What’s a modern-day scam that’s become normalized, and we don’t realize it’s a scam anymore?
We’ll go first—Multi-level-media marketing (MLMs). Also known as pyramid schemes, which have several layers of people selling a product or service to their network. In this list, we have ten other modern-day scams that continue to be normalized, as per a poll of social media users.
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1. Canceling Subscriptions Online
According to many users, the number one normalized scam today is not being able to cancel subscriptions online. So you’re forced to call in and talk to service agents whose job is to follow a script to keep you subscribed or find random cancellation charges to demotivate you from canceling.
2. Service Fees for Online Movie Ticket Purchases
Buying a ticket to the cinema is one thing, but paying an additional fee for access if you buy it online is just greedy. Several agreed with the principle that even if the convenience fee is less than two dollars, it’s a scam to collect additional fees.
I agree. I am buying the product online, which should mean that the movie theater has to hire fewer employees. I save them money and yet have to pay more?
3. Hidden Hotel Fees
Someone shared their thoughts about the notorious hidden hotel fees, explaining how hotels cunningly try to take every penny.
We may be numb to the exorbitant minibar and room service charges, but what about parking fees, resort fees, extra person charges, wifi fees, safe rental fees, and even coffee machine usage fees at some hotels? These are all in addition to the nightly charge we see online.
4. Subscriptions For Everything
People expressed that paying small monthly subscriptions for several apps that each do a very specific thing is frustrating. In the past, you paid for cable TV and got the channels you wanted. Now you pay for Netflix, HBO, Disney, Apple TV, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and more keep popping up. It’s the same for music, podcasts, and reading.
5. Prices Go Up Before a Massive Discount
One of the oldest scams in the book, confirmed by others, is making people believe that they bought something for a fair price after discounting from a price that was never the selling price. This is even classified as a scam and is against the law in countries like Germany and the U.K.
Researchers have called it ‘Fictitious Pricing,’ and stores do it more often than you realize.
6. Admin Charges for Services That Are Entirely Automated
According to many, paying fees for automated services is unnecessary and a total scam. For example, admin fees for toll roads, paying a ticket, or renewing vehicle registration online. There are no humans involved, but there’s an admin charge. Make that make sense.
7. U.S. Ambulances
Many Americans noted that the healthcare system could be described as a scam, especially when needing an ambulance. Considering that the average ambulance cost in America is $1200, it’s unsurprising that many people opt to drive themselves.
8. Tipping
People should pay more attention to the fact that tipping is just a scam to keep employee wages low. Employees shouldn’t have to depend solely on tips to make a decent living. The system is a scam, and it’s getting worse, with tipping becoming ubiquitous at places where service levels or the nature of the transaction doesn’t warrant one. Just look at fast food windows, movie ticket desks, and pharmacies asking for 20% tips.
9. Printer Cartridges
A sore spot for many users is the insane cost of printer ink. Companies get you by selling the printers for cheap, but the recurring cost of ink can add up to 10x the cost of the printer.
Many also thought that the low ink warning on their printers was a scam. A user told a story of how they used a ‘low’ cartridge for almost a year before it had to be replaced.
10. Unpaid Internships
Finally, many agreed that companies scam people with unpaid or badly-paid internships. Preying on people’s need for professional experience and then overworking them with “grunt work” is a scam.
11. Insurance
One of the biggest pain points was discussed to be the insurance industry. Many users talked about how the premiums keep increasing each year for their home, health, car, and life insurance. But when it comes time to claim, insurance companies make customers jump through hoops or raise the premiums for filing a claim.
A user also related his frustration with ‘coverage maximums’ for dental and health insurance and how long the wait is to get coverage approved after accidents. One person agreed, saying his collarbone broke and healed improperly because the insurance company wanted an MRI that couldn’t be scheduled for another 3 months.
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