The Buy-2-Get-1 Trap

"Buy 2, get 1 free" sounds like a 33% discount. It's not. You're spending 200% of the single-item price to "save" 33%. If you only needed one item, you've overspent by 100% just to get one free thing you didn't want.

Retailers love this format because it dramatically increases transaction size while feeling generous. You think you're getting something for nothing. In reality, the store moved three units instead of one, cleared inventory faster, and locked in a bigger sale than you ever meant to make.