Dark Patterns in Zepto: What's next, a β€œπ…πžπž π‡πšπ§ππ₯𝐒𝐧𝐠 π…πžπžβ€?

Quick commerce is cool. Order chips, get dopamine in 10 mins & pretend your life is sorted. But what isn’t cool? Sneaky little charges with fancy names- like this gem from Zepto: "Cash Handling Fees: β‚Ή10"

Here’s the twist:
πŸ›’ I didn’t opt for COD
πŸ“± I wasn’t told about the fee during checkout, no prompt or clarity
πŸ’β€β™‚οΈ I still got charged.

As consumers, we're left asking:
πŸ”Ή What exactly is a "cash handling fee" in a digital transaction?
πŸ”Ή Why is it auto-applied without clear justification?
πŸ”Ή What other charges are being quietly slipped into our bills?

These small, often unnoticed charges compound trust erosion. The irony? The savings banner at the bottom boldly says β€œπ—¦π—”π—©π—˜π—— β‚ΉπŸ±πŸ¬β€ while sneakily charging you fees that weren’t clearly disclosed.

Not a fan of using Zepto much and prefer bigbasket now as they slightly win here, atleast they don’t have as many dark patterns in disguise. Fewer smoke & mirror tactics, more straightforward billing.

🚨 Transparency isn’t optional. It’s foundational to customer loyalty.

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