Businesses typically survive or don’t by the way that they treat and serve their customers. For some reason, there are a handful of industries in America where gouging consumers is by design. These shameless industries use tactics that rip off the American consumer without shame. Whether it is due to the poor circumstances that a consumer is in, emergency needs, or just lack of competition, businesses are allowed to take advantage without any complaining or the ability to boycott.
Funeral Services
Unfortunately, if your loved one passes, you have few choices about what to do with their remains. Arguably, the funeral business is not a pleasurable one and it takes a special type of business owner and operator. That doesn’t, however, mean that people who have just lost someone special should also lose their life savings. Funeral services enjoy little competition, and they also have people stuck with little options.
Airlines
Nearly every week, there is another national news story about something outrageous that happened to an airline customer. From standby fiasco to overbooking flights and then canceling at will, there isn’t much you can do if an airline treats you horribly. Being beholden to needing to get where you are going makes you much more willing to put up with poor practices and even poorer customer service.
“For-Profit” Universities, Schools, and Colleges
A higher education degree is supposed to come with some promise of opening doors for your advancement and career placement. Many students looking to get ahead attend for-profit schools that make large claims about job placement and networks. They also charge large tuition bills under the guise that you will make more upon completion. They rarely follow through. When they don't, there is no one to complain to.
MLMs
MLMs stand for multi-level marketing companies or pyramid schemes. They typically target those people who are looking to turn a quick buck. They require their members to pay for start-up products and kits. The real money, however, is in getting people to recruit more people to sign up. It's usually not in the actual sales of the products themselves.
Computer Repairs
When your computer stops working or gets a virus, you are usually held ransom for your data. Not many people have the specialty skills it takes to repair computers. Those who do usually work for companies like Geek Squad. A lot of news has centered around the practices of IT repair shops that take advantage of those who are least knowledgeable to pay the high cost of getting their data and information back.
Taxis
Taxis have been around for decades as a convenient way to get around town. They have traditionally been known for unscrupulous practices like driving the long way to run up the charges. With Uber and Lyft coming onto the rideshare scene, taxis have become way less popular.
Car Dealerships and Car Sales
Car salesmen have gotten a bad rapport for their sales tactics. The dealerships use tactics like promotional prices to get people in the door. Once there, the cost of the car can vary greatly from one customer. It is usually dependent upon how much a buyer knows about the cost of cars.
Diamonds
Diamonds are said to be a girl’s best friend. That's hard to believe, however, considering the unethical nature of how they are acquired and sold. Many diamond companies are known human rights offenders, yet their prices remain high due to the industry limiting competition and cost hikes.
Extended Warranties
Extended warranties have become the butt of many jokes in the US. Many companies' relentless badgering of their customer base is nearly laughable. They often use pushy tactics to persuade people to buy warranties for things that they are probably covered, whether they have the extended warranty or not. The warranties often cover only those things that are most likely not to break down during the warranty period, rendering them mostly useless.
Car Rental Companies
Car rental companies make it sound inexpensive to rent cars but once you break down the additional cost of things like mileage, filling up the tank upon return, and hidden and insurance fees, you end up paying twice what you originally thought.
Brand Name Prescriptions
Brand name prescriptions don’t cost more to make, but they certainly do to buy. Often pharmaceutical companies will hold the patent for a particular drug, which means that any other pharmaceutical company that wishes to make the same will have to alter it slightly. Generic usually is the same product, but they can’t charge the same.
Wedding Everything
It is supposed to be your special day, but the most special thing about it is usually the extravagant bill. From flowers to music, everything has a premium price tag. Because it is supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime event, people will often pay much more than they would for the same service if it were connected to a less momentous occasion.
College Textbooks
College students usually have the biggest sticker shock of the college experience when they purchase their textbooks. Higher education textbooks can cost upwards of several hundred to a thousand dollars just to use the books for a semester. After you are finished with them, however, you can sell them at a fraction of the cost, regardless of what condition they are in. Thankfully, other services to rent and borrow have become an option, but not for everyone at every institution.
The Diet and Supplement Industry
The weight loss industry continues to boom in the US, with many people hopelessly looking for a way to trim down. Many supplement and weight loss companies prey on the desperation of many who will try anything to lose weight. They often make false claims of effectiveness that can come at a disadvantage to those taking certain products. There is little regulation in the weight loss industry, so many incredulous practices appear to be commonplace.
Internet Providers
The internet is something that everyone needs to use their computers, televisions, and devices. It is also an industry that is riddled with companies that charge high prices or continue to raise their prices from month to month. The contracts usually come with hidden fees and costs that aren’t disclosed, and if a customer isn’t paying close attention, they can soon find themselves with a much higher bill than promised.
Health Insurance
Health is the one thing for which without, you can’t survive. The rising cost of healthcare in the US should be shameful, but instead, it is just common practice. Whether it is a medical test that is inflated by over 2000% unnecessarily or a hospital stay that can quickly drain your life savings, premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket expenses continue to soar, and no one seems to care or be doing much to stop it.
Cell Phone Use
It is hard to exist in today’s environment without a cell phone. Many providers not only charge outrageous rates, but they also have contracts that lock you into a specific payment for years at a time. Most also offer early upgrades to lock you in once again and then charge you if you want to change to a different carrier, making it nearly impossible to move along.
Mechanics
One of the most anxiety-provoking signs that any motorist can see is a red light on their dashboard. A red light immediately means that there is debt on the way. Because many automobile owners know very little about what a car needs and when, mechanics have a common practice of offering maintenance that might not necessarily be needed and charging a fortune for things that cost little.
Shameful Practices Come Without Shame
Companies in America usually make it due to the consumer experience and their reputation. For some reason, several industries have shameful practices, and some, borderline illegal. At best, they take advantage of their customer base due to circumstances or low competition and are accepted for what they are.
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