Bait & Switch: Advocating for consumers
Why I’m Becoming an Advocate I’m about to enter the world of real estate, a place where people make the biggest purchases of their lives. And honestly, one of the biggest reasons I’m doing this is because I’m tired of seeing consumers get the short end of the stick. We’ve all been there: You see an amazing offer, you sign the papers, and then the painful reality of the fine print sets in. This is the "bait and switch"—a predatory tactic where a company lures you in with one attractive promise, only to switch the terms, the product, or the price once you’re committed. I recently realized my whole life has been a slow-burn training session in recognizing this consumer injustice. These are two times I fell for the switch, and what I learned about fighting back. Case Study 1: HP Printer Ink (A new kind of nightmare) I needed to buy ink for my HP printer. The price was astronomical, something over $100. Desperate, I stumbled upon HP's "Instant Ink" program. The BAI...
