Huysentruyt, Marieke and Read, Daniel (2010) How do people value extended warranties? Evidence from two field surveys. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Vol.40 (No.3). pp. 197-218. doi:10.1007/s11166-010-9094-9 ISSN 0895-5646.

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Abstract

Extended warranties are popular but expensive. This paper examines how consumers value these warranties, and asks whether economic considerations alone can account for their popularity. Results from two field surveys show that consumers greatly overestimate both the likelihood and the cost of product breakdown. However, these biases alone do not explain their willingness to buy warranties. In fact, we find evidence of probability neglect, in which warranty purchase decision depends on the magnitude of the possible consequences of not having insurance and not on the probability of having to suffer these consequences. The expected emotional benefits from having a warranty was the best predictor of purchase decision and willingness to pay. We also found that people with higher cognitive skills are less likely to overestimate the economic determinants of warranty value, yet are still highly influenced by emotional considerations when deciding whether to purchase a warranty.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Divisions:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Warwick Business School > Behavioural Science Faculty of Social Sciences > Warwick Business School
Journal or Publication Title:	Journal of Risk and Uncertainty
Publisher:	Springer New York LLC
ISSN:	0895-5646
Official Date:	2010
Dates:	Date Event 2010 UNSPECIFIED
Volume:	Vol.40
Number:	No.3
Page Range:	pp. 197-218
DOI:	10.1007/s11166-010-9094-9
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published

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