Does the internet level the playing field? Gender and on-line car quotes

This study investigated whether the Internet reduced gender bias in U.S. car price quotes. Previous research has shown that when buying identical cars, women were often quoted significantly higher prices than their male counterparts in traditional on-site transactions. A sample of 114 California car dealership websites was used to examine if gender bias persisted in the online sales channels. Price quotes were requested online by one male and one female persona whose demographic profiles differed only by gender. While no statistically significant difference in the price offered to the male and female was found, the female persona received more price quotes, and a lower average price than the male. These results suggest that when females are in the car buying market, utilizing the Internet can result in more equitable pricing. This not only informs e-commerce pricing and theory development, but consumers and industry representatives interested in internet sales.