Impacts of service guarantees on consumers' perceived quality and satisfaction in e-commerce

Purpose E-commerce platforms offer service guarantees (SGs) to improve consumers’ perceived quality and satisfaction. This survey aimed to test the direct and indirect effects of SGs on consumers’ perceived quality and satisfaction concerning the services of an international e-commerce platform. Design/methodology/approach The survey sample consisted of 378 consumers of an international e-commerce platform. Structural equation modelling (SEM) tested two structural models. Findings The first hypothetical model demonstrated that SGs positively and directly affects perceived quality and consumers' satisfaction on an e-commerce platform. This model also revealed that the perceived quality directly and positively impacted consumer satisfaction. The second hypothetical model confirmed that perceived quality mediates the relationship between SGs and satisfaction. Moreover, SGs positively and indirectly impacts consumer satisfaction. Practical implications This study suggests that e-commerce platforms use SGs as a marketing strategy in their business models to increase perceived quality and consumer satisfaction. However, to positively impact the perception of quality and consumer satisfaction, such SGs must have the following characteristics: unconditional, easy to understand and communicate, meaningful, easy and painless to invoke, and easy and quick to collect. Originality/value This research demonstrated the direct effects of SGs on perceived quality and consumer satisfaction on an international e-commerce platform. SGs directly impacts consumer satisfaction with the platform, even if they have not experienced its quality attributes (reliability, customisation, security and design). The indirect effects of SGs on consumer satisfaction were also proven, mediated by perceived quality. No previous study demonstrated such relationships simultaneously on e-commerce platforms.