Non-refundable condition appears after fare selection
A fictional rail booking page labels a fare “Flexible Saver” but places the fact that it is non-refundable inside a collapsed section reached only after passenger details.
Hidden informationRail fare comparisonPricing
This is an original fictional comparison. It depicts no real company and is not a legal finding or safe harbour.
Rail fare comparisonPricing
Non-refundable condition appears after fare selection
A fictional rail booking page labels a fare “Flexible Saver” but places the fact that it is non-refundable inside a collapsed section reached only after passenger details.
Potentially problematicFlexible Saver · €64
Flexible Saver · €64. The non-refundable condition is absent from the fare card and comparison table.. Displayed amount: €64: Choose €64 fare. Choose €64 fare. Review fare conditions
The non-refundable condition is absent from the fare card and comparison table.
Displayed amount€64Choose €64 fare
Choose €64 fare
Review fare conditions
→
Neutral alternativeSaver · €64 · non-refundable
Saver · €64 · non-refundable. Price and the material restriction appear together before selection.. Review fare conditions. Choose €64 fare. Price, period and commitment, expanded: The price and material terms associated with “Review fare conditions” remain beside this choice.
Price and the material restriction appear together before selection.
Review fare conditions
Choose €64 fare
Price, period and commitmentThe price and material terms associated with “Review fare conditions” remain beside this choice.
Why the first version can mislead: The presentation changes what the user can notice or predict at the pricing decision. The problematic state shows: “The non-refundable condition is absent from the fare card and comparison table.” Its influence should be tested by comparing the consequence and usability of “Choose €64 fare” with “Review fare conditions”. A traveller may select an unsuitable fare because a material restriction is absent from the comparison decision.
What a fairer design does: Place refundability, change conditions and any material restriction beside each fare before selection.
Show annotated differences (2)
Potentially problematic version
Review fare conditionsIn “Non-refundable condition appears after fare selection”, this element shows how hidden or low-salience material information can shape the decision.
Neutral alternative
Price, period and commitment, expanded: The price and material terms associated with “Review fare conditions” remain beside this choice.In “Non-refundable condition appears after fare selection”, this element keeps the clearer alternative visible at the same decision point.
Review questions (3)
Do “Choose €64 fare” and “Review fare conditions” receive comparable prominence and explain their consequences before activation?
Place the compared prices, billing periods and material terms on one evidence sheet; where does it support “The information is plausibly material to a concrete decision”?
What neutral rendering or comprehension result would falsify the classification, particularly in light of “Purely optional detail with no plausible decision relevance”?
Side-by-side rail fare comparison interface showing “Flexible Saver · €64” and the clearer alternative “Saver · €64 · non-refundable”.Provenance: Original hypothetical rail fare comparison example created for this library; no real business, product or interface is depicted.
Complete pattern context
How this example relates to Hidden information
Information relevant to the decision is absent or presented so ineffectively that it is unlikely to inform the user at the decision point. The label describes a recurring design mechanism; whether a particular implementation is harmful or unlawful depends on the complete journey, audience, evidence and rules within scope.
The full guide explains inclusion and exclusion criteria, harms, fair design principles, evidence questions and the relevant EU legal information layers. The example page isolates one scenario so it can be shared and discussed without reproducing the complete library on one page.
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Dark commercial patternsOrganisation for Economic Co-operation and Development · Secondary · checked 2026-09-14 · OECD Digital Economy Papers No. 336
Unfair Commercial Practices DirectiveEuropean Parliament and Council of the European Union · Primary · checked 2026-08-09 · Directive 2005/29/EC; CELEX 02005L0029-20220528
Consumer Rights DirectiveEuropean Parliament and Council of the European Union · Primary · checked 2026-08-09 · Directive 2011/83/EU; CELEX 02011L0083-20220528
