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Ammon News - by Mohammad Ghazal/ Jordan Times

AMMAN — Less than 10 per cent of Internet users in Jordan shop online, an expert said Wednesday, as consumers expressed mixed feelings on e-commerce. “Only 8.2 per cent of Internet users in Jordan buy items online,” Jawad Abbassi, founder and general manager of the Arab Advisers Group, told The Jordan Times.”This is a modest number compared to countries like Saudi Arabia, where 18.6 per cent of Internet users shop online,” Abbassi said.

He forecast the number of e-commerce users in the Kingdom to increase, as awareness of online buying and e-fraud increases, expecting the figure to grow by double digits in the next few years.

By the end of March, there were 4.4 million Internet users in Jordan with Internet penetration reaching 69 per cent, according to official figures by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission.

Some Internet users said security fears as well as doubts about the quality of items purchased on the web are among the main reasons that discourage them from buying online.

Reham Saleem, an accountant, said she has never bought anything through the Internet as she does not trust online stores.

“Many friends of mine bought things online, but when they got them, they were not the same as shown on the website,” Saleem told The Jordan Times.

“My sister bought a dress once. When she got it, the size was wrong, and the quality of the fabric was completely different from how the dress looked on the website. Buying things directly from shops is more interesting,” she added.

Tamer Al Rabie, a graduate of the Hashemite University, said he once tried to buy a domain name, but it was a bad experience.

“When I graduated, I wanted to start a website where I could offer my services in translation. I got a credit card from a bank with a JD200 limit,” Rabie added.

“The domain and the host cost me around $90 (around JD63). The next day when I checked my card, it had zero in it. I don’t know where the money went. It was frustrating,” he noted.

Other Amman residents said they prefer web shopping, including civil servant Shoroq Ahmad.

“There is nothing better than buying online. I shop for clothes on the Internet because I find shirts and dresses that are not found in the local market,” she said.

“I prefer to be distinguished in what I wear and online shopping is good in this regard… I use a credit card that only has a limited amount of credit and make sure that the card is not linked to my main bank account, just to be on the safe side.”