No Coal in Their Stocking This Year: Online Shoppers Report That Their Orders are Timely And Shopping is Safe This Year

Eight out of 10 Americans Report They Have Bought a Gift Online This Holiday Season, And Most Report Few Troubles with Deliveries or Credit Card Fraud

Major Trouble Spot: Young Americans Aged 18-24 Much More Prone to Credit Card Fraud This Holiday Season

News provided by

Digital Citizens Alliance

Dec 22, 2014, 11:52 ET

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Just days before Christmas, online shoppers are reporting a holiday miracle: their presents are making it to their homes on time, and few report troubles with credit card fraud or not getting what their online retailer promised, according to a Digital Citizens Alliance survey conducted in the last week of holiday shopping.

In fact, nearly eight out of 10 Americans (79 percent) reported that they have already bought a gift online this holiday season. And the best news: for the overwhelming majority, it's been a stress-free experience with packages arriving as promised and few issues with dreaded credit card fraud from these purchases.

"The last thing anyone wants to deal with during the holiday season is lost gifts and credit card thieves," said Digital Citizens Executive Director Tom Galvin. "With just days before Christmas and Hanukkah are in full swing, it's good news to hear that Americans are enjoying the most hassle-free online holiday shopping season ever."

According to the Zogby Analytics poll commissioned by Digital Citizens:

Only five percent of Americans report that a gift didn't or hasn't arrived by the promised delivery time. Eighty-two percent report the happy news that their gifts arrived on time while 12 percent reported still waiting, but it was well within the promised delivery time. The survey also revealed that 18-24 year-olds are gift-buying procrastinators – 22 percent said they are still waiting on a gift to arrive on time, which is twice as large as any other age group.
One in nIne Americans report receiving a credit card fraud alert this holiday shopping season, but less than half of that group said it was because their credit card was compromised. What that means is that five percent of Americans report having an issue with credit card fraud this holiday season.
One highly alarming finding: Younger people (ages 18-24) reported a high frequency of credit card fraud. Nearly three in 10 from that age group reported getting a fraud alert, and all but one said it was because their card was compromised. Based on previous Digital Citizens research, that could be because younger Americans tend to prioritize the best deals, which leads to shopping on less-known websites that can be less reputable.
Despite some isolated issues, Americans seem to think online shopping is getting safer. Twenty-two percent said it was safer this year, while 57 percent said it was about as safe as previous years. Only 13 percent thought it was less safe than previous years.

The Digital Citizens survey of 1,002 Americans was conducted from Dec. 17-18, 2014 and has a margin of error of 3.2 percent. For full results, please go to digitalcitizensalliance.org.

AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

About the Digital Citizens Alliance

The Digital Citizens Alliance is a consumer-oriented coalition focused on educating the public and policymakers on the threats that consumers face on the Internet and the importance for Internet stakeholders, individuals, government, and industry to make the Web a safer place. Digital Citizens Alliance counts among its supporters: private citizens, the health, pharmaceutical and creative industries as well as online safety experts and other communities focused on Internet safety. Visit us at digitalcitizensalliance.org.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/no-coal-in-their-stocking-this-year-online-shoppers-report-that-their-orders-are-timely-and-shopping-is-safe-this-year-300013170.html

SOURCE Digital Citizens Alliance