Americans Are Shoppin’ Mad Over E-Commerce

American consumers’ satisfaction with e-commerce websites has dipped to its lowest level since 2004, according to a new report.

The American Customer Satisfaction Index’s annual e-commerce report, produced in partnership with ForeSee Results, shows customer satisfaction with e-commerce websites was down 2.6 points to 79.3 on a 100-point scale. The score for 2004 was 78.6.

American Customer Satisfaction Index founder Claes Fornell, a professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, said that “downward pressure on satisfaction does not bode well for sustained spending growth at a time when the economy could use it.”

Amazon.com topped all other online retailers for consumer satisfaction, with a score of 87. Next in line was Netflix, at 86. The overall score for the e-tail sector declined 3.6 points to 80.

“Amazon may have had smaller profits than predicted, but it grew its market share and is in position to continue to lead the industry in sales,” ForeSee Results said.

“Netflix may prove to be ahead of the online entertainment curve by offering less expensive streaming-only accounts. Its satisfaction barely slipped despite a shift in business strategy, which is an indication it is doing the right thing.”

Among online stock brokerages, Charles Schwab ranked first for satisfaction, with an index score of 80. It was followed by Fidelity, at 78. Altogether, the online brokerage segment notched a score of 78, unchanged from 2010.

“Charles Schwab and Fidelity know their customers better and are beating the Internet pure-play e-brokerages, which is impressive for the oldest and most traditional names in the game,” said Larry Freed, president and CEO of ForeSee Results.

In the online travel category, Expedia was consumers’ favorite, with an index score of 79. It has held or shared the lead in that sector since 2000. In second place was Travelocity, with a score of 77. The overall score for the category was 78, an all-time high.

“If the sustainability of online travel aggregator business was ever in question, we now can see that it is an industry that is here to stay,” the report said.