Preventive-service fraud in credence good markets

B-Tier
Journal: Economic Theory
Year: 2024
Volume: 78
Issue: 2
Pages: 593-617

Score contribution per author:

2.011 = (α=2.01 / 1 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Abstract Preventive dental care and automotive service is intended to preempt problems that, if they materialized, would require costly treatment or repair. In these markets fraud is both persistent and pervasive. This paper analyzes these markets invoking the notion of perfect Bayesian equilibrium of a stochastic dynamic games of incomplete information in which the players are customers and service providers. The services provided are credence because diagnosis and service are bundled and the customers lack the expertise necessary to assess the need for the prescribed service both ex ante and ex post. The analysis shows that fraud is a prevalent equilibrium phenomenon that is somewhat mitigated by customers’ loyalty.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:spr:joecth:v:78:y:2024:i:2:d:10.1007_s00199-023-01540-x
Journal Field
Theory
Author Count
1
Added to Database
2026-01-25