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The Indicator from Planet Money · August 12, 2026 · 9m

Consumers are mad as hell and aren't gonna take it anymore

A new survey finds consumer complaints have hit a record high, and an earlier survey found a large share of consumers report feeling rage after a product or service problem. The episode examines the modern consumer experience, including hidden fees, ballooning customer support wait times, and shrinkflation. It asks why consumer rage is rising and whether anything can be done about it.

This summary was generated from show notes and public descriptions, not from a full transcript review. Details may contain inaccuracies.

Highlights

Consumer complaints hit a record high
A new survey found consumer complaints reached a record high this year, and a prior survey found a large share of consumers reported feeling rage after a product or service problem.
Hidden fees as a friction point
Hidden fees are named as one of the features of the modern consumer experience.
Ballooning customer support wait times
The episode says customer support wait times are ballooning, with lines perpetually experiencing higher call volumes than usual.
Shrinkflation as a trigger
Shrinkflation is identified as another trigger in the modern consumer experience.
Can anything be done about consumer rage?
The show sets out to unpack consumer rage and ask whether anything can be done about it.
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