Scams That Are So Normalized You Don’t Even Notice Them

Why: Printers are often sold at a loss, so companies need to make a profit from cartridges to compensate
How to avoid: Price compare, buy off-brand 

If you have a printer at home, then you’ve probably noticed that ink cartridges are ridiculously expensive, often costing between $40 and $60 per refill. Not to mention, these cartridges don’t seem like they last all that long. It’s frustrating, inconvenient, and can seem like a total scam.

Ink Cartridges @cigdem / Shutterstock.com

The reason that ink cartridges are so expensive is that companies like HP need to make a profit. Printers are often sold at a loss, so cartridges are how these companies make that money back. Make sure to price-compare when shopping for ink cartridges, and consider buying off-brand to save money. The off-brand ink will still work, and your wallet will take less of a hit for it. 

Why: High fees that have no limit and can be raised each year, making the timeshare unaffordable
How to avoid: Do your research to make sure the developer or brand is reputable

Timeshares often seem like a great deal. After all, you divide your costs and still get to spend time on vacation at the place. According to ARDA (the American Resort Development Association), timeshares cost an average of $19,000. In addition to the purchase price, these properties often have large fees.

Timeshares ©Michael G Smith / Shutterstock.com

Some fees, such as those for maintenance, can be raised every year with no limit, so the timeshare can become unaffordable really quickly. There are tons of horror stories and testimonies on YouTube from former timeshare owners who got scammed. If you really want to buy a timeshare, make sure that the development or brand that you’re working with is reputable. Do your research to avoid getting scammed by secret, unlimited fees. 

Why: Social media influencers promote these products that aren’t as amazing as they’re made out to be
How to avoid: Just buy a regular, cheaper multivitamin for the same effect 

Celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Vanessa Hudgens, and Emily Ratajkowski use SugarBearHair, a gummy vitamin that promises to help grow your hair longer and prevent breakage. SugarBearHair is the latest product hawked by social media influencers, and, while it might work for some people, we say that you should throw caution to the winds.

SugarBearHair and similar products @SugarBearHair / Pinterest.com

According to doctors interviewed by Yahoo! News, you could get the same nutrients from a multivitamin. There isn’t much data to “supplement” the high dose of SugarBearHair’s specific ingredients, just for hair. You can get the same effect by taking a (cheaper) multivitamin every day. Though these Instagram gummies are Tiffany-blue and celebrity-promoted, they aren’t any more earth-shattering than a regular old vitamin.  

Why: These fees work in the material cost of the product or service being purchased, often at a ridiculously high rate
How to avoid: Be wary of where you buy 

Service fees are those collected to pay for services that go along with purchasing a product. These fees include the material cost, whether direct or service, of the product being purchased. The additional charge varies, depending on what you’re buying and how much it is.

Service fees ©baranq / Shutterstock.com

We’ve seen these fees with companies like Uber Eats and Airbnb. It seems like, no matter how much social media complains about the high prices of these services, the excess fees aren’t going anywhere. If you want to avoid them, be wary of where you buy. Learn how much the service fee is beforehand and determine whether what you’re buying is worth that extra charge.  

Why: It’s not always the best day to shop for deals, companies use the hype to lure people in
How to avoid: Don’t shop on Black Friday; wait for Cyber Monday instead 

If you’ve ever watched the news the day before Thanksgiving, you’ve probably seen headlines about Black Friday. Retailers and merchants offer Black Friday deals and coupons to customers to lure them in the door, and there are often some crazy consequences, including stampedes and fights.

Black Friday @TJM_Media / Pinterest.com

Getting trampled to death over a Keurig coffeemaker at Walmart isn’t worth it. Also, companies offer deals all the time, so you shouldn’t feel obligated to shop on Black Friday, as there’s a chance that you could score coupons on other days of the year. If you’re going to shop, shop online on Cyber Monday, a few days after Black Friday. It’ll be safer than going to stores.  

Why: It’s a waste of resources, too expensive, and isn’t always toxin-free or better-tasting than tap water
How to avoid: Don’t buy and recycle the bottle if you have to buy one 

When you think about it, bottled water is a total scam. Water is everywhere, yet we’re paying for it to be in bottles. Sure, the bottles are convenient, but they’re also a total waste of resources. Only one-fifth of plastic water bottles used in America are actually recycled. You also spend way more money buying it than you would drinking from the tap.

Bottled water @emr1940 / Pinterest.com

Bottled water has a reputation for being more distilled and purified, but, according to Marketplace.org, that’s not always the case. For example, Aquafina is infamous for having a weird taste, due to its high pH value (6). The best way to avoid this scam is to not buy bottled water—just turn on the tap. And, if you have to buy a bottle, make sure you recycle it when you’re done.    

Why: High interest rates prey on desperate people, there’s often other scams associated with the loans
How to avoid: Go to a reputable bank for a loan, consider if what you want to buy is really worth it, ask about payment plans 

Payday loans have always been considered shady, at best. Though people might not call the loans an outright scam, there are a lot of dangers associated with these so-called saving-grace loans. For example, there are often high interest rates associated with the loan. People are desperate, so they agree to pay them without thinking of the true cost over time.

