Dark patterns and what you need to know

With ongoing cost of living pressures, we’re all looking for ways to save money, and the last thing we need are tricks to get us to spend even more money or give away our data.

Dark patterns are tactics some businesses use to nudge, manipulate or trick you into spending more money than planned or providing personal data that’s not needed.

These include:

  • hidden costs: Have you ever tried to buy something online, only to discover unexpected items in your cart? Hidden costs are extra costs you only find out about towards the end of your purchase, or which are made less obvious. Some hidden costs are even sneakier, such as a pre-selected free trial period for a service that renews automatically if you don’t cancel before it ends—charging your card for an ongoing membership
  • scarcity cues: Scarcity cues are designed to create FOMO or a sense of urgency, which pushes you to make hasty decisions about buying. When you’re rushed you won’t take the time needed to compare prices or shop around and can end up spending more than you planned or buying things you don’t need. Examples are countdown timers for shopping carts or notifications about discount prices and low stock (e.g. ‘Only 4 left’)
  • forced continuity: Have you ever been tempted to sign up for a free trial or subscription? Forced continuity refers to subscriptions that are easy to sign up to, but harder to get out of. You may only have to provide basic details to subscribe for a product or service, but you may need to go through multiple steps online or even phone the company to cancel the subscription.

What can you do?

Shopping online can be cheaper and more convenient for you. However, make sure you understand your rights before you click ‘pay now’.

Follow our tips to ignore the tactics, save money and avoid post-purchase regret:

  • don’t be rushed to buy
  • shop around by looking at other suppliers or options
  • do your research to be sure the website is reputable and safe to use
  • understand the trader’s refund policy
  • read the fine print, including the terms and conditions, before you click ‘pay’
  • budget and spend sensibly
  • ask family and friends for supplier recommendations and do a quick search for reviews
  • know when you’re entitled to a refund, repair or replacement
  • look after receipts and keep your proof of purchase in case something goes wrong.

Finally, while it may be tempting to sign up to a newsletter to get a discount, make sure you’re not sharing more personal information than you want to.

Find more information on dark patterns.

Visit how to shop smart for more information on your rights as a consumer.