by Online shopping has huge advantages in terms of choice and efficiency, but we cannot deny that there are disadvantages that the savvy consumer must contend with. We’ve all come across misleading language, hidden costs or confusing subscription offers, and these are just a few examples of the ‘dark patterns’ that retailers put into their user experience (UX) design.
A new report has revealed the most common types of dark patterns used by online retailers – even reputable big names. These practices can try to steer you into buying something you don’t want or try to make it difficult for you to compare prices to know if you’re getting a real bargain (one of the reasons we enough research when putting our research together). own buying guides and features like the best Apple deals).
The term dark patterns was coined back in 2010 by user experience specialist Harry Brignull, who runs the site attractive.design (opens in a new tab). It describes the misleading, deliberately confusing and downright deceptive tactics that some online retailers put into their UX. These include misleading ads, misdirection and subscriptions. The aim is usually to exploit us subconsciously, taking advantage of our limited attention to spend money, share data or sign up for something we don’t want (for a more positive approach to UX, see our own online UX design course). )
For this new report, Merchant Machine surveyed 72 online retailers, and followed the user’s journey to checkout counting all the examples of dark patterns they encountered along the way. He showed the above infographic on the most commonly used dark patterns, including ‘privacy zuckering’, named after Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and trick questions. It also measured which sites had the worst offenders.
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The results (opens in a new tab) of the report is disappointing but perhaps not surprising to anyone who has shopped online recently. While beauty retailers were found to use the darkest patterns, tech retailers including Dell, HP and Amazon were far from innocent.
On Amazon, the dark patterns identified include automatically ticking the Amazon Prime subscription box and locking out other options, making it harder to sign out than sign up. The retailer was also found guilty of ‘declaration’ – pressuring consumers to take action by offering a “last chance” donation at checkout. Meanwhile Dell and HP automatically tick the options to receive marketing information.
The survey shows that, although legislation is trying to make a difference (In Europe, the European Union Digital Service Act prohibits dark patterns on online platforms), online shopping is still a minefield. It is worth being aware of these tactics to avoid falling for them. It can also be useful to use resources such as our own buying guides to compare prices and ensure you are getting the best deal from online shops.
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