{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]],"date-time":"2026-08-10T01:31:13Z","timestamp":1786325473645,"version":"build-2736575974"},"posted":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,7]]},"group-title":"Business, Economics and Management","reference-count":0,"publisher":"MDPI AG","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,7]],"date-time":"2026-08-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786060800000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,6]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>This study examines how AI-generated product images and original photographs shape user engagement in C2C second-hand fashion e-commerce. While generative artificial intelligence increasingly enables sellers to improve the aesthetic quality of product presentation, little is known about how synthetic imagery affects actual platform behavior rather than stated consumer preferences. Drawing on signaling theory and the stimulus\u2013organism\u2013response model, the study reports a field experiment conducted on Vinted across two seasonal waves. The experimental design compared paired listings using original photographs and AI-generated product images, with engagement measured through views, likes, inquiries and transactions. The findings reveal a seasonal reversal: AI-generated images produced more favorable attention-related indicators in the autumn\u2013winter wave, whereas original photographs performed more favorably in the spring\u2013summer wave, especially for conversion-related indicators. The results suggest that the effectiveness of AI-generated imagery is conditional rather than universal and depends on the balance between aesthetic refinement, visual authenticity, perceived risk and product-verification needs. The study contributes to electronic commerce research by showing how AI-generated visual content operates as both an aesthetic and trust-related signal in C2C markets. It also provides implications for sellers and platform operators regarding transparent and responsible use of synthetic product imagery.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.20944\/preprints202608.0486.v1","type":"posted-content","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]],"date-time":"2026-08-10T01:26:39Z","timestamp":1786325199000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["When Do AI-Generated Product Images Work? Visual Authenticity, Trust and Seasonal Engagement in C2C E-Commerce"],"prefix":"10.20944","author":[{"given":"Monika","family":"Pec","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anita","family":"Proszowska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gabriela","family":"Rzewnis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","container-title":[],"original-title":[],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]],"date-time":"2026-08-10T01:27:00Z","timestamp":1786325220000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.preprints.org\/manuscript\/202608.0486\/v1"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,7]]},"references-count":0,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.20944\/preprints202608.0486.v1","relation":{},"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,7]]},"subtype":"preprint"}}