By: Daiman Teer for The Simpleton Star
NOTE: As our parents age, the isolation of an empty house and the quiet of a long afternoon can turn a smartphone into a dangerous gateway for predatory “entertainment.” Often bored and looking for a way to stay engaged, many seniors fall into the trap of “penny auctions” like Deal Dash or the “free-to-play” casinos that clutter Facebook feeds. These aren’t harmless games; they are expertly designed psychological loops that trick the elderly into buying worthless bid packs or digital chips just to keep the timer from hitting zero. To a lonely old person, it feels like a low-stakes hobby, but the reality is a one-way financial drain where they pay for the privilege of being conned. It is vital to step in now, because by the time they realize they aren’t actually winning anything, the “free” fun has already cost them their savings.
THE DEAL DASH THING
So, you’re sitting on your couch, hand deep in a bag of generic chips, and that commercial comes on. A lady is screaming because she just “won” a 70-inch television for $14.00. You look at your bank account, you look at your crappy TV, and you think, “This is it. My ship has come in.”
Well, tie a rock to your leg and jump off that ship right now, because you’re about to be snookered by the biggest legal fleecing operation in America.
If you’re too dim to see the strings, let’s walk you through the manual of your own financial execution. Here is exactly how Deal Dash turns you = or someone you love – into a human ATM.
Step 1: The “Entry Fee” (The Invisible Hand in Your Pocket)
In a normal world, if you want to buy something, you walk into a store and give them money. In an auction, you bid, and if you lose, you keep your money.
Deal Dash isn’t the normal world. Before you even start, you have to buy “Bid Packs.” You are literally paying for the right to spend more money. Each bid costs you anywhere from 15 to 60 cents. Every time you click that button, you just threw a handful of change into a sewer. If you don’t win the item, they keep that money. Imagine walking into a grocery store, paying $1.00 every time you touch a gallon of milk, and then having the manager tackle you and keep all your dollars because someone else grabbed the milk first. That’s Deal Dash.
Step 2: The One-Penny Lie
You see an iPad for $15.00 and you think, “What a steal!” Wrong! You’re a moron.
Every “bid” only raises the price by one penny. For that iPad to reach $15.00, there were 1,500 bids placed.
- 1,500 bids at 60 cents a pop is $900.00.
- Deal Dash gets that $900.00 plus the $15.00 from the winner.
- They just sold a $500 iPad for $915.00.
They aren’t giving you a deal; they are charging a crowd of suckers a premium price to give one person a “discount.” You aren’t “winning”; you’re participating in a crowdfunded mugging where you are the victim.
Step 3: Paying Premium for Plastic Junk
Here is the part where the scam gets really greasy. You think you’re bidding on name-brand luxury. Look closer. Half the time, the “brands” are house-owned labels you couldn’t find in a real store if your life depended on it.
They slap a “Retail Value” of $600 on a knife set that was forged in a shed for five bucks. They “anchor” the price high so when you “win” it for $50, you feel like a genius. In reality, you just paid $50—plus $100 in bids—for a set of knives that couldn’t cut a warm stick of butter. Unlike a casino, where you might actually walk out with cold, hard cash, on Deal Dash, your “jackpot” is an overpriced box of garbage that you’ll be trying to unload at a garage sale in six months.
Step 4: Fighting the “BidBuddy” Ghost
You think you’re in a “battle of wits” with another person? Get real. You’re fighting a computer. Deal Dash has the “BidBuddy,” a bot that automatically outbids people in the final seconds. You are sitting there sweating, clicking your mouse like a lab rat, while a server in a cold room is systematically draining your Bid Pack to keep the timer from hitting zero.
The house doesn’t want the auction to end. They want you to keep clicking until your bank account hits zero.
The Final Word
At an Indian casino, at least the lights are pretty and you get a free drink while they ruin your life. Deal Dash does it while you’re sitting in your underwear.
It is a scam designed for people who can’t do third-grade math. You are overpaying for junk, paying for the privilege of losing, and being mocked by a computer script the entire time.
Stop being the “Great Dumbland’s” favorite customer. Close the app, put your wallet away, and go outside.
BIBLE VERSE
“He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich—both come only to poverty.” — Proverbs 22:16
WHY I CHOSE THIS VERSE
This is the “Deal Dash” verse. It describes the exact circular economy of this scam. You have a massive corporation (the rich) getting richer by inviting the desperate (the poor) to throw their “gifts” (bid packs) into a pile. The math of the Bible is the same as the math of the street: when you try to get something for nothing by feeding a monster, the only thing that ends up empty is your own cupboard.
The Prayer
Lord, grant the people of this Great Dumbland a spirit of discernment. Clear the fog from their eyes so they can see the hooks hidden in the shiny bait. Give them the strength to find contentment in what they have, rather than chasing the ghosts of “deals” that only lead to debt. Protect the elderly and the unsuspecting from the wolves who dress in the clothing of a bargain. Amen.
