Which is a disadvantage of e-tailing?

• A. Increased competition for business from overseas
• B. Lack of human contact
• C. Technical issues; crashing websites
• D. Security risk as hackers may access sensitive info

Answer: (C)

Focusing on the nature of e-tailing, the biggest downside is reliance on technology and online systems. If the website crashes or experiences major technical issues, customers can’t complete purchases, negative reviews can spread, and revenue is lost in real time. Downtime disrupts trust and can push customers to competitors, especially during peak shopping times.

Lack of human contact can be a drawback for some buyers, and security risks exist, but these can be mitigated with good service options and strong online security. Increased competition from overseas and similar factors are broader challenges that aren’t as immediate or universal a hit to sales as a site outage.