The "annoyance economy" is costing Americans $165 billion annually as hard-to-cancel subscription services boost company revenue by 200% | Fortune

"Companies are also getting a premium for your time. The time Americans spend on the phone with customer service has spiked by 60% over the last 20 years as companies pare back on customer service and make processes like getting a refund more difficult in the name of driving revenue. These bogus fees and frustrating ordeals are part of the "vibes-based" tax companies are charging Americans to make every consumer interaction harder."

"Jacquez said the report shows a "vibes-based analysis of the economy" in which "every consumer interaction is just harder than it used to be." Using existing studies to measure how much time consumers spend on frustrating tasks like staying on customer service or trying to cancel a subscription, researchers converted those times into dollars and cents. Calculating both direct financial losses and the monetary value of wasted time, researchers found Americans fork over $165 billion annually in the "annoyance economy.""

Americans face longer customer-service wait times, widespread junk fees for concerts, hotels, and deliveries, and significant losses from healthcare administrative hassles. Junk fees exceed $90 billion annually. Time wasted on healthcare administrative tasks costs Americans over $21.6 billion when monetized. Time spent on customer-service calls has risen 60% over 20 years as companies reduce service and complicate refunds to drive revenue. Companies rely on limited competition and onerous cancellation policies to lock consumers into services. Converting wasted hours into dollars yields a total annual cost of about $165 billion to consumers in an "annoyance economy."

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