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