America
If You Buy Into This, You’re Being Ripped Off
The biggest ripoffs in America aren't committed by sleazy businessmen but are conducted virtually imperceptibly so that most people aren’t even aware. Let’s take a look.
Member Cards
At some point, it seems every store started issuing a member card. At first most of them came with some benefit or discount, but increasingly more, these cards don't offer anything, and can even hurt you in the long run.
When you scan member cards at the grocery store, pet store, or oil change place, they are collecting free data. They use this data to understand you more as a consumer: How you spend, how often you spend, what you are willing to pay, etc. This helps them in the future to get you to spend more on the same stuff.
Sometimes there is a discount or you don't have a choice like at Costco, where the member card is a mandatory part of the purchase. Even if you fancy yourself as a savvy shopper or are not a huge privacy advocate, people haven’t been asking themselves enough if their data is worth the $2 they might be saving today. It’s an important question to contemplate in an increasingly data-driven world where you are the prey and guinea pig.
