Examining Customer Responses to Fake Online Reviews: The Role of Suspicion and Product Knowledge

Online reviews constitute a central element in modern word-of-mouth communication and can strongly influence customer purchase intention. However, customers may be also aware of that these tools can be manipulated or counterfeited, and suspicion upon the review authenticity may affect its influence. The objective of this paper is to examine the effects of suspicion about fake reviews on the effectiveness of reviews in influencing customers’ purchase intentions. The results of our empirical study show that customers who are suspicious of review authenticity find the reviews less convincing and reverse their likelihood to acquire the product. Furthermore, it holds true regardless of prior knowledge of the product.