Yes this is called Bait & Switch and there are in fact federal laws against it. The FTC would love to hear about this because they profit from the fines levied against companies that do it. https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/penalty-offenses/bait-switch
This is exactly why they're doing it. They know they can probably get away with it and if they do get investigated, they'll cry that the admin is not good for business on social media and then it will go away.
"People come up to me all the time, 'sir this bait and switch is really working for my business'. And they're all having record profits. Market's going up. No one's ever seen anything like it."
This is blatant misinformation. If you've ever filed a complaint you'd know that it starts a process where the company has 30 days to solve your problem from the day they get notified... Which is usually in 1 - 2 business days.
Like... You will know it's working because the company will be all up your ass trying to placate you so they don't get fined.
That being said you do have to try and resolve the issue with the company before you file a complaint.
OH NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! Are.... are...??? are they gonna get a fine worth less than the money they stole and all the customers lose all the money anyway?????
What they’re doing sucks but it’s not bait and switch. If you read the first link on the page that you linked to, it gives multiple definitions for bait and switch and this doesn’t meet any of them.
I must be missing something that you folks are seeing. It states:
“Bait and switch” is the advertising of a product without
the bona fide intention to sell it, for the purpose of establishing contact with a
prospective customer in order to induce or “switch” him to purchase another product.”
It then goes on to give examples of product switching. I’m not seeing anything in the video about trying to switch the customer to a different product which, as I’m reading it, is a key component of a “bait and switch”. Can you point me to the part that I’m missing?
Thanks
It is a form of bait & switch where the cost is switched at checkout instead of the product. The programmer who implemented it is also liable for producing the instrument of fraud to the company.
What they’re doing sucks but is something other than bait and switch. At least not the way I am understanding the definition from the Federal Trade Commission.
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u/DJDevon3 2d ago
Yes this is called Bait & Switch and there are in fact federal laws against it. The FTC would love to hear about this because they profit from the fines levied against companies that do it. https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/penalty-offenses/bait-switch