We lift the lid on seven infuriating rip-offs facing Brits in 2024 and the reasons we believe these shady practices should come to an end.
With the cost-of-living crisis continuing to bite, many of us need to ensure that we get maximum possible value out of every pound we spend.
Unfortunately, some companies don’t make it easy for us.
Here are seven common rip-offs we think should be made illegal.
Branded painkillers
Ripping us off when we’re in pain seems particularly underhanded. However, the makers of many branded over-the-counter painkillers are doing just that.
While you might expect that expensive big-name products will offer superior health benefits, a supermarket’s own brand paracetamol or ibuprofen often contain the exact same active ingredients.
Luckily, there is a useful trick that can help prevent you falling victim. When you’re buying painkillers, you should look for the nine-digit Product Licence Code (PL) on the packet.
This nine-digit code is a unique reference for every product. If you see two painkillers with the same PL number, they will be identical in terms of active ingredients – no matter what it says on the label.
It’s mind-boggling that this practice is allowed to continue, especially where our health is concerned.
Cheap and free prescriptions: how to save on medications
Shrinkflation
While some rip-offs are blatant, others are more subtle.
Take shrinkflation, for example. Under this particularly sneaky tactic, a company reduces the size of its goods while keeping the price the same (or even putting it up).
Earlier this year, consumer group Which? conducted an investigation into this practice and found some pretty shocking examples from several household names.
For instance, Listerine Fresh Burst mouthwash shrunk from 600ml to 500ml but went up by 52p at Tesco.
Likewise, Ocado hiked prices on PG Tips Tasty Decaf Pyramid from £5.09 from £4 despite the size of the pack falling from 180 to 140 bags.
And like so many of the rip-offs on our list, this is all perfectly legal.
At the very least, we believe companies should be required to mark on the label that the product has reduced in size.
How supermarkets profit without hiking the price
Skimpflation
With this practice, a company switches ingredients in its products for lower-quality alternatives without reducing the price.
During the investigation mentioned above, Which? uncovered a host of examples from large supermarket chains.
Morrisons, for example, cut the amount of beef in its the Best Lasagne Al Forno from 30% to 26%.
And despite having a reputation for high-end products, Waitrose dropped the meat content of its Butter Chicken Curry from 47% to 41%.
Urgency claims
An urgency claim is a tactic designed to give customers the impression that time is running out to make a purchase or receive a discount.
For example, a retailer may add a countdown clock to an online promotion or claim to only have a limited stock left.
When it comes to the legality of these tactics, things get a little murky.
While urgency claims are not themselves illegal, they can become so if they are false or exaggerated.
Following an investigation into this practice, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) last year issued an open letter to online businesses stressing that they cannot use urgency tactics to mislead customers.
Indeed the body has carried out investigations into brands such as Wowcher and Emma Sleep.
Although the CMA guidance is a step in the right direction, a lot of the language in the letter feels open to interpretation, with references to “appropriate safeguards” and “adequate records”.
Also bear in mind that investigations into unfair sales practices can take months to complete – all the while, more and more customers could potentially fall victim to dodgy sales techniques.
Mid-contract price hikes
When you sign up for a mobile phone, broadband or TV contract with a set monthly fee, you’d be forgiven for thinking this is the price you’ll pay for the duration of the contract.
Sadly, this is often not the case.
Most telecoms providers hike their prices every April according to the rate of inflation, as measured by the Retail Price Index or Consumer Price Index.
What’s more, they’ll normally add an additional 3.9% to cover their increased business costs.
Luckily, there is some good news on the horizon as Ofcom last year proposed a ban of these inflation-linked mid-contract price rises.
Under its plans, customers will need to “be told upfront in pounds and pence about any price rises their provider includes in their contract”.
At present, we are waiting for greater clarity on the results of this consultation, but it is definitely one to watch.
Hidden flight booking fees
Nothing puts us in a good mood like booking a holiday. That is, until you realise all the rip-offs you’ll need to avoid in order to get a good deal on your break.
Nowhere is this more apparent than when booking flights, where your flight cost is really just the first instalment of your total bill.
Sure, you may think you’ve found a bargain, but when you come to pay, you’ll find yourself hit with a host of sneaky charges for basics you’d assumed were included in the price.
Being able to sit next to your other half or take luggage hardly feel like luxuries that should push up the cost of your holiday.
And then there are the penalties if we fail to follow the airline’s procedures to the letter.
Take one case that went viral last year of an elderly couple who were charged £110 by Ryanair just to print their tickets at the airport.
You can read more about similar cons in our article 8 holiday rip-offs to avoid.
Extortionate data fees outside your allowance
Broadband data can be extremely good value for money, but you’ll need to keep a watchful eye on the amount you use each month.
In fact, the cost of data usage beyond your allowance can be frankly outrageous, with many providers charging in the region of 10p per MB. That means you could end up with a bill of £100 just for exceeding your allowance by 1GB.
When you consider that you can that amount of data streaming ultra-high-definition content for about 20 minutes, these numbers start to look pretty scary!
Have your say
Are there any rip-offs that you think should be banned? Let us know in the comments below.