"Predatory death-trap pricing" captures the spirit of the thing with rather more clarity. It is wholly intentional after all.
I can see your point- if I'd never seen the term before I might have a similar reaction. But it's quite a common term now I think.
"Mr Politician what do you think about $big_co using dark patterns?"
"Mr Politician what do you think about $big_co engaging in predatory death-trap pricing schemes to defraud consumers?"
What is being asked in one of those questions is clear to everybody. The other is jargon and excludes the majority of the population from understanding the intended meaning. And note, you don't have to agree that it is "predatory death-trap pricing" at all. That is simply in the above sentence an accusation. Words have meanings. That the accusation be understood clearly by as many people as possible is important.
However regarding your other claims- I dont work on websites, I know the term "dark pattern". so your assertion that "nobody else knows what it is" is false. You might then argue that I'm still in tech, but that's just another goalpost that I can reach anyway: if you google for the term you'll find vox articles, explainer sites, even newyorktimes articles using this term.
So yes, it's a common place term and your assertion to the contrary does not hold any water.
Or craft clothing for goths?
But the "dark" comes from its association with evil: "Defense against the Dark Arts", "The Dark Lord", "Turn to the Dark Side of the Force". It's a clear implication that the people are "selling their souls to the devil": knowingly doing something "a little bit evil" to achieve their aims.
