En ny trend inom internethandeln är företeelsen av så kallade rabatt- och upplevelsesajter. På den svenska marknaden är Groupon marknadsledande rabattsajt samtidigt som LiveIt anses störst inom upplevelseförmedling. Affärskonceptet – att marknadsföra priserbjudanden eller upplevelser och sedan hänvisa konsumenter vidare till leverantörer – har tagits efter av en rad aktörer och den nya trenden får antas fortsätta en tid framöver. Det faktum att den aktuella typen av förmedling är relativt ny har lett till en osäkerhet kring vilket ansvar rabatt- och upplevelseföretagen har gentemot konsumenter. Inte sällan använder de sig av varierande affärsupplägg vilket bidragit till ytterligare oklarhet. Det saknas direkt tillämplig tvingande lagstiftning och företagen begränsar ofta, genom mer eller mindre långtgående friskrivningar, sitt civilrättsliga ansvar. Syftet med förevarande uppsats är att undersöka vilket civilrättsligt ansvar som företagen har gentemot konsumenter vid dröjsmål och fel i vara och tjänst. I uppsatsen, som inledningsvis diskuterar innebörden av termerna kollektiv shopping och gruppköp, redogörs för de tre affärsmodeller som det marknadsledande rabattföretaget Groupon använder sig av. Dessa affärsmodeller ligger sedan till grund för de diskussioner som förs i arbetets analysdel. Rabattföretagens ansvar visar sig vara beroende av vilken affärsmodell som tillämpats vid försäljningen. Företagen kan dels betraktas som återförsäljare alternativt kommissionärer vilket leder till ett fullständigt civilrättsligt ansvar, dels som handelsagenter med underliggande fullmakt vars enda ansvar är att ta emot och vidareförmedla reklamationer, dels som en oreglerad typ av mellanman som enligt dagens gällande rätt enbart ansvarar för lämnad information gällande de vouchrar som företagen säljer. Detta sistnämnda ansvar är visserligen dispositivt men förefaller utgöra en allmän rättsgrundsats varför det ligger nära till hands att betrakta friskrivningar från lämnad information som oskäliga. Ett tänkbart sätt att stärka konsumentskyddet inom det aktuella problemområdet är att utvidga den så kallade förmedlingsregeln i konsumentköplagens inledande paragraf samt att eventuellt införa en liknande regel även i konsumenttjänstlagen. / A new trend within e-commerce is the phenomenon of deal-of-the-day and event websites. The market leaders in Sweden are Groupon (deal-of-the-day) and LiveIt (event). Their business concept is to promote price offers or events, and then refer consumers to merchants. This concept has been copied by a number of other e-commerce providers and this trend is likely to continue. The fact that this kind of mediation is relatively new has led to an uncertainty as to what responsibility these companies have in relation to the consumers. Furthermore, the companies use a variety of business models which increases the uncertainty even more. There are no directly applicable mandatory provisions, and the companies often reduce their liability by using more or less extensive disclaimers. This essay aims to investigate which civil liability the companies have in relation to the consumers in post-purchase situations (relating to delays and lack of conformity). In this essay, which initially relates to the meaning of the terms ‘collective shopping’ and ‘group buying’, the three business models that Groupon utilize will be explained. These business models form the basis of the following analysis. The liability of the companies is proven to be dependent on which kind of business model that the purchase was conducted according to. The companies can be considered as retailers or commission agents who both have full liability, or they can be considered as commercial agents with a proxy whose liability is limited to receive and mediate complaints, or they can be considered as some kind of unregulated middleman which, according to existing law, only has a responsibility for information given in the marketing of the sold vouchers. The liability of this unregulated middleman is indeed optional, but still considered a general legal principle. A disclaimer from that liability could be considered unfair. One possible way to enhance consumer protection within this area is to expand the mediation rule in the first section of the Consumer Sales Act. An additional possibility is to introduce a similar rule in the Consumer Services Act.

