Bait-and-Switch
Updated 2026-08-08
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
Bait-and-switch is a deceptive sales practice in which a seller advertises a highly attractive low-priced product to draw customers in, then claims the item is sold out or flawed and pushes a more expensive substitute instead. It exploits the commitment and sunk cost of customers who have already made the trip, since refusing the substitute means accepting that the visit was wasted. Though often illegal in retail, the same pattern of replacing favorable terms once the other side has invested recurs widely in hiring, dating, and negotiation.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Bait check: When a deal looks too good, ask what the seller gains before you invest a trip. - Swap detection: The moment the advertised conditions are replaced, treat the original offer as dead. - Sunk-cost exit: Once the terms change, walk away rather than paying for the visit with a worse deal.
Anchor fast decisions
The bait makes the customer pay a real sunk cost: time, travel, and expectation. When the seller then claims the bait is gone, refusing the substitute means writing off that cost, which feels worse than overpaying. The customer therefore accepts the swap to keep the earlier investment from feeling wasted, and the seller converts the visit into a higher-margin sale.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bait-and-switchverified
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