Mouseprint

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Mouseprint is the fine print found within ads for products telling consumers the hidden truth, or between the lines. It accompanies the large print in ads aimed at catching the consumer's eyes, while covering for the corporation ultimately telling a much different story.

The use of mouseprint has become a standard method of advertising in certain industries. It is most commonly used in banking, telecommunication, and in the sale of big-ticket items, such as motor vehicles, travel, insurance, and other commonly financed items. It can also be used in various ways to promote small, low-priced objects.

For example, a cruise is often advertised at quite a low price, i.e. $399 for 7 nights. The $399 will appear in this add in quite large numbers. But the ad will also bear plenty of smaller words. This is referred to as the mouseprint. Above the large $399 will be the phrase as low as, thereby telling the consumer that many, and often most cruises will be more than $399. The bottom of the ad will then display a few small lines, stating PER PERSON, DOUBLE OCCUPANCY, PLUS TAXES AND FEES. AIRFARE NOT INCLUDED.

1 Controversy
2 Use of Mouseprint in Small Items
3 Fighting Mouseprint
4 External links

[edit] Controversy

Mouseprint is controversial because of its deceptive nature. Its purpose is to make the consumer believe that the offer is really great. Though the real truth about the offer is readily available to the consumer, it is not easily noticeable. The unsuspecting customer will instantly see all the great things about the deal. But they generally will not bother to learn the dark side that benefits the business and makes the large print be so untrue by itself.

In some cases, the seller who uses mouseprint will engage in the practice of bait and switch. The customer will be told when ready to purchase that for one reason or another, s/he is not eligible for the advertised offer, and will be coerced into one that is higher priced. Reasons s/he can be told may include his/her age, credit rating, size or location of residence, the type of vehicle s/he owns, the amount of prior business s/he has done with that company, or the variety of the item s/he wishes to purchase. Often when this occurs, the limitations that render him/her ineligible will apply to an overwhelming majority of customers.

Very frequently, consumers, eager to obtain a product or service they have been longing for, or else that they have been coerced into obtaining, will sign their names on a binding contract. They consumer will be liable to the terms of the contract, stated only by the mouseprint, and an exit from these terms will be quite costly to the consumer. Some examples may include:

A credit card, advertised with a 0% rate in large print, will offer this only for an introductory period of a few months. After that, the rate will be something like 19.95%, and may increase even more due to universal default.
A cell phone contract may require the subscriber to pay various fees that are originally unnoticed. The subscriber is bound to the contract for a specified period of time, and must be a large amount to be freed. Additionally, the contract will automatically renew if not cancelled within a certain time frame upon its expiration, lengthening these terms.
Many offers, advertised in large print, only apply when certain conditions are met. In many cases, these conditions are difficult or nearly impossible to meet.
In many cases, the business states in mouseprint that it reserves the right to modify the terms of the contract at any time with little or no advance notice. This controversial practice is often seen in the banking and insurance industries.
Rebates: Many products are advertised with a price printed in large numbers. However, a larger price is printed above in much smaller numbers, and the large-print price is only given after a rebate. Initally, the customer must first pay the high price. In order for the rebate to be redeemed, the customer then follow a set of instructions. In some cases, meeting all the requirements necessary in order to obtain the rebate may be difficult, and as a result, many rebates are denied.

[edit] Use of Mouseprint in Small Items

More often than not, mouseprint is used to promote big-ticket purchases, making the consumer believe at first impression they will be paying far less than they actually do. But various forms of mouseprint are used in the promotion of low-priced goods. In many cases, they do not deceive the consumer in the price that they are paying, but in some other attribute about the product, i.e. its nutritional content.

Some examples are:

An item may say on its cover REDUCED FAT. But in reality, it has less fat than the standard version, but it still has more than half that amount, along with most of the calories. This makes the unsuspecting consumer believe that s/he can eat seemingly unlimited amounts of this dietary product with no harmful consequences.
Buzz words: Some key words found on covers may attract the consumer to purchasing the product for a higher price than the standard or a generic version. But there are no proven benefits to the premium edition. Some buzz words may include lite (with only a lighter color in appearance), antibacterial (with no more protection against germs), or organic(with no advantage to eating organic food of that type).
SALE: A store may place tags on items, or signage outside the location stating something like 75% OFF. But the price that the 75% discount is based on is hidden from the consumer or made very difficult to see, and in reality, the discount is very little off the market rate. In some cases, the final price may be higher than a comparable item can be found elsewhere.

[edit] Fighting Mouseprint

Many consumer advocates are active in lobbying for laws to limit the rights of an advertiser to use mouseprint to hide the truth, and to expand rights to consumers who fall victim to mouseprint. Due to free speech that is granted to advertisers, passing such laws in the United States has proven to be difficult. Many such laws that have successfully been passed have ultimately been overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Credit Cards

Credit card issuers are among the largest of those who have won the mouseprint battle against the consumer. Consumer advocates have widely criticized the credit card industry for its increasing ruthlessness in its practices, which allow the banks seemingly unlimited rights to charge whatever fees they wish, to rewrite to terms and conditions faced by the consumer at will, and to not be challenged by the consumer in their practices. The consumer who initially obtained the card was inevitably drawn by the large print, which was accompanied by pages of fine print few are likely to read in full or to understand. During the 1990s, two laws against such practices were overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, and these rulings are said to have opened the floodgates for even more ruthless practices.

Rebates

Several states have considered laws that would require retailers to provide advertised rebates to customers at the time of the purchase with no strings attached. These laws have been widely opposed by corporations, and are yet to have passed in any states.

Education

With proper education, consumers can be warned to read the fine print and to see the red flags on an offer that is too good to be true, even and especially when it is the widespread industry practice.