Dark motives-counterfeit purchase framework: Internal and external motives behind counterfeit purchase via digital platforms

Abstract

This study aims to identify and develops a framework that captures the buyers’ online internal and external motives that can be generalized to the overall luxury markets, called “Dark motives-counterfeit purchase framework”. The study consists of 22 in-depth interviews with counterfeit sellers and 42 in-depth interviews with buyers who have bought counterfeit luxury products. The buyers are fully aware of their decision to purchase counterfeit and pirated products. This study focuses on non-deceptive market as customer demand is one of major drivers of the existing counterfeit business. The framework includes 16 motives for buying online counterfeit product (i.e. 9 external and 7 internal motives). The external motives are (1) social acceptance, (2) peer influence, (3) sense of belonging/desired image, (4) perceived risks (associated with purchase), (5) perceived risks (associated with usage), (6) affordability, (7) accessibility, (8) degree of justice and penalty, and (9) social networking sites. The internal motives are (1) sense of adventure, (2) fashion/novelty seeker, (3) sense of morality, (4) perception toward inequality, (5) perception toward the actual product, (6) quality acceptance, and (7) purchasing experience. This research is one of the first studies that examine both seller and buyer’s perspectives in the same study.