Digital Platforms and Refurbished Goods: How Self-Focused and Rational Framings Shape Consumer Choice and Valuation

Refurbished products are central to circular economy strategies, yet consumer adoption remains limited due to concerns about quality, reliability, and risk, particularly in digital platform environments. Building on framing theory and introducing the concept of functional congruence, this research examines how persuasive appeal configurations interact with the cognitive demands of private, platform-mediated purchase decisions. A between-subjects experimental design simulates a realistic e-commerce interface offering new and refurbished products. Study 1a investigates consumers’ binary choice between new and refurbished options, while Study 1b examines willingness to pay (WTP) as a complementary valuation outcome. Across both analyses, a consistent pattern emerges: self-focused rational appeals emphasizing performance equivalence, functional reliability, and economic savings yield the strongest effects, increasing both the likelihood of choosing refurbished products and consumers’ WTP relative to alternative framings and a no-claim control. Other-focused rational appeals increase WTP but do not significantly shift discrete choice, whereas emotional appeals show comparatively weaker effects. These findings advance framing theory by supporting that persuasive effectiveness depends on the congruence between appeal focus, rhetorical form, and the cognitive requirements imposed by digital platforms characterized by low social visibility, high comparability, and perceived risk. The study contributes to research on sustainable consumption and digital platforms by highlighting how interface design, transparency cues, and evidence-based communication shape circular economy adoption online.