riannan
Bottled Water
The essence of a rip off is taking something essentially free and ubiquitous and charging an insane fee for the convenience of it. Ladies and gentlemen I give you: water bottles. What’s worse is water bottles advertise their water as straight from a pristine mountain stream when that couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s usually just municipal water.
Product Warranties
While they may seem to hold their value, product warranties usually costs just as much as replacement or repair. Save them for your most expensive purchases, and even then, check what your warranty actually covers!
Oil Changes 
Auto shops are notorious for up-selling us on things we don’t need because most of us don’t have the depth of knowledge about vehicles to have a say. Next time you go for an oil change, don’t feel pressured to turbo-charge your car with special fuel or replace your wipers.
Travel-Sized Products 
Inconvenient travel regulations have bankrupt us in more than just what you pay for extra inches on the airplane seat: travel sized products are wildly overpriced for the amount of product you receive. You’d be better off investing in travel-sized refillable bottles and simply refilling before your next trip.
French Fries
Potato distributors charge about 15 cents per pound for fries, yet you spend $2 for a bag of hardly a quarter of a pound of fried goodness. What a scam!
Razor Blades
Your razor is marked up by 5,000% or more. Think about it: such a stylized, branded product which is made up of super cheap and common materials which require very little modification.
Stadiums
While tons of tax dollars each year go to building massive stadiums, the profits usually go straight to the owners’ pockets instead of stimulating the local economy.
Starbucks Coffee
Most recognize the crazy prices at Starbucks for standard coffee. When a latte starts at $3.75 and goes up to $8.25, you know it’s a racquet. Just make coffee at home.
Printer Cables
Electronics manufacturers make a killing producing products which cost a few dollars to make and selling them for x10 at retail price. Printer cables are among the worst.
Funerals
At such a difficult time, one would think the industry would cut families a break when losing a loved one. Alas, no. It costs at least $6,000 for a burial alone, let alone costs for a ceremony, gravestone, cremation, or other services.
Fountain Soda
Restaurants get their fountain soda super cheap and charge you like crazy for a few ounces nestled in a full cup of ice. Next time, try the self-serve fountain if you can.
Printer Cartridges 
Printers, again! For such a necessary item for many years, you’d think they were a bit more affordable. When ink cartridges go out, you’re most likely better off just buying a new printer entirely.
Brake Replacements 
Cars, again. Next time you are told to get brake replacements, they’ll probably suggest new brake pads. You almost always don’t need them, but have them show you what they look like to be sure.
Gym Memberships 
Many people get a gym membership as a new year resolution or after a health scare. It can turn out to be a much more expensive endeavor. One gum, Bally’s Fitness, requires you to die or move to a city where a franchise is not located in order to cancel your subscription. Better stick to a run in the neighborhood!
Managed Investments 
Having someone else watch over your investments may seem like a good idea. Wouldn’t a professional get you higher returns? In reality, fixed investment accounts are shown to have a higher return rate.
Premium Gas
You may led to show your love and devotion for your car by opting for premium gas. Unless you own one of the few makes of car which require less-combustible fuel, your premium gas is doing nothing helpful for your car, or your wallet!
All-You-Can-Eat Buffets 
$15 might seem like a deal for a big meal but consider this: if you manage to eat a meal which costs the restaurant more than it costs you, chances are you’ll be leaving on a stretcher.
Mini-Bars
On of the trickiest ripoffs ever: hotel mini-bars. Who wants to put on pants and go to the pharmacy next door when a mini version is right in your room?
Free Credit Reports 
News flash: in the US, you already get a free credit report annually. The companies who offer this service are almost always trying to sell you something else you don’t need.
Brand Name Medications 
Pharmaceutical companies are legally bound to make generic medicines of the exact chemical composition. You are literally paying extra money for packaging.
College Textbooks
Getting more expensive every year, college textbooks are a total racquet. Most students will say they never even used the books. Rent and you’ll have extra beer money!
Text Messages
Unless you have an unlimited plan, texts can cost 20 cents a pop. Yet, your carrier only pays about $0.003 per text. Thanks, Verizon!
Movie Theater Popcorn 
Movie theatre chain executives take about 75% of theaters’ earnings. Solution: crazy uncharges on concessions.
Wireless Cancellation Fees 
Want to cancel or change your cell plan? Prepare to pay a hefty fine. Read the fine print before you sign!
Lottery Tickets
While they may seem like the best deal, how much lottery providers make on our naivety is preposterous. You have a better chance of dying on the way to buying the ticket than ever hitting it big.
Silvia
