“Buyer’s remorse” is a very real thing. It tends to set in especially fast when the things we purchase online turn out to be nothing like the product that we were hoping for. Thanks to a new study, I found out I'm not alone in this. In fact, the average American spends over $70,000 on disappointing online purchases during their lifetime.
A recent survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Fakespot polled 2,000 Americans and found that people spend an average of $899 online annually on disappointing items alone. What are we wasting our money on most? The list includes clothing (60%), tech (27%), and toys or children’s products (25%).
Specific complaints about the item include the quality of the product (64%), the size (46%), and its color (31%).
The new study also researched the impact of reviews on the products and buying decisions. 51% of individuals polled said they are more likely to trust bad reviews over good reviews when they're shopping online. Understandably so, 2 in 3 individuals added that they trust reviews with images or photos more than ones with just text.
Furthermore, 55% think that the people who post reviews or pictures of products deserve some type of reward.
More than half the poll participants (56%) say they return their disappointing buys, with 30% just throwing the products out and 29% opt to regift the items.
Photo: Getty Images