More than nine in ten people revealed they objected to ‘underhand’ tactics which charge online shoppers more than the initial headline price advertised for financial services, books or clothes bought online using a credit card.

Almost two thirds said hidden delivery charges can deter them from buying.

Hidden surcharges for paying by credit card, which are only factored in late on in the buying procedure, were another major gripe among respondents.

The practice of companies ‘philfing’, or ‘purposely hiding what I was looking for’, is a “growing trend” online, claimed MoreComputers.com’s operations manager Brian Trevaskiss.

But Competition Commission regulation for store cards used for buying online or in branches of retailing outlets introduced on May 1st is a “step in the right direction of improving transparency”, remarked uSwitch.com’s head of financial services Nick White.

The new rules stipulate that all store card statements must bear a summary text clarifying charges.

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