Bait and switch is becoming very common these days and it happens a lot more on Black Friday.
If you plan on shopping online, you need to be aware of this type of unethical marketing that will have you in a limbo that will result in that retailer making more money.
Being subscribed to all kinds of stores on and offline, I can not keep up with all the Black Friday offers.
The only things that catch my eye are those ridiculously low priced items and although this is great for your wallet, they can be a bait and switch strategy that is being used by a bunch of online stores.
To most people, it might seem normal or just irritating but it is a tactic that I am not a fan of.
How the Scheme Works
It all starts with “the bait”.
Just like any Black Friday deal, they will get you to click on an offer that you most likely will not be able to resist.
This will eventually lead you to checking out and also where “the switch” takes place.
What once was $20, is now showing that the item is back to regular price.
You will not be able to get that deal and some shoppers will miss the switch, while others will be led to all kinds of redirects that will not bring that deal back up.
In some cases, shoppers will just say “forget it” and eventually just buy that item at regular price but please don’t be one of them.
That is what they want you to do, so don’t contribute to their shady marketing.
This can also be done in an actual store, so be weary of them too.
Get you in the door and then try to up-sell you on all kinds of craziness that you probably could not afford anyways.
How to Avoid This Scam
You have to remember that there is going to be all kinds of crazy sales going on but that does not mean that everything is legit.
I recommend shopping at the big names in online and offline retail (Amazon, Macys, Walmart etc.) as they are obviously ones that you can trust.
Even if some weird named online outlets can be legit, you can always find that same deal with other big named stores.
If you created an account via your email address, you can expect some email marketing to come your way.
“Your item is still available”
“Ready to checkout”
Your email address is a very powerful marketing tool that can work against you if you’re not careful.
With them having access to your email, they will be able to market to you over and over again in hopes that you will give into one of their offers.
This is very common with shopping and is a lot more common with make money from home type of opportunities.
Make Money Online Scams
We all want to save money and whatnot but not everything is going to be a good deal.
On top of the not so awesome deal, you can expect them to try and pull as much money out of your bank account as they can.
If you are looking for a way to make money online, there is way more than enough scams to get you broke, all while promising to make you money.
With the holiday season in full effect, you can bet that they will use that against you.
I mean, who doesn’t need more money for Christmas?
And with things like “make $1,000 before Christmas” being thrown around the web, you can bet that a lot of people will give into such nonsense.
The only way you are going to make money for the holidays is if you win it or you get a loan but not through some program that promises anything.
Not to say that you can’t make money online but it will require work and time just like with any business.
Conclusion
Be patient.
As much as you want that item that you thought was going to be on sale, don’t buy it if you don’t get that deal.
Move on to the next or you will be doing nothing more than contributing to these scammers.
Until next time, have a Happy Thanksgiving and don’t forget that you can always invest in yourself this Black Friday, instead of dealing with the craziness that comes with the biggest shopping day of the year.
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