Groupon is a popular group-buying website offering daily deals and has experiencedfast growth. It has attracted amounts of imitators and they sprang up all over the world.We treat this phenomenon by taking Groupon as an intermediary executing coordinationbetween merchants and customers in the group-buying activities. To see the particularpractices of Groupon in operating transactional and relational coordination mechanisms,we collect diverse group-buying forms from the earliest buying club since 1860s tillnow and make comparison among various involved intermediaries. After that, five maindifferences are identified including the nature of initiator, product and service selection,pricing mechanism, frequency of deals, network and relations, which either contributesto reduction of transaction cost or maintaining the interactive relationships. Throughthese collection, comparison and analysis, we have new insights into the features ofGroupon’s group-buying coordination and accordingly implications for future electronicintermediaries.

The essence of the getting popular online group-buying activities in the Internet age is that the price of products depends on the quantity of orders. The more the orders are gathered, the lower prices we can get. In addition, the price is always a major concern of consumers in shopping. Thus, the accumulated number of orders is of concern to the initiator and all consumers. In the past, some scholars also found the phenomenon of demand externalities. It indicates that the larger the existing orders are, the more consumers will join the group-buying. On the contrary, it is not easy to attract consumers to join the group-buying. So, if the number of orders increases fast and therefore generates the effect of demand externalities, the performance of group-buying will be improved. Therefore, this research, based the concept of free-options price promotion, explored if the quantity-based price promotion will affect the consumers¡¦ perceived value and intention to join the group-buying. Besides, the research also explored if the product preservation will moderate the effect of quantity-based price promotion on the consumers¡¦ perceived value. In this research, the quantity-based price promotion was manipulated as ¡§Buy five and get one free¡¨ in the experiment. A field experiment was done on NeGoGo group-buying website first. Then, based on the observation of the field experiment, an online experiment was designed and implemented. The result found that consumers have greater perceived value on price and emotion in a group-buying with quantity-based price promotion, but there is no interference effect of product preservation. Furthermore, when consumers have greater perceived value on price and emotion, their intention to join group-buying will be higher. Finally, compared to a group-buying with no price promotion, the average consumers¡¦ purchased quantity of group-buying with quantity-based price promotion is significantly higher. In other words, the quantity-based price promotion can improve the performance of group-buying transaction.

Online group-buying is one of the popular online business models recently. Both the initiator and participants hope to recruit more consumers to join order to aggregate larger orders and thus get cheaper price. Traditionally, consumers always invite their friends or families to join group-buying in order to collect more orders. Hope the relationship could affect their behavior. As the communication and coordination through the Internet are getting more convenient, it is easy and popular to recruit friends in larger range to join group-buying via e-mail. Further, the increasing virtual communities result from that, members have same interest, concern, and needs. It is quite possible that the members have same needs and therefore initiate a group-buying activity to fulfill many members¡¦ needs. Since information sharing is a major activity between members of virtual communities, the degree of the interactions will impact the tie strength between them. If members can send peer-to-peer recommendation email to other members who may be interested in the group-buying transaction, it may improve the group-buying performance. In addition, marketing via e-mail is getting common. The different marketing appeal results in different effect. Rational appeals focus on product itself while emotional appeal makes consumer¡¦s feeling change. The purpose of this research is to explore the difference in advertisement attitude between consumers clicking the peer-to-peer recommendation e-mail and consumers not clicking it. We also examined if these two groups have different cognition of tie strength with the e-mail sender. The result shows the group clicking the recommendation mail has better advertisement attitude than the group not clicking. Further, emotional appeal induces the subjects¡¦ better cognition of reliability of the appeal

