The U.S. courts have treated especially vulnerable consumers, that is, plaintiffs whose idiosyncratic sensitivities have contributed to their product-related injuries, differently from typical consumers. The authors discuss the evolution of the concept of vulnerable consumer and suggest a broader view of it that is consistent with recent litigation and statutes. They argue that an expanded view of vulnerable consumers will protect consumers who are particularly vulnerable.

No abstract

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation.This article presents a strategic pricing framework which conceptualizes pricing outcomes or objectives as a function of pricing strategies constrained by environmental factors. The framework is derived from the pricing literature and offers marketers a model to explain and enhance pricing decision-making.

This article traces the development of economic activity and the sociopolitical, philosophical, and scientific agenda from which the present goods-centered paradigm of marketing emanated. The authors suggest that the services-centered model of exchange, abandoned during this development, is more appropriate for the advancement of the understanding of exchange relationships.

No abstract