Worried you’re being overcharged when shopping online? Listen to this

担心在网上购物时被过度收费吗?听听这个

Life Kit

2026-09-29

23 分钟
PDF

单集简介 ...

When shopping online, you and another person could be buying the exact same item, and you'll pay more because of who you are, where you are and your purchase history. In this episode of Life Kit, author Lindsay Owens shares tips from her new book Gouged on how to avoid getting ripped off by surveillance pricing — and get a fair price. Follow us on Instagram: @nprlifekitSign up for our newsletter here.Have an episode idea or feedback you want to share? Email us at lifekit@npr.orgSupport public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening and convenient playlists of popular help topics like personal finance, getting healthy, and more. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
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  • I have a VPN and I've seen the price of a rental car change

  • dramatically based on whether I had my VPN on and also if I check back a different day.

  • It could change by $200 or something like that.

  • Yeah.

  • This is the way that Americans are starting to...

  • Understand that something pretty big has shifted in the economy and that that is the way pricing works.

  • We used to sort of assume that there was a standard price for items.

  • And I think little experiments like the one you just described are becoming more and more common.

  • And they're the ways in which many Americans realize that everything has changed about pricing.

  • Hey, it's Marielle Cigarra.

  • You're listening to Life Kit.

  • And you just heard from Lindsay Owens, author of the book Gouged,

  • The End of a Fair Price and What That Means for Your Wallet.

  • Lindsay has a PhD in sociology and researches economic forces like inflation.

  • And she says technology has changed the way retailers price everyday items, groceries, plane tickets,

  • that shirt you have your eye on.