Deceptive Tactics Used in Online Shopping

Abstract

The debate on deceptive advertising is getting more critical alongside the proliferation of the Internet and global e-commerce. This study aims to portray the nature and variances of deceptive tactics employed in online shopping sites by utilising an original database and a content analysis. Findings verified that the use of online deceptive advertising practices is common among Turkish online-shopping sites. First and foremost, the study displayed the high propensity of advertisers to omit or obscure information within the online ad content. The findings also provided empirical evidence on the correlational nature of involvement level and price with the deception levels.