When shopping online, it’s easy to be lured in by the perceived convenience and deals offered by platforms like Amazon, eBay, or Walmart. These giants have mastered the art of dynamic pricing, adjusting prices multiple times a day to match or beat the competition. But what many don’t realize is that this constant fluctuation is designed to serve one purpose: maximizing their profits, often at the expense of quality and customer satisfaction.

On Amazon, for instance, the price of a popular item might drop just enough to entice you, only for complementary products to be marked up, knowing that you’ll likely buy them together. This clever tactic might save you a few dollars on one item, but you could end up overpaying for others. Worse yet, these platforms are flooded with third-party sellers, many of whom list counterfeit or substandard products. Even on seemingly reputable sites, the sheer volume of sellers means it’s nearly impossible to guarantee that every product is genuine.

eBay and Walmart, too, aren’t immune to this issue. These platforms host countless sellers, each with varying degrees of reliability. Some sellers take advantage of this by offering fake products, while others inflate prices on high-demand items, betting on your urgency or lack of research.