In contrast to the assumption that marketers' product longevity claims (e.g., “Product X lasts 3 years”) are exaggerated, we identify a condition in which consumers infer these numerical benchmarks to be conservative. Specifically, when repurchase cues are present, consumers assume that marketers have strategically selected a conservative benchmark. In four experiments, we demonstrate the robustness of this modest marketer inference and show that it stems from a sinister presumption about marketer motives (i.e., that marketers seek to hasten unnecessary product replacement) rather than a benign one (i.e., that marketers seek to optimize the product experience of their customers).
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