Perceived deception and online repurchase intention: The moderating effect of product type and consumer regulatory orientation

Abstract Limited by e‐tailers' ability to present accurate information about their products, consumers often misunderstand and misinterpret product messaging, which can heighten their perception of deception among e‐tailers and result in unfavorable consumer behaviors and actions. Integrating perceived deception and existing consumer behavior theories, this research examines the intricate relationships between product type (hedonic vs. utilitarian), consumer regulatory orientation (promotion vs. prevention), and their interactive effect on the relationship between perceived deception and consumer repurchase intention in online settings. Across three studies, we identified a less negative impact due to perceived deception for online repurchase intention of hedonic products than for utilitarian products. After perceived deception occurs, promotion‐oriented individuals show a higher online repurchase intention compared to prevention‐oriented individuals. Furthermore, the fit between promotion orientation and hedonic products works best to attenuate perceived deception's unfavorable impact on online repurchase intention. In contrast, the fit between prevention orientation and utilitarian products leads to the lowest online repurchase intentions. Also, e‐tailers can increase repurchase intentions by emphasizing the hedonic attribute, and instigating promotion intention would help mitigate the negative effects of perceived deception.