Online shopping should be simple and honest. Sadly, hidden fees often ruin the experience. E-commerce and food delivery apps employ these tricky tactics. Knowing how to outsmart them lets you save money.
Drip pricing is a common scam. First, the app shows a very attractive discounted price upfront, then the app hides the extra charges until you’re about to go to pay. These hidden fees can include shipping, packaging, or platform charges. The final price can then become very high.
Flipkart and Amazon are other examples of this payment behavior. In the product page, a low price may be displayed. Once you put it in the cart. When you check out you will find several charges that have been added to the price. At this time you will see delivery fees and GST, and the total price jumps to greatly deviate from what the first price was.
The same with delivery apps, like Swiggy and Zomato, many people view the low menu item prices and ultimately have a final bill that contains or has hidden charges for most of the costs. Delivery, packaging, and platform costs make a small menu order surprisingly expensive.
While E-commerce apps are more likely to add charges at the time of checkout. Food delivery apps are mostly likely to raise the final bill for an order. Both types of platform often take advantage of consumer frustration. Many consumers will pay the higher total bill even if they do feel frustrated and have spent so much time finding another item to order. This is taking advantage of consumer trust and time.
The Indian government cautions against drip pricing. It is an unfair practice. You have a right to have the total cost presented to you in advance. The Consumer Protection Act will cover these matters. You will be able to file a claim against the platform.
Contact the National Consumer Helpline at 1915. You have to advise the helpline as to the platform and the product. Describe what hidden charges you encountered. The helpline will assist you if you need help with the process. You can also use the website to file a complaint.
Always verify the total amount of your order before finalizing payment. Look carefully at the cart summary. There should be an itemized summary of the total. Compare the final costs on other platforms. And don’t rush your final payment.
Don’t allow hidden charges to fool you. Always read the payment page. Please let me know any platform that uses drip pricing. It helps all consumers to let us know about an issue, not just you. Smart shopping is the only way the price is fair for all.
Also Read: Top Hidden Features on iPhone That Can Save You Time
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