Internet technology (IT) has changed the way information is disseminated, which has led to changes in transaction-making and the creation of new electronic markets. This has also led to the emer-gence of new types of online intermediaries, and new selling mechanisms. Since most online selling involves commodity goods and the discovery of low prices, the design of selling mechanism primarily focuses on the disclosure of price information. Low-price discovery selling mechanisms, however, have caused buyers to shift from one mechanism to another to get the best deals. Online sellers are facing profit pressures as a result. Price information only addresses a portion of consumer needs though. They need information to identify uncertainties that may harm them during transactions. Consumers also search for products and services that fit their individual preferences and are willing to pay a price premium for such offerings. Sellers have to offer additional information and to do decommoditization, or consumers will abandon selling mechanisms that do not match their needs. This dissertation examines these issues in three essays. It explores two online selling mechanisms: online group-buying auctions and a la carte pricing schemes in airline industry. The a la carte pricing is to offer flexible pricing to consumers. The research employs an Internet-based experimental test bed, a single-firm empirical case study, and an econometric model to test the relevant theories. I evaluate the design of online group-buying auctions, where consumers are more uncertain about group-buying as a mechanism for organizing economic exchange. I also evaluate the design of online selling mechanisms in the air travel services industry, where digitally-intermediation has created problems with suppliers¡¦ ownership of their customers and increasing channel conflicts. The results indicate that the dominance of price in consumer purchase decisions can be mitigated by complementary information, as well as value-added product and service information that an online selling mechanism provides. Consumer information requirements are dynamic and inconsistent though. So an effective selling mechanism must identify how to disclose an adequate amount of information to consumer. Some of the new mechanism designs that have emerged have produced a means for sellers to be more effective. My findings suggest that, in addition to price transparency, online selling mechanisms also affect transaction completion uncertainty, and support the expression of personal preferences.

Recently, there is a new advertising model created by Groupon. Its major attractions include high discount and e-coupon as transaction object. In addition, it is presented as an online group-buying business model and usually has a limit on transaction volume. Due to the prosperous growth of Groupon advertising model, this study explores what factors affect the performance of Groupon advertising model based on the empirical data and literature review. Based on the literature review and preliminary analysis of the collected empirical data, we proposed seven factors which may affect the performance of Groupon advertising model. They are discount, price, limit on transaction volume, urban income, population density, threshold of transaction and product category. These factors were included as independent variables in the regression model. The results indicated that discount, urban income, population density and threshold of transaction have significant effects on advertising performance. Among them, the threshold of transaction has the most significant impact. It indicates that setting a threshold of transaction will facilitate the transaction volume. In addition, the results also indicated that different product categories result in different performance. However, the population density has no significant impact on the advertising performance.

The Internet alters the traditional business environment. Due to the convenience of the Internet, consumers are able to acquire both tangible goods and intangible services. With the advent of the internet and its related technologies, the emerging online shopping a distinctively new business transaction format becomes the trendiest activity in these days. The spirit of online group buying is to exercise the buy¡¦s bargaining power by amassing number of people interested in the same goods and their money in order to achieve the goal of having desirable prices. Besides the financial motive, what are the other incentives driving consumers to join online group buying is another interesting subject discussed in the paper. When shopping online, consumers can obtain product information only by pictures and depictions posted by sellers. Therefore, the credibility of the group-buying initiator is very important because of the fictitious shopping environment. The goal of the research is to comprehend the correlation between consumers¡¦ online group-buying motivations and customer satisfaction. According to the above, the research model is consisted of the following factors: (1) motivation of online group-buying participation; (2) customer relationship; (3) product involvement; (4) customer satisfaction. The research sample group is targeted at the southern residences with online group-buying experiences. There are total 849 questionnaires performed face-to-face and on the Internet retrieved during the sample period from February 25, 2012 to March 25, 2012. All of this data will be used to explain the correlation between online group-buying motivations and customer satisfaction. After calculating and analyzing all data, there is a positive relationship between online group-buying motivations and the customer satisfaction. Besides, trust categorized in the customer relationship acts as an intermediary in the relationship between online group-buying motivations and the customer satisfaction. Moreover, the product involvement also interferes in the relationship between online group-buying motivations and the customer satisfaction. In order to stand out and be successful in the overcrowded and competitive e-commerce market, there are several suggestions about online group-buying activities based on the results of above. Online group-buying initiators can use promotions to attraction consumers¡¦ attentions. Furthermore, a user-friendly website can also increase the level of the consumer satisfaction due to its simplicity and accessibility. Based on all information collected, the product quality and the seller¡¦s credibility are the most crucial elements affecting consumers¡¦ purchase inclinations.

