The ‘Dark Patterns’ of Deceptive Marketing

We shouldn’t blame consumers when companies’ drip-pricing schemes deceive them (“Hidden Fees Exist Because They Work,” U.S. News, June 17). Our market-based economy depends on sellers to make good-faith attempts to compete with one another in developing the best products and services to win over consumers. Businesses that use hidden fees and drip pricing win market share and harm competitors by advertising lower prices than they really charge and then hoping that consumers don’t notice.

This is often achieved through the use of “dark patterns” and other tools of deceptive marketing. Anyone who has ever rushed through the process of buying a concert ticket and knuckled under to ticketers’ exorbitant fees, thanks to a ticking time clock at the top of a screen, is familiar with the dark patterns. Instead of casting blame on consumers, we should support those who seek to prohibit such abuse in the first place.

Source: https://www.wsj.com/articles/dark-patterns-deceptive-marketing-hidden-fees-fc543404