ripoff
Bad deal alert
A ripoff is something that costs too much for what you get—a product, service, or deal that cheats the buyer: Twenty dollars for a sandwich? What a ripoff!
A ripoff can also be an imitation that steals from an original: The movie was a ripoff of every heist film ever made.
To rip off is to cheat or steal: They ripped me off on that car.
Also spelled rip-off.
Deception for financial gain
- conArgument against
- fraudIntentional criminal trickery
- scamDishonest money-making scheme
- hoaxDeliberate deception for effect
hustle · grift · flimflam · bunco · cheat · scheme · racket · sting
Unauthorized replica product
- fakeNot the real thing
- counterfeitFraudulent imitation
- bootlegIllegally produced goods
- imitationCopy of the original
replica · clone · pirate · forgery · sham · lookalike · ersatz · pseudo
Exploitative overpricing
- overchargeDemand excessive payment
- markupAdded percentage for profit
- extortionateUnreasonably high in cost
- inflatedExpanded with gas
exorbitant · overpriced · steep · highway robbery · price gouging · tourist trap · surge pricing · hidden fees
Exploiting the vulnerable
- usuryExtortionate money lending
- extortionObtaining through threats
- shakedownForceful extraction of payment
- loan sharkIllegal high-interest moneylender
payday lending · wage theft · fine print · bait-and-switch · unfair · unethical · deceptive · misleading
swindle
Deception for financial gain
hoax · hustle · grift · flimflam · bunco · cheat · scheme · racket · sting · shell game
knockoff
Unauthorized replica product
- fakeNot the real thing
- counterfeitFraudulent imitation
- bootlegIllegally produced goods
imitation · replica · clone · pirate · forgery · sham · lookalike · ersatz · pseudo · reproduction
gouging
Exploitative overpricing
- overchargeDemand excessive payment
- markupAdded percentage for profit
- extortionateUnreasonably high in cost
inflated · exorbitant · overpriced · steep · highway robbery · price gouging · tourist trap · surge pricing · hidden fees · sticker shock
predatory
Exploiting the vulnerable
- usuryExtortionate money lending
- extortionObtaining through threats
- shakedownForceful extraction of payment
loan shark · payday lending · wage theft · fine print · bait-and-switch · unfair · unethical · deceptive · misleading · consumer fraud
- Imitatorsimitator, mimic, copycat, impersonator, clone
- tourist trapsgift shops, souvenir shop, souvenir shops, gift shop, snow globes
- scamsscam, scams, fraud, frauds, swindle
- compound slangairhead, birdbrain, blockhead, bonehead, dimwit
- pricingpricing, discount price, overpricing, discounts, overcharge
- excessexcess, too much, excessive, excessiveness, overabundance
ripoffbargain
Favorable purchase price
deal · steal · good value · great deal · value for money
ripoffsquare deal
Honest, equitable treatment
fair trade · win-win · ethical business · transparent pricing
ripofforiginal
First or inventive
genuine article · authentic · the real thing · innovation · trailblazer
- ripoff artistPerson who defrauds others