Privately-funded GlobalReviews.com said etail pureplays were leaving their -bricks-and-clicks" competitors for dead when it came to accurate and timely order fulfillment. And for the most part, says GlobalReviews cofounder Dr Adir Shiffman, pureplays aren't doing all that much better.
-If you're looking at bricks-and-mortar stores this Christmas, often you'll be disappointed," Mr Shiffman said.
At the top of the GlobalReviews hitlist comes offline retailer Harvey Norman, which Shiffman said delivered the wrong product to the analyst firm during consumer-experience simulation tests.
Once the incorrect product was delivered, Harvey Norman failed to provide sufficient Web-based customer service.
Shiffman said the firm placed orders through 40 Australian etailers, then tracked the processing of those orders through to, and including, customer support after delivery. GlobalReviews -weighted" each etail site quantitatively, according to a list of over 150 separate criteria devised by the firm.
Other etail operations criticised by the analyst included pureplay music etailer Metalshop, which Shiffman said delivered a single-order CD twice, and included billing for both CDs priced at different amounts.
With elementary customer service bloopers like these occurring regularly, Shiffman expressed doubts over rigid company policies, such as that of pureplay Lastminute.com.au, which excuses the merchant from all exchange and refund obligations.
-All purchases are non-exchangeable, non-refundable and non-transferable," the Lastminute policy reads.
Shiffman said the firm asked the etailer about the policy, only to discover that it did not hold for instances of faulty or inaccurate delivery.
-If you want to find a single phrase to turn people off online shopping, that's the phrase," Shiffman mused. -That it's so negative when it's not even part of their policy is perplexing."
A Lastminute spokesperson said the company - which offers discounted prices for flight tickets and hotel rooms - was only able to offer those discounts on the proviso that the etailer was able to guarantee wholesalers that the reservation would not be withdrawn.
-We feel comfortable making that claim to our customers," the spokesperson said.
Harvey Norman did not return ZDNet's calls.
