Online shopping post-payment dissonance: Dissonance reduction strategy using online consumer social experiences

This study applied the concept of online consumer social experiences (OCSEs) to reduce online shopping post-payment dissonance (i.e., dissonance occurring between online payment and product receipt). Two types of OCSEs were developed: indirect social experiences (IDSEs) and virtual social experiences (VSEs). Two studies were conducted, in which 447 college students were enrolled. Study 1 compared the effects of OCSEs and non-OCSEs when online shopping post-payment dissonance occurred. The results indicate that providing consumers affected by online shopping post-payment dissonance with OCSEs reduces dissonance and produces higher satisfaction, higher repurchase intention, and lower complaint intention than when no OCSEs are provided. In addition, consumers' interpersonal trust (IPT) and susceptibility to interpersonal informational influence (SIII) moderated the positive effects of OCSEs. Study 2 compared the effects of IDSEs and VSEs when online shopping post-payment dissonance occurred. The results suggest that the effects of IDSEs and VSEs on satisfaction, repurchase intention, and complaint intention are moderated by consumers' computing need for control (CNC) and computer-mediated communication apprehension (CMCA). The consumers with high CNC and low CMCA preferred VSEs, whereas the consumers with low CNC and high CMCA preferred IDSEs. The effects of VSEs and IDSEs on consumers with high CNC and CMCA and those with low CNC and CMCA were not significantly different.