News & Trending Shopping & Deals News

9 Types of Companies That Have Terrible Reputations for Ripping Off People

Watch out for these less-than-honorable behaviors that can cost you money.

asian woman unsatisfied with an online shopping application
Updated Sept. 24, 2024
Fact checked

We receive compensation from the products and services mentioned in this story, but the opinions are the author's own. Compensation may impact where offers appear. We have not included all available products or offers. Learn more about how we make money and our editorial policies.

Most of us love shopping of some kind, whether it’s for clothes or camping equipment. But there are other things that almost nobody looks forward to shopping for.

It’s not so much the products themselves, but instead the customer service and company tactics behind the items. Shopping for these things makes it tough to lower your financial stress.

Instead of putting the customer first and offering honest pricing and services, the following types of businesses are known for having more than a few bad apples that either use misleading marketing or rip off customers outright.

If you’re over 50, take advantage of massive discounts and financial resources

Over 50? Join AARP today — because if you’re not a member you could be missing out on huge perks. When you start your membership today, you can get discounts on things like travel, meal deliveries, eyeglasses, prescriptions that aren’t covered by insurance and more.

How to become a member today:

  • Go here, select your free gift, and click “Join Today”
  • Create your account (important!) by answering a few simple questions
  • Start enjoying your discounts and perks!

Important: Start your membership by creating an account here and filling in all of the information (Do not skip this step!) Doing so will allow you to take up 25% off your AARP membership, making it just $12 per year with auto-renewal.

Become an AARP member now

Quick-lube places

LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS/Adobe mechanic pouring motor oil at car engine

Whether they’re promising 10-minute, 20-minute, or even five-minute oil changes, it’s hard to ignore the big flashing bright lights of quick-lube shops.

Unfortunately, these shops are able to charge their low base fees because they rely on a lot of upselling, offering drivers services that they don’t really need.

Quick-lube businesses also often suggest you come back for oil changes more frequently than your manufacturer recommends.

They’re operating on the assumption that most drivers don’t know much about the maintenance of their cars. Your best way to avoid being scammed is to educate yourself.

Car dealerships

scharfsinn86/Adobe cars in a row

Car salespeople are often portrayed in the media as sneaky and conniving. While this certainly isn’t the case for every dealership, it’s common enough that you should be aware of which red flags to look for.

For example, some shady car dealerships rip off customers by “washing” a vehicle’s title to hide damage from the prospective buyer.

Or a dealership may use something called the “four square method,” where the price of the car, down payment, trade-in value, and monthly payment are all quietly combined into one transaction. This conceals the fact that you’re overpaying.

Pro tip: One method to spend less on your car is to explore ways to save money on car insurance.

Internet service providers

chinnarach/Adobe young man typing on keyboard

Reliable internet service is a necessary part of life for many of us, so it’s a shame that there are less-than-ethical behaviors we have to dodge when buying this essential service.

The most common way that internet service providers deceive people is by charging customers for an internet speed the subscriber will never reach.

Most users won’t notice that their internet is actually a lot slower than what they’re paying for. Customer service can also be notoriously bad.

Resolve $10,000 or more of your debt

Credit card debt is suffocating. It constantly weighs on your mind and controls every choice you make. You can end up emotionally and even physically drained from it. And even though you make regular payments, it feels like you can never make any progress because of the interest.

National Debt Relief could help you resolve your credit card debt with an affordable plan that works for you. Just tell them your situation, then find out your debt relief options.1

How to get National Debt Relief to help you resolve your debt: Sign up for a free debt assessment here. (Do not skip this step!) By signing up for a free assessment, National Debt Relief can assist you in settling your debt, but only if you schedule the assessment.

Try it

Funeral homes

bakhurmikele/Adobe funeral home with new modern like retro Chesterfield

The sad reality is that bad behavior on the part of funeral homes does occur.

Such behaviors include upselling customers on caskets, often by suggesting that a cheaper coffin will lead to faster deterioration of the body of the deceased. Or they may not tell you about cheaper caskets unless you specifically ask.

Some funeral homes will also push embalming, which is actually not required in many cases.

Cable companies

Nopphon/Adobe holding television remote control

More people than ever are cutting the cord with cable companies in favor of streaming services. Not only is streaming often cheaper, but it also saves us from many of the common schemes that seem to befall cable providers.

With a monopoly on the market, many cable companies are all too happy to hide fees within our monthly charges and increase prices without offering any new perks in exchange.

Sure, new customers can usually get a discounted price, but loyal customers often get price hikes unless you threaten to cancel or actually cancel.

Credit card companies

Kawee/Adobe customer using credit card for payment

One common way that credit card companies anger their customers is by hiking interest rates or decreasing credit limits overnight.

Also, be aware that store credit cards are especially notorious for charging high rates to cardholders.

Health insurers

oatawa/Adobe hand arranging wood cube stacking with healthcare medical icon

In the U.S., the health insurance industry is worth a mind-boggling $1 trillion-plus. Unfortunately, health insurers are notorious for charging high premiums and big deductibles.

And with so much money at stake, this industry often attracts scammers who prey on people when they are at their most vulnerable.

Airlines

heychli/Adobe  airline fleet parked at the taxiway of airport

Who doesn’t have a gripe with at least one airline company? As if squeezing yourself into a seat that seems to dwindle in size every year wasn’t enough, there are many other ways that airlines take advantage of customers.

Some of the most common ways to get extra money out of customers include:

  • Offering them high-priced travel insurance
  • Requiring them to pay for everything from carry-on luggage to snacks
  • Making it difficult to claim travel rewards

Wireless phone providers

chinnarach/Adobe hand uses smartphone to contact provider

Many wireless phone providers can be rather sneaky in how they give customers less than full value.

Whether it’s secretly throttling your data, selling you useless device protection plans, or hiding ridiculous terms deep inside your contract, many cell phone providers do not appear to be looking out for your best interests.

Earn cash back on everyday purchases with this rare account

Want to earn cash back on your everyday purchases without using a credit card? With the Discover®️ Cashback Debit Checking account (member FDIC), you can earn 1% cash back on up to $3,000 in debit card purchases each month!2

With no credit check to apply and no monthly fees to worry about, you can earn nearly passive income on purchases you’re making anyway — up to an extra $360 a year!

This rare checking account has other great perks too, like access to your paycheck up to 2 days early with Early Pay, no minimum deposit or monthly balance requirements, over 60K fee-free ATMs, and the ability to add cash to your account at Walmart stores nationwide.

Don’t leave money on the table — it only takes minutes to apply and it won’t impact your credit score.

Apply for a Discover Cashback Checking account today

Bottom line

Studio Romantic/Adobe student taking notes in notebook and using laptop

Even in the modern day and age — when we have all the research we could imagine at our fingertips — many of us are still getting ripped off.

You can minimize the damage by doing your own research. Ask for recommendations from family and friends, or check online reviews. Check out what the Better Business Bureau has to say about the company.

You work hard for your money, so it’s only fair that you get the most out of it that you possibly can. Doing your homework can help you avoid wasting money as you zero in on the right provider.

Lucrative, Flat-Rate Cash Rewards

5.0
info

Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

Current Offer

$200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months

Annual Fee

$0

Rewards Rate

Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks
Card Details


Author Details

Rachel Cribby

Rachel Cribby is a personal finance writer from Canada. Once a terrible math student with a fear of numbers, Rachel has embraced the world of personal finance and is passionate about empowering others to do the same. She especially loves taking topics that seem complicated and boring and making them interesting and easy to understand.