Understanding the Dark Side of Online Reviews on Consumers' Purchase Intentions in E-Commerce: Evidence From a Consumer Experiment in China

Background: Online review, as an important way of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) communication, plays an important role in e-commerce. However, few studies have examined the dark side of online reviews and their effect on consumers' purchase intentions. Information inconsistency is one of the dark sides that plays a critical role in influencing consumers' purchase intentions through online reviews. Methods: Using a 2*2 between-subject design that explores the main effects of the type of information inconsistency (vertical- vs. horizontal-attribute inconsistency) on purchase intention and the moderating effect of product type (search vs. experience product). Results: This study examines whether and how the type of information inconsistency between online recommendations and reviews influences consumer purchase decision-making. Conclusions: The findings show that vertical-attribute inconsistency leads to a lower purchase intention for search products; moreover, both vertical- and horizontal-attribute inconsistencies have no significant effect on purchase intention for experience products.

Automated summary

The study demonstrates that information inconsistency influences consumers' purchase intentions, particularly affecting search products significantly, while having little effect on experience products.