Out of interest, who does "run an honest business"? Businesses are run for profit and, as far as I can see, the only way to make a profit is to make people believe "the product" is worth more than they are paying for it. If companies were honest, then it would also be easier to see the true value of "the product" and competition would result in people paying less for it.
I'm trying to think of "an honest business". Nope, can't think of one.
- Banks, Telecoms and many service providers use misleading rules, hidden charges, and the natural tendency of some people to not pay attention to their spending to rack up fees.
- Builders, plumbers, and other contractors push premium materials that actually cost little more than the cheaper alternatives, or they install the cheaper alternatives anyway because you cannot tell the difference.
- Retailers mark items up only to slash their prices so that people think they are getting a good deal.
- Movie, games and other entertainment producers put out misleading advertising to get people to buy their product. They also try to control reviews and reviewers.
- Mechanics get you to pay for replacement parts that do not need replacing, sometimes not even replacing the part, or they take out perfectly good parts and use them with other customers.
There are "degrees of honesty" of course. In fact, it is all a matter of perspective. You might be a banker or lawyer who is technically cheating people out of thousands, yet you are outraged when you buy "organic" bread from a farm stand only to find it came from the local supermarket.
I'm trying to think of "an honest business". Nope, can't think of one.
- Banks, Telecoms and many service providers use misleading rules, hidden charges, and the natural tendency of some people to not pay attention to their spending to rack up fees.
- Builders, plumbers, and other contractors push premium materials that actually cost little more than the cheaper alternatives, or they install the cheaper alternatives anyway because you cannot tell the difference.
- Retailers mark items up only to slash their prices so that people think they are getting a good deal.
- Movie, games and other entertainment producers put out misleading advertising to get people to buy their product. They also try to control reviews and reviewers.
- Mechanics get you to pay for replacement parts that do not need replacing, sometimes not even replacing the part, or they take out perfectly good parts and use them with other customers.
There are "degrees of honesty" of course. In fact, it is all a matter of perspective. You might be a banker or lawyer who is technically cheating people out of thousands, yet you are outraged when you buy "organic" bread from a farm stand only to find it came from the local supermarket.