A formal, congressionally appropriated division would have the resources to go after pricing schemes.
pricing
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Escape From the Box
New technology and old tactics have made buying a car a death march of deception. Jase Patrick, who spent 15 years in the business, reveals the dealer secrets.
Posted inVideos
The Prospect Weekly Roundup: Their Whole Racket Does Not Work
Our investigations editor takes us through some of the biggest scams of the week.
Posted inEconomic Policy
Economic Punditry and the ‘Hot Dog Guy’ Problem
Why centrist opinion columnists have no one to blame but themselves for public misconceptions about the economy
Posted inHousing
How an ‘Algorithm’ Turned Apartment Pools Green
RealPage, the rent-fixing software company currently under FBI investigation, also has apps for bogus fees, monetizing vacant apartments and inflating toxic property bubbles.
Posted inVideos
The Prospect Weekly Roundup: The Underbelly of the Grocery Store
Nothing you see on the shelves is there by accident.
Posted inEconomic Policy
Taming the Pricing Beast
The government has a variety of strategies to protect the public from price-gouging and information advantages over the consumer.
Posted inEconomic Policy
Lina Khan: Extraction Exterminator
The Federal Trade Commission chair plays a key role in preventing exploitative pricing schemes from taking root.
Posted inEconomic Policy
Fantasyland General
Hospital pricing is impenetrable to consumers and regulators alike. The result: increased costs and profits, and wasteful reliance on armies of middlemen.
Posted inTAP
Fighting Corporate Pricing Schemes Is Incredibly Good Politics
Today on TAP: A bill in the House attacking junk fees gets broad bipartisan support.
