Shady Business Practice
Businesses I avoid unless I have no other choice. Nothing criminal, just ratty: small schemes that count on you not noticing, not asking, or giving up.
Original thoughtsObstructed cancellation
Signing up takes one click. Leaving should too.
When the cancel page is the one door on the site that sticks, it's hard to believe it's an accident.
Burner Second-number phone app
The cancellation page threw an error: it wouldn't let me log in or issue the token needed to cancel. It could be an honest bug, but it's likely the only broken page on the whole site, which is too convenient to ignore.
Unpriced menus
No prices on everyday items, so you won't ask and they can charge more.
Fair for a rotating special or a truly high-end restaurant. Hiding the price of a Coors Light is not. Asking makes you look cheap, so you don't, and you find out later it cost far more than you expected. It works because so few people check anymore, though price is the most basic part of any offer.
Applebee's Casual dining chain
No prices on the drink menu.
Hooters Wings and sports bar chain
No drink menu at all, which is just lazy. You get to see boobs, but that's it.