Bait-and-Switch Advertising

Bait-and-switch advertising is a deceptive marketing tactic where a business advertises a product or service at a low price to attract customers but then discourages them from purchasing that item, often claiming it’s unavailable or inferior. Instead, the business promotes a more expensive or different product. This practice misleads customers into visiting the store or website expecting one deal but ends up offering something else, which can be unfair and possibly illegal. The key issue is the false advertising of a low-priced item to lure in customers, only to push a different, often more costly, product.