Ms. DAVIDSON: I don't know if it's deception, but it's kind of a cheap trick.

NPR: 'Flex-Fuel' Concept Fails to Deliver on Potential

Introducing side conflicts simply in order to drag out the longer conflict is a cheap trick.

FORBES: 'The Walking Dead' Review: How Season 3 Went Wrong

It was, and the crowd at the Hammerstein Ballroom roared as Lee Ving of Fear, Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick, Brad Wilk of Rage Against the Machine and others took the stage.

WSJ: Nicks, Fogerty, more perform with Grohl in NYC

In most cases, it is a cheap trick (or an expensive one, depending on how you look at it) that will eventually backfire, especially as Twitter improves its ability to judge users by the quality of those who follow them.

FORBES: Answers To 8 Online Marketing Questions You Were Too Embarrassed to Ask (Article and Infographic)

And blatant sexism seems to be the latest cheap marketing trick.

FORBES: Women Aren't Funny And Other Hackneyed Marketing Ploys By Washed Up Male Comedians

The real trick to getting cheap fares is to travel during the so-called shoulder season, according to Anne Banas, executive editor of SmarterTravel.com.

WSJ: How (and When) to Snag Cheap Airfares