Not that ad again! When exposure to post-purchase ads produces regret

After purchasing a product online, consumers keep being exposed to customized ads on social media and web pages on either the very same product they have just bought or other products in the same product category. Such repeated advertising effort is activated by algorithms failing to update the input data for recommendations after an actual purchase has been completed. This research presents results of a survey showing that, in specific contingencies, exposing consumers to post-purchase advertising produces regret, which, in turn, reduces satisfaction and increases intention to return the product. Our findings contribute to understand consumer reactions to post-purchase ads and emphasize the need to improve recommendation systems generating customized ads, as this practice, though targeting consumers effectively, may instill re-thinking of actual purchases that lead to regret and dissatisfaction..