延長保固政策之探討

Abstract

本文建立賽局模型來研究一間廠商面對到兩群對維修過後商品有不同評價的消費者 (本文簡稱高、低端消費者) 時，選擇推出含基礎保固與延長保固的「延長保固政策」或「單一保固政策」的條件。本文首先論述當廠商只採用單一保固政策時，廠商會選擇提供較長的保固期間，亦即消費者不用「額外」付費購買延長保固。本文接著針對消費者不同的自費維修費用，以及廠商是否能決定保固長度的情況下，討論廠商的最適保固政策選擇與商品定價。消費者自費維修費用分為高、中、低三種情境，而廠商根據能否決定保固長度也分為兩種情境，共六種情境加以討論。 研究結果顯示，當廠商無法決定保固長度，只能決定商品價格時，推出延長保固政策或單一保固政策的選擇因素，受消費者自費維修商品的費用大小、廠商維修商品的成本與低端消費者所佔比例影響。當消費者自費維修費用數值越大，低端消費者所佔的人數比例越低，廠商越有機會推出延長保固政策。當消費者自費維修費用低於某個水準，廠商只會推出單一保固政策。 如果廠商能同時決定保固長度與商品價格，本文研究結果發現，廠商在延長保固政策與單一保固政策的選擇因素，和廠商只能決定商品價格的情況類似。除此之外，一旦廠商選擇延長保固政策，廠商會推出含終身延長保固的商品與沒有任何保固的商品。如果廠商選擇單一保固政策，廠商則會推出終身延長保固的商品。

We set up a model to analyse the firm’s best warranty policies when the firm faces two types (H and L) of consumers who have different evaluation of the repaired products. The firm has to determine whether to choose extended or free extended warranty policy. For extended warranty policy, the firm offers product with embedded warranty and the option of purchasing extended warranty to consumers. For free extended warranty policy, the firm only offers one warranty policy. We discuss two conditions: first, the firm can only set the product price; second, the firm determines the warranty periods and the product prices simultaneously. We also consider different repair cost of consumers (high, medium and low). In the first condition, the choice between extended and free extended warranty policy depends on the repair cost of consumers, the repair cost of the firm and the proportion of L-type consumers. With larger repair cost of consumers and smaller proportion of L-type consumers, the firm tends to offer extended warranty policy. If the repair cost of consumers is low enough, the firm offers free extended warranty policy. In the second condition, we find that the criteria of choosing warranty policy is similar to the condition that the firm can only set the product price. What’s more, if the firm offers extended warranty policy, the firm offers a lifelong warranty policy and a product with no warranty. If the firm offers free extended warranty policy, the firm offers a life-long warranty policy.