When Words Mislead: A Typology of Deceptive Communication in Online Returns

Abstract

Marketing communications are one of the major strategies of any company to succeed in the competitive atmosphere. The effectiveness of their marketing communications is reflected in acquisitions of new customers and the generation of revenue. However, sometimes to achieve some of the marketing objectives, marketers breach the ethics of marketing communications and indulge in deceptive marketing communication practices. Hence the purpose of this study is to extend the prior knowledge of deceptive communication and to develop a typology that explains different ways in which online retailers deceive their customers. The primary data was collected from young consumers aged between 18-34 through in-depth interviews. The results indicated that there are four types of deceptive communication techniques employed by online retailers to attract customers. The three types of deceptive communication techniques are Product related Deception, Price related Deception, Policy related Deception and Promotion related Deception. The study contributes to the existing literature by classifying the deceptive marketing communication techniques undertaken by online retailers. This study will help the managers in understanding the customer viewpoint regarding deceptive marketing communications and frame the marketing strategies accordingly which will reduce the high product returns and enhance customer satisfaction.