll buy something on my credit card then she transfers the cash over. This means she is comfortable and getting a nice price ;)
 
The funny thing is my grandad who's in his 70s loves internet shopping and getting himself a bargain. If anything you would have thought it would be the other way round.

From the war era and thus saves every penny he can. I generally find that people who where old enough to remember rashons are very competitive on getting bargains and if they have a computer will generally use it.
 
my parents have just started shopping online. really weird - my mum barely knew how to turn a computer on when I moved out (july) and now she's got a laptop, ipod, printer, itunes and amazon account! I'm so proud!

my dad's quite a big internet shopper, but a lot of the time he doesn't mind paying extra if he can have something sooner
 
My mum uses Tesco.com for weekly grocery shopping, and sometimes ebay.

My dad however doesn't touch the laptop ever! Technologically devoid i'm afraid :p
 
I've had Internet access from the days when you used DOS to get online and the WWW wasn't heard of and before that I connected to BBS via my Amiga and a 9600 baud modem.

I still prefer going to a shop to buy an item (God bless OcUK for being close!) but will use the Internet to get things cheap.

My mum and dad and brother all Internet shop in fact my parents use the Internet exclusively to get cheap holidays, flights, hotels and short breaks.

My wife was a technophobe but has started to get into using computers and the Internet thanks to her job changing at work and the fact we got a MacBook and finds it easy to use. Her first Internet shop went wrong. Ordered £100 worth of special diet food for our cat. DHL mucked the delivery up, cat food went back to store and we ended up £5 down on the delivery charge.

Going to be a while before she tries again. I, on the other hand, have never had a problem with online shopping or deliveries.
 
My wife does our internet shopping, I prefer to just give her my card and tell her the things i want because I hate going shopping, gets too stressful towards xmas, plus i cant be bothered lookin around the let for stuff :D
 
It took a while to convert my parents, but they are there now. Although mum will still use tescos direct or something when there are probably still cheaper alternatives.
 
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