# 2 post, on 10 Most popular scams on and off the internet!

Here are "normalized scams" in Canada, things most Canadians roll their eyes at but rarely question anymore. 

These aren’t illegal, they’ve just become "frustratingly accepted". 

Normalized Scams in Canada: 

1. Cell Phone Plans (Some of the Most Expensive in the World) 

Canada’s “Big 3” (Rogers, Bell, Telus) control most of the market. 

Result: 

“$65 for 20GB” is considered "a deal." 

“Unlimited” is never truly unlimited. 

Random price hikes happen while you’re still under contract. 

Most Canadians feel trapped—because smaller providers often run on the Big 3’s networks anyway.

2. Grocery Oligopoly Pricing; 

Loblaw, Sobeys, and Metro control so much of the market that: 

Shrinkflation is rampant. 

“Sales” are often just regular prices in disguise, 

price matching disappears,

CEOs blame suppliers, suppliers blame inflation. 

Meanwhile, their quarterly profits keep going up. 

3. Banking Fees for… Having a Bank Account, lol. 

Canadians pay fees for: 

monthly account maintenance, 

e-transfers (sometimes), 

using other banks’ ATMs, 

paper statements, 

overdraft “protection”, 

And you often need to keep $4,000–$6,000 'locked' in a chequing account, just to waive a $15 fee. 

4. Ticketmaster / Live Nation Monopolistic Pricing; 

It’s famous worldwide, but Canadians especially feel it because: 

Fewer venues mean even less competition, 

insane fees are added at checkout,

“Platinum pricing” makes seats 2 to 3× higher for no reason. 

A concert ticket advertised at $99 ends up being $175+. 

5. Real Estate Commissions; 

Canada’s real estate agents have one of the most standardized commission structures in the world (often 5% split). 

Whether your home sells for:

$300,000 or $1,400,000, the commission system barely changes. 

You pay more simply because the market is hot. 

6. “Dynamic Pricing” for Rent & Utilities; 

This is becoming more common: 

Rent and utility companies raise rates not because of cost increases, but because the algorithm detects higher demand. 

It’s surge pricing for living. 

7. Add-On Fees for Basic Services; 

Canadian businesses have embraced the “fee for everything”: 

“non-cash adjustment” for using debit/credit, 

“eco fee” for electronics, 

“paper billing fee” for getting a printed bill, 

“administration fee” when canceling services. 

You’re charged for the privilege of being a customer. 

8. Airline Fees (Especially on Budget Airlines)

You often pay for: 

printing your boarding pass, 

selecting any seat, 

overhead carry-on, 

inflating “taxes and fees”. 

A $39 flight quickly becomes $210. 

9. Car Insurance That Goes Up Even Without Claims; 

You can be: 

accident-free, 

ticket-free, 

years of loyalty, and your car insurance increases “due to market adjustments.” 

10. “Promotional” Internet Prices That Skyrocket After 12 Months; 

You get a great deal for one year, then: 

Your bill jumps by $20 to $50, 

You call to cancel, 

suddenly they magically offer a new promo, 

The entire system is rigged and built around expecting customers won’t fight it. 

11. “Free Trials” for Canadian Streaming Services; 

Crave, CBC Gem +, StackTV, Sportsnet +, TSN +:

sign up free, 

auto-renew at full price, 

no reminders, 

difficult cancellation flows. 

Crave, in particular, has become infamous for this. 

12. Gas Price Jumping Every Thursday. 

It’s not official or coordinated, but every Canadian knows: 

Thursday evening, gas spikes 10 to 15 cents. 

Monday morning, it drifts back down. 

It’s an unofficial national ritual. 

Thank you for reading. 

Tim.

#TimRomardBlog