Cheap bus ride

My wife read a warning about some cross-country bus rides.

Apparently, some cheap ones do not take you the whole distance as they advertise. They will take you part of the way, and then ask you to pay more in order to continue the journey.

Otherwise, they will take you to some overnight accomodation, where you have to pay for the accomodation.

The alternative is to be left in some place you are unfamiliar with.

Is this true?