Dark patterns are design tricks built into websites and apps that steer you towards choices which suit the business more than they help you. Countdown timers, hard-to-cancel subscriptions, fees that appear at checkout and forms that demand more data than they need are some common ones we experience in New Zealand. Slowing down and being aware is the best defence.

Ever signed up for a free trial and then struggled to cancel it? Bought something because a countdown clock told you the deal was about to disappear? Or reached the checkout only to discover the price had mysteriously crept up?

You've probably encountered a dark pattern.

Dark patterns are design features built into websites and apps to steer us towards particular choices, often ones that benefit the business more than they actually benefit us. They can encourage us to spend more, stay subscribed longer than we need or want, or hand over more personal information than we intended.

The tricky part is that these features work. Consumer NZ's Invisible Influence research found one in three New Zealanders had spent more than they intended because of these tactics, and more than 40% had struggled to cancel something or undo an action. Three quarters had run into hidden fees during online  checkout.

We talked all of this through in episode 78 of Money Made Simple with Consumer NZ chief executive Jon Duffy and his Australian counterpart at the Consumer Policy Research Centre. Here are the most common dark patterns to watch for, and a few ways to push back.

1. Urgency and scarcity cues: "Hurry, this deal ends soon!"

Countdown timers, "only one left" messages and warnings that items in your cart are "selling fast" all work to create a sense of urgency. Consumer NZ found 93% of people had come across scarcity cues like these. Sometimes the scarcity is genuine. Often it isn't. Either way, the aim is the same: to get you to make a decision before you've had time to think it through.

What you can do: ignore the clock and give yourself time to compare prices. If you're suspicious, leave the site and come back later. You may just find that miraculous "one-day-only" sale is still going strong tomorrow.

2. Subscription traps: easy in, hard out

Signing up takes seconds. Cancelling requires three menus, five screens, a password you can't remember and repeated questions about whether you're really sure. That friction is often deliberate. If cancelling is annoying enough, some of us will simply give up and keep paying. Nearly one in four Kiwis told Consumer NZ they'd kept a subscription longer than they wanted to because getting out was too hard.

What you can do: when you sign up for a free trial or annual subscription, consider cancelling or switching off auto-renewal straight away. In many cases you'll still have access until the end of the trial or period you've paid for. Otherwise, put a reminder in your calendar before the renewal date. And don't be afraid to get in touch with a company if you're having trouble cancelling their subscription; it's their responsibility to help you if you want to leave.

3. Drip pricing: the $50 purchase that becomes $70

Drip pricing is where you start with one price, then fees and charges are added as you move through the checkout. By the time you see the real total, you've invested enough time and effort that you're more likely to shrug and bite the bullet - rather than abandoning your purchase.

What you can do: treat the final checkout price, not the headline price, as the real price. Before clicking "buy", stop and look at the total again. If you're comparing providers, compare the all-in cost, including booking, transaction and delivery fees.

4. Forced data disclosure: "We just need a few details…"

Sometimes buying something online seems to require handing over an extraordinary amount of personal information. The more information a business has about you, the more it can tailor what you see, the offers you receive and potentially even the prices presented to you.

What you can do: before filling in every field, ask whether the information is really necessary. Use guest checkout where it's available, think twice before opting into marketing. Carefully review those pre-ticked boxes - many of them are unlikely to be helpful to you.

5. "It's free!" until the in-game purchases begin

Dark patterns aren't just aimed at adults. Games can encourage children to buy skins, coins, upgrades and other extras, often using virtual currencies that make it harder to connect the purchase with real money.

What you can do: avoid storing your credit card details on children's gaming accounts. One suggestion from our podcast guests is to use a gift card or fixed spending amount instead, if you are allowing them to make a purchase. When it's gone, it's gone.

Does this happen in financial services too?

It does, and it's worth considering. Fees buried in a technical document that not enough people read, transaction fees that aren't mentioned in fee-based advertising, exit processes that take weeks (or worse, clawback campaigns to get you to stay), and returns quoted before fees rather than after. None of it involves a countdown clock, but the effect is similar: friction and fog that can quietly cost you money.

It's one of the reasons Simplicity was set up the way that it was. One low fee, presented clearly, no entry or exit fees, and the aim to keep lowering fees as we achieve economies of scale. As a nonprofit, we don't have any shareholders to make money for - we only have the Simplicity Foundation who has always received 15% of our fee revenue to donate to worthy Kiwi causes.

What's the best defence against dark patterns?

Slow things down. Dark patterns are designed to make us act quickly, automatically or when we're already committed to a purchase.

You won't spot every one. But recognising that these techniques exist can help you create a little space between the nudge and the click. And if something feels deliberately misleading or unnecessarily difficult, complain. Even if your individual issue isn't resolved, complaints help regulators and consumer advocates see where problems are occurring, and be able to do something about the root causes.

Frequently asked questions

Are dark patterns illegal in New Zealand? There's no law that names "dark patterns" specifically. But conduct that misleads or deceives consumers can breach the Fair Trading Act, which the Commerce Commission enforces, and collecting more personal information than you need can breach the Privacy Act. Consumer NZ is campaigning for clearer rules, and its research found 53% of New Zealanders want better regulation in this area.

Who do I complain to about a dark pattern in NZ? For misleading pricing or sales tactics, report it to the Commerce Commission. For excessive or unnecessary collection of your personal information, contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner. Consumer NZ also collects examples through its campaign.

What's the most common dark pattern? In Consumer NZ's research, scarcity and urgency cues were the most widely encountered, with 93% of people reporting them. Hidden fees at checkout were close behind, at 75%.

How do I avoid subscription traps? Cancel or turn off auto-renewal as soon as you sign up, since you usually keep access until the paid period ends. If you can't, set a calendar reminder a few days before the renewal date.

Useful links

• Consumer NZ – Invisible Influence: Dark patterns and digital deception in Aotearoa New Zealand (Consumer NZ)

• Commerce Commission – report a concern if you believe a business has misled or deceived you. (Commerce Commission)

• Office of the Privacy Commissioner – making a privacy complaint (Privacy Commissioner)

• Netsafe – understanding in-app purchases (Netsafe)

• Consumer Policy Research Centre: Duped by Design, Let Me Out and Playing the Player. (cprc.org.au)

• Recent Money Made Simple podcast episode #78 on Dark Patterns

The information provided and opinions expressed in this article are intended for general guidance only and not personalised to you. These materials do not take into account your particular financial situation or goals and are not financial advice or a recommendation. Information is current at the time of posting, and subject to change without notice. Simplicity NZ Ltd is the issuer of the Simplicity KiwiSaver Scheme and Investment Funds. For Product Disclosure Statements please visit our website simplicity.kiwi.