How Do You React When You Know That You Miss the Price Promotion After Purchasing: the Impacts of Purchase Timing and Attribution on Perceived Price Unfairness, Negative Emotions and Behavioral Reactions

Title: How do you react when you know that you miss the price promotion after purchasing: The impacts of purchase timing and attribution on perceived price unfairness, negative emotions and behavioral reactions Abstract: While Zeelenberg & Van Putten (2005) have examined consumer’s reaction when they realize the missing of price promotion before purchasing, this study examines how the missing of the price promotion will affect consumers’ perceived price unfairness when they realize such missing after they have purchased the product. First, we examine whether purchase timing (pre-promotion vs. post-promotion) and different attribution (internal vs. external) will influence perceived price unfairness induced by the missing price promotion. In addition, we also investigate how negative emotions (anger, disappointed, and regret) will be generated and how it will influence behavioral reactions (Complain, negative WOM, Switch, Inertia). By analyzing the data collected from a 2 (purchase timing) * 2 (attribution) experiment, the major findings are: (1) Purchase timing does not affect perceived price unfairness but has impact on negative emotion. (2) Consumers who miss price promotion due to external attribution will generate higher perceived price unfairness. (3) When consumers perceive the higher price unfairness, they will feel more anger and disappointed. (4) Consumers with stronger anger and disappointed are more likely to switch to other stores, spread negative WOM, and complain.

Citation:

Dungchun Tsai, Hsiao-Ching Lee, Wei-wei Chen, and Han-Chia Chuang (2007) ,"How Do You React When You Know That You Miss the Price Promotion After Purchasing: the Impacts of Purchase Timing and Attribution on Perceived Price Unfairness, Negative Emotions and Behavioral Reactions", in E - European Advances in Consumer Research Volume 8, eds. Stefania Borghini, Mary Ann McGrath, and Cele Otnes, Duluth, MN : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 261-263.