How to hide your spending habits from retailers (so you don't get ripped off)

4 ways to avoid getting ripped off Companies have changed the way they price their products — and shoppers are getting deliberately overcharged. Here are steps you can take to ensure you are getting the best deal.

Over the past decade, companies have changed the way they price their products — and shoppers are getting deliberately overcharged.

Worried you're being overcharged when shopping online? Listen to this

Worried you’re being overcharged when shopping online? Listen to this

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Hotels are creating prices based on a customer's geo-location. Airlines are using browsing data to determine the cost of airfare. Grocery stores are using technology to test out how much they can charge customers.

"What we're seeing is Big Tech reinventing the rip-off," says Lindsay Owens , head of the consumer advocacy group Groundwork Collaborative. "These are old tricks, but they've been supercharged by new technologies."

Owens, author of a new book published in September, Gouged: The End of a Fair Price — And What That Means for Your Wallet , uncovers pricing schemes that corporations try to hide, and shares advice on how to protect yourself from these tactics.

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