Article

An Investigation of Consumers’ Perceived Confidence in the Sales and Pricing Policies Applied by Firms: The Fethiye Example

Abstract

In the free market economy, companies’ sales and pricing policies remain within certain limits legally. However, these legal regulations, which sometimes become inadequate and are sometimes delayed by other legal regulations, cause the economic activities firms carry out to have negative social consequences. This study researches how consumers generally look at the pricing and sales policies widely used during and after sales without specifying any sector or company name. The data, obtained from 571 participants residing in Fethiye and determined through the random sampling method, were analyzed using the multiple logistic regression model. The participants were asked what they think about campaigns like “buy two get one free,” user-error statements, and money-point applications. At least one out of every three people who participated in the survey feel deceived by campaigns like the “buy two get one free” and money-point applications, as well as at least two out of three regarding user-error statements. Also, participants think that firms behave unethically and do not care about consumer rights as much as their own profitability, that after-sales service is inadequate and that the market is not trustworthy in terms of prices.

Keywords

Consumer confidence Ethical behavior in firms Multinomial logistic regression Buy 2 get 3 free Pricing