Product Failure and Warranty Purchase: Their Effects on Target-Specific Emotions and Attitude Toward the Brand

Abstract

This paper investigates the consumer affective responses to product failure as a result of making a decision to buy or not buy a warranty at the time of product purchase. Specifically, we present hypotheses about differences in consumers' emotional reactions to products failure, and consequently their attitude toward the brand, depending upon whether they have purchased product warranties. The hypotheses are derived by arguing that different types of counterfactual thinking and attributions are invoked under conditions of product failure or no product failure, and the purchase of a warranty or no warranty purchase by the consumer. Theoretical and managerial implications are briefly discussed