Payday loans ©garagestock / Shutterstock.com

Also, disreputable people are sometimes involved. According to LifeLock, these loans are a target for thieves who take your money and details, promise to wire you the cash through Western Union or other means, and then scarper off. To be safe, get a loan from a regular bank. Also, question whether what you want to buy is worth a payday loan. If possible, see if the purchase has a payment plan option that can allow you to sidestep having to get a loan.    

Why: Companies make revenue from hiring distributors to recruit distributors, but everyone loses money except the people at the top
How to avoid: Don’t get involved, either as a buyer or seller 

Also known as pyramid selling, multi-level marketing is a controversial way that companies make money. The revenue from the MLM is derived from distributors recruiting other distributors. Often, with MLMs, the product isn’t great, and people who sign up as distributors end up making little to no money.

Multilevel marketing ©Jirsak / Shutterstock.com

Companies like Primerica, Cutco, HerbaLife, Avon, Mary Kay, Infinitus, and more are all some of the best-known MLM businesses out there. The best way to avoid this scam is to not get involved as a distributor at all. Stay far away, no matter how tantalizing the money promised seems. It’s not worth it, and you’re more likely to lose money than make it.    

Why: There’s a ton of ice in an underfilled drink, which seems like a ripoff
How to avoid: Ask for half the ice in drinks 

This scam made headlines in 2016, when people realized that there’s a lot of ice in drinks that you order from major chains like Starbucks and McDonald’s. It’s true that there is a lot of ice in these drinks (and comparatively little liquid for the price you’re paying). You can’t sue the companies, though people have tried, so what do you do?

Cups filled with ice ©Alena Haurylik / Shutterstock.com

The best way to avoid getting a drink with too much ice and too little liquid is to specifically ask for less ice. At McDonald’s and other fast food chains, if you’re ordering something that you don’t fill up yourself, ask for half the ice. The workers will usually say yes, and you’ll get a drink that isn’t underfilled.    

Why: Risk factors, including driving and credit history, as well as how many claims the company paid out in previous years
How to avoid: Price compare and shop around to find a fair rate 

If you’ve ever tried to get a car under the age of twenty-five, you’ve probably noticed that your insurance rates are crazy high. Insurance is mandatory, so there’s not much you can do to avoid buying it in the first place. In addition to evaluating your risk factors, including your driving and credit history, companies also base high insurance on how many claims they paid out in the previous year.

Insurance ©Andrei Shumskiy / Shutterstock.com

If you want to avoid high prices, do a price comparison. Major companies like Allstate might not always have the best deal. Thoroughly price-compare to get the fairest rate. You can’t avoid buying insurance, but you can be smart about how you buy it.

Why: You’re doing legitimate work for no pay
How to avoid: Don’t sign up for one 

If you’ve ever been in college, chances are you or someone you know has done an unpaid student internship. That line alone sounds like the beginning of a personal injury commercial, and there’s a reason for that. Unpaid internships are a scam. You do work for no pay; what kind of business is that?

Unpaid student interns ©Robert Kneschke / Shutterstock.com

Often, unpaid internships target students who want college credit. Though the credit is certainly beneficial, the internship is likely to grow old after a while, when you realize you’re doing work for no pay. Sure, jobs market these listings as great for “getting experience,” but really, it’s just a way to get free labor.

Why: Increase in federal aid, more faculty and student services, lack of state funding
How to avoid: Choose a trade school, don’t go to college 

College education is more expensive than ever nowadays, and the cost of tuition can reach as high as $40,000 a year. College forces students to take out loans to pay, as most attendees can’t afford to pay that high a cost out of pocket. Student loan debt has reached into the trillions.

College tuition ©Andrey_Popov / Shutterstock.com

So, why is tuition so expensive? There has been an increase in financial aid from the federal government, combined with a lack of funding from the state. Increased student services and more faculty are also to blame for the rising cost in college tuition. Short of not going to college and choosing a trade school, there’s not much you can do to avoid this scam for now. There has been talk of canceling student debt, but we will have to see.

Why: Funeral homes know people make rash decisions in grief, so they charge more
How to avoid: Shop around on price or opt for cremation 

When you’re planning your funeral (sounds dark, we know), pre-plan it, but don’t pre-pay it. Prepaid funeral scams are so common, and they prey on people who are just trying to take the financial burden off their family members when they die.

The funeral industry ©Syda Productions / Shutterstock.com

There’s another school of thought that points out that the entire funeral industry is a bit of a scam. Funerals can cost thousands of dollars, which leads many people to opt for cremation for their loved ones. The median cost of a funeral, including burial and viewing, is $7,360. Funeral homes know they can get away with these prices because people make hasty decisions when they’re grief-stricken and their family member’s dead body is in the morgue. To avoid this scam, shop around on price. Or, just choose cremation.

Why: Cable companies pass costs onto consumers
How to avoid: Compare prices, choose alternatives to cable 

According to US News, 82% of American households have a cable and/or Internet bill every month. The bill for cable averages $116 a month. Cable can be expensive, costing even more than your phone bill. This is because broadcasting and sports industries have been charging cable companies more and more money to provide their channels.

Cable TV ©Wassenbergh / Shutterstock.com

So, the cable companies turn around and shove that cost onto consumers. In addition to shopping around to compare prices, you can also consider alternatives to cable, such as Sling TV, FuboTV, DirecTV Stream, and Hulu with Live TV, all of which were called the “best cable alternatives of 2021” by Tom’s Guide.