Disruptive events exacerbate the information asymmetries between different constituents in a market. In the context of health crises, peer-to-peer services which facilitate sharing of goods and services through online platforms are particularly impacted by concerns about sanitization, health, and safety. Two surveys were conducted (n=145 and n=110) related to the peer-to-peer fashion rental platform Style Lend before and after the spread of COVID-19. The findings indicate that users require detailed policies which describe not only a rental process, but also the associated costs, liabilities, and contingencies related to that process. After the spread of COVID-19, users want more information about cleaning processes and how different stakeholders are protected through updated safety protocols. Further, information through authentic, rather than curated, reviews are highly valued. Sixty percent of the survey participants indicated hesitation to participate in peer-to-peer sharing because of concerns over sanitation, finances, or changes in behavior due to social distancing.
Debika Sihi (Sat,) studied this question.