Evaluation and comparison of selling terms in international e-commerce

Abstract

The main issues of the European Union on-line sellers related to the trade in international markets are overviewed. Second, the comparison of selling terms provided by on-line sellers located in 27 European Union countries is given. For comparison, a set of criteria which describe the main legal and economic aspects is selected, and the multi-criteria evaluation method (i.e., COPRAS) is used. Two groups of criteria are defined: the positive criteria, and negative ones. Finally, the complex evaluation of the effectiveness of selling terms of the on-line sellers is performed. Third, the economic evaluation of investments, which are made with the aim to improve selling terms, is presented. The economic impact for purchasers’ decisions of specific selling terms is analysed. Fourth, the selling terms of several international on-line sellers are compared; recommendations for on-line sellers are given; the selling terms concerning digital products are revised. The article is based on the comparative and multi-criteria analysis, and economic evaluation. The results of the study show that the complex and economic analysis of selling terms is very important for understanding cross-border purchasing decisions. [...]