Recently, Reddit user u/morph_920 asked the good people of r/ask, "What scam is so normalized that people don't even realize it's a scam?". We thought we'd share some of our favourite responses:
1. "I have to pay a 3% convenience fee to pay my rent online… I literally have to pay to pay my rent, it’s disgraceful."
2. "Buying schoolbooks. Publishers know you have literally no choice but to buy it and jack up the price in many cases."
"I’ve had classes where you had to pay $150 for a book we didn’t even use once during the class, but you literally couldn’t do any of the online evaluations unless you bought it. It’s just a way for some company to make an easy 500-600 dollars or more off the back of students."
3. "Healthcare not including dental and vision."
"Teeth are luxury bones that only the rich should afford."
4. "The fact that I have to pay to see... who put my life on hard mode?"
5. "Charging subscription fees to access software on hardware you already own."
"Our customers pay for our over priced goods, but they appear to still have money. How can we make them buy the product every month without us having to pay to make or ship any new materials!?"
6. "Ink cartridges."
7. "Insurance. You give them money month after month, year after year, and then when it comes time when you need to use it they will try their absolute hardest to give you as little as possible."
8. "Inflation since COVID."
"Wish I could upvote more. Historically with inflation about 60% is worker costs, this time it's close to 54%* due to profit increases and only 10-15% going to workers. Complete price gouging scam."
*corrected from original comment, and accurate as of 2022 per the Economic Policy Institute.
9. "Multi-level marketing."
10. "Overdraft fees. Tax on being broke."
"Ah yes, you seem to have no money. Would be a shame if someone…charged you more money!"
11. "The entire US healthcare system."
12. "Paying the same price for digital games as physical. Digital should be muuuuuch cheaper."
13. "Property tax. I didn't know I had to rent my house after I paid for it."
15. "Paying this much for decent basic feminine hygiene products (at least where I live). The good ones here that work for me come in a maximum of 16 in a pack. My bad I was born a woman, I guess."
16. "Women’s haircuts costing twice a mans price (even if it’s exactly the same cut)."
17. "Subscription culture. It relies on you forgetting you have the sub to make money and it’s everywhere, from programs you own on your PC to heated seats in cars to coffee."
18. "Diamonds. Strictly controlled market to keep the price up. It's complete bullshit."
19. "Things being $19.99 instead of $20."
Shout out to u/morph_920 and r/ask for having their discussion!
Can you think of any other examples? Let us know in the comments below!
Thumbnail credits: BBC / Fox / PBS / Getty Images / E! / TV Peru / Nickelodeon