Consumer trust and post-purchase dynamics in the refurbished electronics market: The role of product quality, service, and brand reputation

The purpose of this research is to find out what determines consumer trust in the refurbished electronics device market related to laptops, smartphones, and tablets, and how such factors relate to post-purchase emotional and behavioural responses, as well as brand reputation effects. By applying qualitative thematic analysis to over 250 customer reviews on online stores like Amazon, Flipkart, Back Market, and Gazelle, this study identified product specification, for example, battery life and screen display; customer service; warranty problems; and authenticity of the product as the major factors based on the analysis of coded excerpts from customer reviews. The findings suggest that in the context of refurbished electronics products, product and service-related issues are associated with variations in consumer trust, which are linked to post-purchase emotions such as dissatisfaction, anger, and regret. These emotional responses are associated with behavioural outcomes such as complaining, negative word-of-mouth, and switching intentions. When brand expectations are not met, coded excerpts reflect stronger negative evaluations of brand reputations even for reputed brands like Apple and Samsung. The research outcome underlines improving the quality control, transparent marketing, and solid post-purchase support as areas of major significance toward supporting the development of consumer trust and propagating sustainable consumption in refurbished electronics.