Bait and switch - The basic premise of this practice

Bait and switch - The basic premise of this practice, which originates offline, is that poten-trial customers, or prospects, are tempted by an offer in an ad or shop-window display for a product - but when they speak to a salesperson they are switched to another (usually more expensive) substitute product. Although the practice can be illegal (advertising goods that do not exist, for example), and perhaps always morally dubious, it is
common practice in sales environments. If the sales person has the skill to up sell the buyer to the more expensive product by convincing the customer it is better suited to their needs, then the customer may well overlook the fact that they were enticed by a bait ad. Online the practice is (a) easier to perform - an ad needing the user to simply click on the bait ('click here for cheap goods'), but also (b) easier to reject - users clicking on the back button. Note that a bait and switch strategy can cause harm to any organization or brand that uses it and so should be practised with care.