This project was divided into three parts. By storing a large data set in the database system, the data can be efficiently queried to analyze the customer base with reference to size and density, distribution, and vital statistics. First, the current customer portfolio was profiled in terms of...

Does consumer behavior exhibit time inconsistency? This is an essential, yet difficult question to answer. This dissertation attempts to answer this question based on a large-scale randomized experiment in the credit card market. Specifically,we apply both time consistent preferences...

Trotz ständig steigender Bedeutung kartengebundener Zahlungssysteme fehlt es im deutschen Zivilrecht an einer speziellen Regelung für Kreditkarten und den mannigfachen Risiken, die sich bei deren Gebrauch ergeben können. Aus diesem Grund kommt den Allgemeinen Geschäftsbedingungen, also den...

More than 3,000 electric utilities in the United States provide electricity to sustain the Nation`s economic growth and promote the well-being of its inhabitants. At the end of 1996, the net generating capability of the electric power industry stood at more than 776,000 megawatts. Sales to...

A computer model was developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to analyze the electricity production, costs, and prices for two geographical regions for a single year. Bulk-power trading is allowed between the two regions and market clearing prices are determined based on marginal costs. The...

This exploratory qualitative study investigates the reaction of the selling side of the real estate market to the mandatory disclosure of information as a consumer protection mechanism in residential property transactions, the largest purchase most consumers will ever make. In Australia, where...

Something of a design after-thought, mobile phone SMS (Short-Message Services) have been enthusiastically adopted by consumers worldwide, who have created a new text culture. SMS is now being deployed to provide a range of services and transactions, as well as playing a critical role in offering...

This article defines a methodology that can be used for assessing the cost-effectiveness of competing/alternative international consumer transaction (ICT) redress methods. The intention of this methodology is to reduce, at least to some extent, the subjectivity that would otherwise be involved...

Transparent pricing is a prerequisite for an efficient, competitive market and responsible consumer behavior. If the card industry were required to price its products in a straightforward manner, and it were less costly for consumers to switch cards, deceptive practices would be harder to...