Distrust of One's Own Web Skills: A Reason for Offline Booking after Online Information Search

Previous research has proposed that one of the most important reasons for not using an online channel for purchasing is the lack of trust: unfamiliar vendors as well as insecurity of transactions and personal information. However, customers are learning to avoid risks in the Internet and secure online purchasing environments are already available. As companies are more and more using the Internet to change their distribution strategies and reduce costs, it is important to understand what makes some customers reluctant to handle their transactions online. In this study, we aim to explain the motivations of consumers who seek information online and make the transaction offline with a familiar and reliable company operating both online and offline, using secure transactions as well as guaranteeing information privacy. Approximately 2,500 customers of a passenger cruise company answered a Web survey, which was used to test hypotheses based on media appropriateness theory and related literature. The results su...