The business model of on-line group buying has been introduced and thrived since 1998 in America. Unfortuately, this internet-based purchase merchanism did not make its growing progress which should be presumed to be an effective and attractive system as an efficient transaction spot on line. Our research specifically focused on the physical consumers' view, including the practical participants in the on-line group buying and the general consumers who never have such experiences on it, to establish a statistical analysis on the effects to consumers' join intention and purchase decision of on-line group buying. We intend to explore the most direct recognition and requirements of the consumers in this commercial mechanism. Also would like to contribute some effective and valuable advices to the future business running under the on-line group buying model for reaching a successful development on it. Over the thorough approach on the collection of related research essays and from the close observation and investigation on the domestic on-line group buying activities, we therefore designed a questionnaire composed with the possible items which might effect the consumers' intention to decide if they would like to join the group buying. By applying the exploratory factor analysis, in this essay, we conclude the 8 major dimensions to our research topic: (1) Familiarity with the group-buying platform and initiators, (2) Recognition to essentials of products, (3) Fulfillment of the cumulative volume of orders, (4) Delivery and payment terms, (5) Convenience to consumers' decision process, (6) Gap between reference prices, (7) Stimulative function, (8) Brand recognition. Furthermore, we can obtain the following inductive reasoning comments from our descriptions and definitions on the 8 major dimensions of our survey. A. Maturity of the internet use can effectively increase consumers' intention to join the on-line group buying. B. Mutation of the modren lifestyle can just meet and satisfy the requirements from consumers. C. Model of group buying can easily and promptly raise the consumers' involvement and understanding on target products.

As the global wireless network becoming mature, the growing number of mobile devices, and the personal need of keeping in touch with others daily, mobile communication is becoming a necessity of life. Using mobile devices, such as cell phones or PDAs, everyone could communicate with each other independently; and this communication environment is similar with P2P network. Utilizing the connection network of cell phones is becoming a brand new business channel. Since group-buying is part of our daily life, people live in the same area could buy products or services together based on mutual needs, and this could enhance the bargaining power of customers and lower the purchase price. This research proposes a group-buying system architecture under mobile environment, and discusses the problems that customers might encounter in every stage of the buying process. Mobile device users under the environment could exchange information with each other and this could help customers search group-buying information efficiently. Sensor Network combines with MP2P Network accelerates the spread of group-buying information in a marketplace, and helps the originator and other buyers to negotiate with the supplier. Based on the observation of the variation of the group-buying information distribution in the experiment, we summarize under what situation a better information distribution would take place in a specific marketplace.

The goodness of group buying is consumers can buy product with lower price, and seller can reduce the bargain cost by collecting orders. But it is hard to be realized in the mall. A recent survey shows most everyone has his own mobile device. In this research, we organize a mobile P2P network by exchanging between two mobile devices. We propose a system for consumers and sellers to exchange group buying information. In Mobile P2P Network environment, group buying initiator is hard to decide the best timing to end the group buying. Because buyers can easily participate or leave the group buying group, and initiator may not know the exactly how many buyers participate the group buying. So we simulate a virtual mall with the realistic data and try to find the suitable group buying model in this environment. Then we examine if participation externality effect, price drop effect and ending effect will appear in this model. Finally, we observe the trend of the number of buyers in group buying to suggest the group buying ending time. The research result indicates that participation externality effect and price drop effect still appear in the Mobile P2P Network environment. But ending effect is not obvious. Because the group buying information is distributed by participating buyers, the distribution will affect the trend of participation and participation externality effect. With suggestion of the system, initiator will not waste much time to wait few participations, and participators can reduce the time cost.