bait-and-switch

American  

[beyt-n-swich] / ˈbeɪt nˈswɪtʃ /

adjective

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.

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noun

1. an act or instance of such practice.

bait and switch Idioms  

1. A deceptive commercial practice in which customers are induced to visit a store by an advertised sale item and then are told that it is out of stock or that it is far inferior to some more expensive item. For example, I won't buy a car from this outfit; they're notorious for their bait and switch tactics. The verb to bait has meant to supply a hook or trap with a morsel of food so as to attract a fish or animal since about 1300; the verb to switch has meant to change, alter, or transfer from one thing to another since the 1890s. The pairing of the two, however, dates only from the 1920s, although the practice is surely much older. It is called switch-selling in Britain.

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Etymology

Origin of bait-and-switch

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

It's what is called a "bait-and-switch".

From BBC

The FTC also alleges that the ticket company is misleading artists and consumers with “bait-and-switch pricing,” with tactics such as advertising lower ticket prices than the actual total after inflated pricing and extra fees.

From Los Angeles Times

And his easy connection with the crowd made me wonder for a delicious moment if the producers might have bravely hidden a bait-and-switch.

From Salon

The former brings crackling Paul Greengrass-like energy to a young family’s engagement with America’s bait-and-switch immigration system.

From Los Angeles Times

After all, we’ve seen this movie before, and it turned out to be a bait-and-switch.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• chicanery
• deceit
• dishonesty
• razzle-dazzle
• scam
• shell game
• stunt