Reviews, trust, and customer experience in online marketplaces : the case of Mercado Libre Colombia

Purpose: The research focuses on the crucial role of online reviews in shaping consumer trust in e-commerce platforms, examining the impact of perceived authentic and fake reviews on purchasing decisions and platform reputation. It assesses how consumers perceive review authenticity and quality and...

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Autores:
Peña García, Nathalie
Losada Otálora, Mauricio
Auza, David Pérez
Cruz, María Paula
Tipo de recurso:
Article of investigation
Fecha de publicación:
2024
Institución:
Colegio de Estudios Superiores de Administración
Repositorio:
Repositorio CESA
Idioma:
eng
OAI Identifier:
oai:repository.cesa.edu.co:10726/5777
Acceso en línea:
http://hdl.handle.net/10726/5777
https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2024.1460321
Palabra clave:
Trust
Fake reviews
Customer experience
Marketplace
Rights
License
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Description
Summary:Purpose: The research focuses on the crucial role of online reviews in shaping consumer trust in e-commerce platforms, examining the impact of perceived authentic and fake reviews on purchasing decisions and platform reputation. It assesses how consumers perceive review authenticity and quality and their effects on trust levels in reviews, marketplaces, and reputation systems. It also explores the relationship between trust forms and overall experiences. Design/methodology: A quantitative approach is employed, utilizing a questionnaire distributed to recent Mercado Libre buyers. To test hypotheses, data from 326 valid responses are analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings: Findings reveal that fake review perception negatively affects trust in rating systems, while high-quality reviews positively influence all trust forms. Customer experience is directly impacted by trust in marketplaces and rating systems, indicating a mediation effect of trust in the rating system on the relationship between fake review perception and customer experience. Research limitations/implications: Limitations include using a convenience sample and focusing on trust in the rating system rather than reviews or the marketplace, suggesting avenues for future research. Practical implications include recommendations to ensure review quality, enhance rating system controls, and promote review usage in the purchase process. Originality: The study addresses a timely and relevant gap in understanding the impact of reviews on e-commerce trust, particularly within the context of Latin America and Mercado Libre’s dominance in the region’s e-commerce landscape.