Scam after scam hits us daily, and due to self-preservation, most people just continue accepting them. In a recent online post, the Internet community identifies which scams we can all agree are wrong, but people pretend otherwise.
1. The Subscription-based Economy
“This makes me so angry. Why does everything have to be a subscription now?” a weary modern human asks. “I mean, I know why, but I still hate it.” If you were to subscribe to every app or website you joined, life would become extremely expensive. Oh, wait — that already happens, doesn't it? “Instead of constantly advertising to keep you hooked and buying each month, they just have to hook you once into a long-term commitment,” explains an observer.
2. Ticketmaster
There is a monopoly, and there is a Ticketmaster monopoly. Effectively, the live event grandmasters own the live event market. What started as a college-based idea to help sell college tickets on campus, Ticketmaster now has an alleged 70% of the live events and ticketing market. “Got two seats priced at $90 each. My total was $313,” warns an erstwhile user. “I'm not good at math, but I knew something was wrong there — their fee per ticket is just nuts.”
3. Health Insurance
“Paying exorbitant amounts of money for health insurance and still having to pay boatloads of cash for any doctor/hospital visits,” adds the next thread leader. As an Englishman, I have never needed to worry about health insurance; however, I can understand the implications for those that do. “And then being denied coverage or charged extra because of some loophole or technicality,” laments a responder.
4. Multi-level Marketing
“My fiancé and I had to convince her brother last year not to join a pharmaceutical MLM,” reveals a soon-to-be-married contributor. “It would have been hilarious if we weren't trying to convince her brother not to spend his life savings on it.” Anyone who has seen On Becoming A God in Central Florida can understand how terrible these shams can be.
5. “Unlimited' Cell Phone Contracts
“Unlimited data!” jokes a contract owner, “until you use too much, they slow down your data so much that you can't even watch a 480p video without slowdown. But hey, unlimited, right?” Ah, yes, the unlimited data plan with an asterisk — just be sure not to be too unlimited with your data use.
6. Diamonds
One person suggests diamonds are a scam with inflated value and suggests a similar mineral with none of the baggage attached. “Moissanite is lab-grown, cost-effective, and is basically indistinguishable from diamonds,” claims another poster. “In fact, they can look even more brilliant.” At only one-tenth the cost of diamonds, and with no youth labor exploitation involved, maybe diamonds have finally met their match.
7. Corporate Empathy
“That large global companies actually care about you,” remarks the next thread leader. A litany of funny one-liners mimicking global corporations follows this comment. “In these unprecedented times,” starts the response, followed by, “Now more than ever, we stand with you.” As you read these remarks, you can almost hear the sympathetically smug, condescending tone in the voices.
8. Your Free Trial
“Free trial! Nice!” comments an observer, though you can feel a large “but” coming. “Enter your card details.” There you have it; the free trial that costs you the annoyance of fetching your debit card. “That's why I keep a Visa gift card with a few cents left on it,” adds a responder with a plan I may have to steal. “I'm out if they want card details on free trial unless I pretty much know I'm continuing with it afterward,” confirms another thread visitor.
9. Baby Products
“The prices of anything baby related: toys, food, clothes, etc.,” says a new mom. “Was in a store on Saturday to get a cot mattress and cover. I cried.” Having a new child is a life-affirming experience, though it comes with headaches. Choosing baby products is one thing; affording them is another. Thankfully, the new-parent community is strong throughout most countries, and solutions exist.
10. The Fashion Industry
An indignant contributor laments that many people can't see “the fashion industry is anything other than planned obsolescence, designed simply to get people to spend money for no reason.” I see fashionistas as easily-manipulated consumers, all vying to look like one another; others just see gullible try-hards. In any case, the fashion industry contributes heavily to global waste and sometimes uses exploitation.
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Source: Reddit.
