bait and switch

bait and switch
bait and switch n: a fraudulent or deceptive sales practice in which a purchaser is attracted by advertisement of a low-priced item but then is encouraged to purchase a higher-priced one – called also bait advertising;

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. . 1996.

bait and switch
n.
A kind of deceptive advertising in which a merchant advertises a low-priced product to lure customers and then disparages that product or fails to have it in stock in order to persuade them to buy a more expensive item; generally prohibited by statute.

The Essential Law Dictionary. — Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. . 2008.


bait and switch
A dishonest sales practice in which a business advertises a bargain price for an item in order to draw customers in and then tells the prospective buyer that the advertised item is of poor quality or no longer available and attempts to switch the customer to a more expensive product. In most states this practice is a crime and can also be the basis for a personal lawsuit if damages can be proved.
Category: Small Claims Court
Category: Small Claims Court & Lawsuits

Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary. . 2009.


bait and switch
v. The practice of advertising a product or service at a low price to bring customers into a store and, once they are there, urging them to buy a more expensive product or service by disparaging the original item or by saying that it is no longer available. This is illegal in most states, especially when the original product or service was not available at the time it was advertised.

Webster's New World Law Dictionary. . 2000.


bait and switch
A deceptive sales technique that involves advertising a low-priced item to attract customers to a store, then persuading them to buy more expensive goods by failing to have a sufficient supply of the advertised item on hand or by disparaging its quality.

Dictionary from West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005.


bait and switch
A deceptive sales technique that involves advertising a low-priced item to attract customers to a store, then persuading them to buy more expensive goods by failing to have a sufficient supply of the advertised item on hand or by disparaging its quality.

Short Dictionary of (mostly American) Legal Terms and Abbreviations.

bait and switch
n.
   a dishonest sales practice in which a business advertises a bargain price for an item in order to draw customers into the store and then tells the prospective buyer that the advertised item is of poor quality or no longer available and attempts to switch the customer to a more expensive product. Electronic items such as stereos, televisions, or telephones are favorites, but there are also loan interest rates which turn out to be only for short term or low maximums, and then the switch is to a more expensive loan. In most states this practice is a crime and can also be the basis for a personal lawsuit if damages can be proved. The business using "bait and switch" is an apt target for a class action since there are many customers but each transaction scarcely warrants the costs of a separate suit.

Law dictionary. . 2013.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • bait-and-switch — ˌbait and ˈswitch adjective [only before a noun] MARKETING if sellers use bait and switch methods, they attract customers by telling them about a cheap product which may or may not exist, and then persuade them to buy a more expensive one: •… …   Financial and business terms

  • bait-and-switch — ☆ bait and switch [bāt′ n swich′ ] adj. of, related to, or employing an illegal or unethical sales technique in which a seller lures customers by advertising an often nonexistent item at a bargain price and then attempts to switch their attention …   English World dictionary

  • bait-and-switch — v. The practice of advertising a product or service at a low price to bring customers into a store and, once they are there, urging them to buy a more expensive product or service by disparaging the original item or by saying that it is no longer …   Law dictionary

  • bait and switch — bait′ and switch′ n. bus the practice of attracting customers to a store with bargain prices, then attempting to sell them higher priced items …   From formal English to slang

  • Bait and switch — In retail sales, a bait and switch is a form of fraud in which the party putting forth the fraud lures in customers by advertising a product or service at an unprofitably low price, then reveals to potential customers that the advertised good is… …   Wikipedia

  • bait-and-switch — /bayt n swich /, adj. 1. denoting a deceptive method of selling, by which customers, attracted to a store by sale items, are told either that the advertised bargain item is out of stock or is inferior to a higher priced item that is available. n …   Useful english dictionary

  • Bait And Switch — A dishonest marketing tactic in which a marketer advertises a very attractive price/rate/term that is really a teaser rate meant to attract customers. Once the customer comes into the store/office to inquire about the advertised price/rate (the… …   Investment dictionary

  • bait and switch — noun a) An unscrupulous and sometimes illegal sales technique, in which an inexpensive product is advertised to attract prospective customers who are then told by sales personnel that the inexpensive product is unavailable or of poor quality and… …   Wiktionary

  • bait-and-switch — adjective Relating to use of bait and switch (offering one attractive exchange initially, but not honoring the offer) in business, politics, and elsewhere. Despite Healys argument that the Liberty Fund would go to worthwhile causes, many felt the …   Wiktionary

  • bait and switch —    obtaining investment funds by deceit    Financial jargon:     The phenomenon has been described by some market participants as bait and switch where banks win mandates offering certain terms which are subsequently changed because they are… …   How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms

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