Consumer willingness to claim a price-matching refund: A look into the process

The authors examine the process to determine the likelihood that a consumer will claim a price-matching refund when he or she identifies a lower competitive price after the purchase. They conduct a laboratory experiment in which the retail channel (Internet or bricks-and-mortar), store reputation, and presence of a price-matching refund policy are manipulated. These variables affect the perceived difficulty of claiming the price-matching refund, the perceived service quality, the perceived likelihood of receiving the refund if requested, and through them, consumer willingness to claim the refund. The authors discuss the managerial implications of the findings.