Consumerism

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

A government organization whose role is to protect consumers and competition by preventing anti-competitive, deceptive, and unfair business practices through law enforcement, advocacy, and education

Roach Motel

A dark pattern that allows you to get into a situation very easily (like signing up for a subscription or getting product emails) but then you find it is hard to cancel or get out of it

Bait and Switch

A dark pattern that makes you think you are taking a specific action, but a different, undesirable action takes place instead

Confirmshaming

A dark pattern where the option to decline an offer is worded to shame the user into compliance

Buy Nothing Project

A global network of community-based groups that encourages giving (or recycling) consumer goods and services instead of buying them

Thrifting

Purchasing goods second hand whether in person or through an online marketplace

Dark Patterns

Website design features intended to trick users into doing things they might not want to do, but which benefit the business in question

Multi-level Marketing Company (MLM)

A business in which a person receives proceeds not only from their own sales, but from the sales made by people they have signed up, and potentially people those people have signed up, and so on

Software as a Service (SaaS)

A business model companies use to charge you on a regular basis for ongoing updates to products and services you use

Friend Spam

A dark pattern in which a product asks for your email or social media permissions and then sends messages to all of your contacts pretending to be you

Price Comparison Prevention

A dark pattern in which a retailer makes it hard for you to compare the price of an item with that of another similar item so you cannot make an informed decision

Sneak Into Basket

A dark pattern in which a website sneaks an additional item into your basket somewhere in the online purchasing journey, often through the use of an opt-out button or checkbox on a prior webpage

Misdirection

A dark pattern in which a website's design purposefully focuses your attention on one thing in order to distract your attention from another

Privacy Zuckering

A dark pattern in which you are tricked into sharing more information about yourself than you intended to

Forced Continuity

A dark pattern in which your free trial with a service comes to an end and your account begins to be charged without any warning

Installment Plan

A payment method that allows you to pay for purchases over time by dividing the purchase amount into smaller equal payments, often with interest and additional fees; also known as Buy Now Pay Later plans

Influencer

A person who is able to generate interest in something (such as a consumer product) by posting about it on social media

Consumer

A person who purchases goods and services for personal use

Price Matching

A practice used by some retailers to match a competitor's LOWER price for an item

Trick Question

A question that appears to ask one thing but, when read carefully, asks another thing entirely

Browser Extension

A software application that adds capacity or functionality to yourweb browser

QR Code Scam

A type of scam in which a QR code directs users to a fake website to collect information or install malware

Shopping Scam

A type of scam in which an item is purchased, often through social media, but the product never arrives

Romance Scam

A type of scam in which an online relationship is built and then money is requested

Investment Scam

A type of scam in which fake investment opportunities are sold, often using cryptocurrency

Pump and Dump Scam

A type of scam in which investors artificially inflate the price of an asset and then sell out before the price falls

Phishing Scam

A type of scam in which personal information is requested, typically through an illegitimate email

Hidden Fees

Additional charges added on to the cost of a good or service that a consumer may not necessarily be aware of at the time of purchase

Disguised Ads

Ads that are hidden as other kinds of content or navigation in order to get you to click on them

Data Breach

An event during which the security system for a company fails and personal information is vulnerable to hackers

2-Factor Authentication (2FA)

An extra layer of security that requires a user to provide two pieces of information (such as a password and a temporary code) to access an account

Scam

An illegal trick, usually with the purpose of getting money or information from a person; a type of fraud

Pyramid Scheme

An illicit business model where profits are based on the investor's ability to recruit other individuals who are enrolled to make payments to their recruiters. Generally, neither a product or service is delivered.

Ways of Influence

Factors such as authority, liking, or scarcity that have an effect on the way we make decisions

Unit Price

The cost for one item or measurement that allows it to be easily compared to other similar products to evaluate which is a better deal

Drip Pricing

The practice of initially showing consumers a lower price and then revealing additional fees at the time of payment

Comparison Shopping

The process of comparing various factors for a product or service before making a purchasing decision

Scarcity Bias

The tendency to assume things that are scarce are valuable and things that are abundant are not

Authority Bias

The tendency to attribute greater accuracy to the opinion of an authority figure (unrelated to its content) and be more influenced by that opinion

Social Proof Bias

The tendency to behave in a particular way because others are doing so

Liking Bias

The tendency to judge in favor of people and symbols we like

Commitment and Consistency Bias

The tendency to keep prior commitments and staying consistent with our prior selves when possible

Reciprocity Bias

The tendency to return in kind what another has done for us

Gamification

The use of game design elements to get you to spend more time and more money on a website or app

Identity Theft

When someone steals your personal information to commit fraud such as applying for credit, filing taxes, or obtaining medical services