![]() This type of practice is illegal in many states and may lead to class-action lawsuits if enough customers were harmed and there is proof of damage (“legal definition”). In short, a seller that is guilty of pulling a(n illegal) “bait and switch” does not intend to sell customers the item or service shown in advertisements but would rather push customers toward a high-priced commodity. Fail to meet the anticipated demand for the desired product without disclosing the product, limited availability in advertisements.Show customers a broken or defective product.Refuse to deliver the advertised product or service in a reasonable time period (offer a rain check).Refuse to take orders for the advertised product or service.Use compensation policies that discourage salespersons from selling the advertised commodity or punish those salespeople for selling the commodity.Disparage the advertised commodity or its warranty, credit terms, availability, repairs, or parts.According to the FTC, a seller is guilty of pulling a(n illegal) bait and switch when they do the following: In an article that originally appeared on the Consumerist, Meg Marco explained what the concept of “bait and switch” was, in terms established by the Federal Trade Commission. The word “switcheroo,” which is an extended form of switch, was recorded circa 1933. ![]() However, a few other sources trace the saying to the 1920s.Īccording to Douglas Harper at the Online Etymology Dictionary, the first recorded use of the word “switch” to mean “a change from one to another, a reversal, an exchange, a substitution” was in 1920, although the verb forms meaning “to shift, divert” or “to change one thing for another” were recorded in 18, respectively. When Did the Phrase ‘Bait and Switch’ Originate?Īccording the Merriam-Webster, the use of bait in switch to refer to deceptive mercantile practices began in 1962. No matter the context, when someone does a bait and switch, they are guilty of false advertising. The Bait and Switch is a type of fraud that it can be applied in other contexts, as well. This practice is called switch-selling in Great Britain (“Idioms”). Part of this practice involves salespersons trying to persuade the customers to purchase higher-priced items (“legal definition”). Usually, when someone talks about a bait and switch, they are referring is a deceptive practice in sales in which a company attracts customers to a store by advertising low-priced items then failing to have enough of the item. The term “bait and switch” describes a situation where people are deceived into believing that they are buying or one thing or getting a certain outcome but end up getting something else entirely. You know what this phrase means, but have you thought about how easy it is to apply to various non-shopping situations? Anyway, chances are you have encountered a bait and switch situation yourself while shopping. Since Christmas shopping is in full swing, why not look at a common phrase that has to do with shopping? Honestly, when I picked this saying, I wasn’t really thinking about the holiday shopping season, but it somehow worked out. Many people run into a bait and switch situation when it comes to dealing with hotel rates. ![]() However, after I checked in, I was paying double that rate and hit with numerous other fees. When I made my reservation at the hotel, I was told that I could take advantage of a rate of $71 dollars a night.
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