Fewer than one in 10 people in the UK bought any of their Christmas gifts online because of the overwhelming amount of "clutter" on the Internet, according to a survey.
Almost a third of the people questioned said the amount of information on the net was overwhelming, while a quarter said there was so much clutter online that it took too long to find what one wanted.
Only 9 per cent admitted to buying any of their gifts over the Internet.
But of the 1,000 people questioned, fewer than one in five cited fears of credit card fraud as their main fear of online shopping.
In a report that will worry e-tailers often criticised for their lack of choice, most of those put off e-shopping said they were confused by the huge variety of websites available online.
The survey, commissioned by software company Connextra and to be published tomorrow, asked 1,000 adults around the UK about their habits and fears about shopping online.
Connextra - its Internet ventures include Sidewize, an internet browser companion which offers net surfers links to other websites like the ones they are visiting - said many consumers were being put off due to confusion rather than fear.
Chief executive Mr David King Lassman said: "This survey shows what we have always known - the Internet is too confusing for its users.
"While we all appreciate choice, the huge variety of available destinations on the web makes it daunting and virtually unusable for the majority of consumers.
"As well as surmounting the well-known problems of fear of fraud and poor fulfilment, websites must now also contend with the need to help users cut through the clutter on the web."
PA