Customer trust · Common term
Bait and switch
What is bait and switch?
Attracting people with an appealing offer that the seller does not genuinely intend to provide, then steering them toward a different offer. A clearly disclosed introductory price is not, by itself, bait and switch; the issue is a misleading offer or substitution.
Bait and switch: an illustrative example
A retailer advertises a low-priced product to bring shoppers in, refuses to sell that advertised product, and pressures them to buy a more expensive alternative instead.
Sources and related reading
- FTC: Advertising FAQs for small business — source reference
- The Disappearing Deal — related reading
This is a practical common term. Examples illustrate the concept; they are not verified client results. Working definitions and accountability lenses are not claims of a universal standard or original coinage.
Related customer trust terms
- Trust debt
The accumulated cost of practices that erode customer confidence over time. Repeated gaps between a promise and an experience can make future claims harder to believe, relationships harder to sustain, and trust more costly to rebuild.
- Behavioral debt
The accumulated relationship cost of tactics that manipulate people rather than help them make informed choices. A short-term gain in compliance can create resentment, complaints, and weaker loyalty over time.
- Cancellation friction
Extra effort that obstructs leaving or stopping payment.
- Claim substantiation
Evidence supporting an objective claim before it is communicated.