Bait and Switch
A user sets out to do one thing, but a different, undesirable thing happens instead. This can be seen in software installation processes where additional unwanted software is included unless users opt out.
Example: A website advertises a free antivirus scan, but during the installation, it also installs an unwanted toolbar unless you manually deselect it.
Confirmshaming
This involves guilt-tripping the user into opting into something. An example is when a website asks you to sign up for their newsletter and phrases the ‘no’ option as, “No thanks, I don’t like saving money.
Example:A pop-up on a website says, “Subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed!” with the options “Yes, keep me informed!” and “No, I prefer to stay ignorant.”
Disguised Ads
Advertisements that are camouflaged as other kinds of content or navigation, in order to get users to click on them. These are often seen in mobile apps where ads are styled like navigation buttons.
Example: An online game places an advertisement that looks like one of its menu buttons, leading players to accidentally click on the ad.
Forced Continuity
When a free trial ends, and your credit card starts getting charged without a prominent warning. This is common in subscription services where the service requires a credit card to sign up for a free trial.
Example: Signing up for a streaming service’s free trial with your credit card details, only to find that the service automatically starts charging you monthly once the trial period ends without clear notification.
Friend Spam
The product asks for your email or social media permissions under the pretense of being useful but then spams all your contacts in a misleading manner. A classic example was LinkedIn’s “Add your contacts” feature that led to outreach emails that appeared to be directly from the user.
Example:An app asks for access to your contacts for “better connectivity” but then sends promotional emails to all your contacts without clear consent.
Hidden Costs
Prices are not fully disclosed upfront but are revealed through the process of completing a purchase. Commonly found in online booking sites where additional charges like taxes, fees, or shipping costs are added only at the payment step.
Example:Booking a hotel online at a stated price, but during the final payment step, additional charges for taxes, service fees, and cleaning fees are added.
Misdirection
Example:During checkout on an e-commerce site, the “Continue” button is big and brightly colored, while the option to opt-out of a newsletter subscription is small and in plain text, easily overlooked.
Price Comparison Prevention
Retailers make it difficult to compare the price of an item with another item, so you cannot choose the cheaper of the two. Electronics stores might use this by confusingly presenting product specifications or bundles.
Example:An electronics store lists a camera with accessories as a bundle making it hard to compare the price of just the camera with other stores.
Privacy Zuckering
Named after Mark Zuckerberg, this happens when you are tricked into sharing more information about yourself than you really intended to. Social media platforms often employ this by continuously nudging you to share your location, contacts, etc.
Example: A social media site’s default settings allow it to share your data with third-party advertisers, and changing these settings involves navigating through multiple confusing menus.
Roach Motel
You get into a situation very easily, but then you find it is hard to get out of it (like deleting your account). Web services that require you to call customer service to cancel your subscription are a good example.
Example: A streaming website makes signing up easy with just a few clicks online, but requires you to call customer service during specific hours to cancel your subscription.
Sneak into Basket
You attempt to purchase something, but somewhere in the process, the site sneaks an additional item into your cart. Often observed in e-commerce during the checkout process.
Example: Adding a laptop to your online shopping cart, and the site automatically adds an antivirus software subscription to your cart at checkout.
Trick Questions
Questions that are phrased in a way that misleads you into answering a certain way. Surveys and installation wizards might use confusing wording to push users into selecting options they might not fully understand.
Example: During setup, a software installer asks, “Do you not want to avoid installing additional software?” where a double negative confuses users into installing unwanted software.
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