[moosebear847]

TurboTax recently tricked me using some dark UI patterns into spending 30+ minutes painstakingly filling out my tax forms in a way that made it seem like it was for the free filing.

Only at the very end, did they reveal that it was in fact for the paid version, with no way to change it to the free version and also keep the work. Essentially holding my work hostage.

So I had to redo it again in the hard-to-find free version. I am now anti-TurboTax for life.

[willis936]

The same thing happened to me a few years ago. I wanted so badly to stick it to them on principle, but I didn't want to waste anymore of my time. I put my tongue to their boot and paid them for the privilege of getting scammed. Real 1984 shit.

[orwelly]

1984? People throw that reference around that have never read the book.

What do a private company's payflow dark patterns have to do with mass surveillance by a totalitarian state? Everything slightly dystopian isn't "real 1984 shit."

[willis936]

Nice username. My comment triggered you hard enough to make another account? I suppose it's good cover for avoiding responsible posting.

To help you out since you won't help yourself: the end of 1984 shows how psychological torture brings hard, rational people to doublethink. "I will not pay for my tax return. I will pay for my tax return."

[orwelly]

I don't reuse usernames on sites with no privacy controls. I haven't seen someone desperate enough to use the "triggered" cliché the way you did on this site in a while. (Popular on reddit though!)

I asked you a question in earnest, which part of that was not "responsible?" You tried to answer, but we both know it wasn't good. You're stretching "doublethink" to include falling for their dark pattern? In the context of 1984 doublethink regards indoctrination. Further proof you've never read it.

[willis936]

If I were as interested in lying and as bad at it as you are I'd probably go out of my way for anonymity too.

[zingplex]

I think something by Kafka would be far more apt. It seems that 1984 has become a shorthand for anything vaguely dystopian.

[deregulateMed]

I'm a vocal anti advocate. Hope you do too.

[systemvoltage]

> Real 1984 shit

???

Hypothetical scenario - Real 1984 shit would be to get a tax bill prefilled from the government to get you to sign on a dotted line. If you want to contest it, you'll need to hire lawyers but most refuse to work with you. Average citizen is left to defend themselves which is an impossibility. Sign on the dotted line or get arrested.

Folks, we need to go towards an open source route. Not put more power in the hands of a massively incompetent government.

[deregulateMed]

Did something similar. I didn't care if the fee was like $30. But I needed their investment/small business tier and it was in the multiple hundreds of dollars.

Switched to a different service.

I know people want privacy, but I'd sell my income and personal company finances for $500. Where is that tax company?

[meowster]

IIRC, they advertise it is free to "fill out", not to actually file.