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Recently experienced 'price comparison prevention' on an ecommerce site. They put the product on an exclusive deal that was only available if you navigated there through a very specific route. Attempting to google the item or price match it would lead you to higher prices on their site. Crafty but so deceptive; I spent an hour trying to figure out why the price kept changing.
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Went to book a flight and the price seemed too good to be true... because it was. By the end, after choosing your seat (extra cost), checking a bag (extra cost), and using a credit card (yup, extra cost), it was as expensive as the others. And you don't see the full total til the very last step. 👎
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I work in UX and it's infuriating how many companies use dark patterns to exploit customers. Recently encountered a mobile app that made it nearly impossible to delete your account. You had to navigate through a labyrinth of menus only to end up at a form that 'failed to submit.' Had to email support four times. Companies rely on you giving up.
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Was buying shoes online and at checkout, they sneak in 'expedited shipping' for extra cost as the default option. I didn't notice until AFTER I confirmed the purchase that my total was higher than expected. These sites prey on fast clickers smh
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remember when games were just fun and not psychological traps?? i got sucked into one of those match-3 games... seemed harmless at first. next thing i know, i'm out of lives n the only way to continue is by waiting or PAYING?! they design it so you're always one move short of winning, pfft.
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ugh yes. was signing up for what i thought was a one-time purchase and the website made it look like i was just confirming my payment details. fast forward, guess who's been paying monthly for the past year?? always check for those tiny pre-checked boxes now.
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Mine are these: 1. Fake free trials 2. Fake unsubscribing 3. Match-3 games disguised on ads as different purpose games
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This all speaks to a larger issues at hand, folks. We're not just talking about momentary frustrations here, this is systematic deception, preying on users who might not be as tech-savvy. It's one thing to engage users with clever marketing, but it's entirely different to build a business model around misleading practices. We need to hold these companies accountable. Whether it's taking a stand and reporting these patterns, educating others to recognize the traps, or even pushing for more stringent regulations. It's not just about us, it's about protecting future consumers too.
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I feel ya on the fake unsubscribe options. It's like a maze trying to find the real 'cancel subscription' button which always 'conveniently' seems to lag. Also, if you've noticed the grayed out, super tiny font they use for the 'unsubscribe from all' link, you know they're banking on you missing that and just quitting in frustration.
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Oh man, the fake free trials are the worst. Signed up for what I thought was a week trial and they hit me with charges the very next day. Had to jump through a dozen hoops just to cancel it. And don't get me started on the 'hidden' terms they tucked away in the fine print!