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Search and competition in expert markets

Author

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  • Cao, Yiran
  • Chen, Yongmin
  • Ding, Yucheng
  • Zhang, Tianle

Abstract

We analyze a model where consumers sequentially search experts for treatment recommendations and prices, facing either zero or a positive search cost, while experts simultaneously compete in these two dimensions. In equilibrium, experts may “cheat” by overstating the severity of a consumer’s problem and recommending an unnecessary treatment, prices follow distributions depending on the problem type and the treatment, and consumers employ Bayesian belief updating about their problem types during search. Paradoxically, as search cost decreases, expert cheating and prices can both increase stochastically. However, if search cost is sufficiently small, competition will force all experts to behave honestly.

Suggested Citation

  • Cao, Yiran & Chen, Yongmin & Ding, Yucheng & Zhang, Tianle, 2022. "Search and competition in expert markets," MPRA Paper 122509, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 27 Oct 2024.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:122509
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    search; experts; competition; credence good;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D8 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty
    • L1 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance

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