ADVERTISEMENT

Here’s a dirty little secret that a lot of us don’t want others to know: we like to think of ourselves as the smartest person in the room. Well, even if we might not be the smartest, we’re definitely (way) above average! And there’s no way that we’d ever fall for a cheap scam. Tricksters and fraudsters—beware! There’s no way that you’ll weasel cash out of here! (Hey, that rhymed.) However, reality shows us that many do fall prey to scams and that the scammers themselves are constantly adapting and finding new ways to bamboozle their marks.

Reddit users have been pooling all of their experience together and sharing all the common scams, small and large, that other people don’t always realize are scams or are potential scams. The thread got over 3.2k comments and has helped internet users gain a new perspective on a variety of things, from multilevel marketing and men’s and women’s products to diamonds and superfoods and more. There’s nothing like seeing something with a fresh pair of eyes.

Have a read about some of the most common scams, upvote the most informative posts, and let us know if any of these were new to you, dear Pandas. Oh! And if you know of any other swindles that people tend to fall for, be sure to let everyone know, too!

#1

'What's A Scam Most People Don't Even Realize Is A Scam?': 40 People Deliver Their Insights Paying money to a religion to guarantee your eternal salvation.

13xnono , unsplash Report

Add photo comments
POST
gabrielealfredopini avatar
Gabriele Alfredo Pini
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As a 37 years old Catholic I find strange all this talking of "paying" to a religion... I contribute to my church because a building need maitenance. I payed for the summer camps organized by my oratory. I gave to missionary to help them in their works. But if I want to go to mass and exit without paying anything nobody would tell me anything.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#2

'What's A Scam Most People Don't Even Realize Is A Scam?': 40 People Deliver Their Insights Insurance. You’re obligated to get it legally but when you actually need it, they’ll do everything in their power to not pay out…

thebeatoflife , pexels Report

Add photo comments
POST
cjwellings avatar
Chris
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This very much depends on the type of insurance, how well regulated it is, and the insurer.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#3

'What's A Scam Most People Don't Even Realize Is A Scam?': 40 People Deliver Their Insights The US healthcare system. Hell, just name any aspect of life in the US and there's probably a scam somewhere in there.

MaximumGamer1 , unsplash Report

Add photo comments
POST
mishte_tine avatar
Mishte Tine
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

America commits crimes against humanity in the majority of instances I for those who aren’t wealthy. The political leaders are so reliant on the profit based system that they make anti-human choices and laws. It’s plain old deadly greed. And too many people pretend it’s normal. It’s not. Tens of thousands of people die needlessly every year because our govt thinks healthcare is a market like any other business. And people aren’t allowed to know up front what costs will be. We are a very rich country and could afford to have healthcare for everyone, including better preventive care, dental, eye care and mental health care but that would not make profits for the needless middlemen. People who aren’t doctors make life and death decisions about what health care. The rest of the globe should call us on this as a anti- humanitarian crime - if not a deliberate profit based genocide based on lack of wealth.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

Previously, I’d had a chat with one of the moderators at the r/Scams subreddit about internet scams, how they’re different from regular ones, and what we can do to protect ourselves from them. Though nobody’s ever truly foolproof, education, preparation, and even rudimentary research are all lifesavers.

"I think online shopping scams are different because you lose that layer of dealing with a real-life person. When you have a real person in front of you, a typical person will feel shame or guilt at the thought of taking advantage of a person,” one of the mods from r/Scams told me during an earlier interview.

“With the internet, you aren't dealing with a person, but a username and avatar. It is much easier to act maliciously when you don't have a real victim directly in front of you," they said.

ADVERTISEMENT
#4

'What's A Scam Most People Don't Even Realize Is A Scam?': 40 People Deliver Their Insights Diamonds. Diamonds are a fairly common gemstone but the world's supplier of them is a monopoly and they hoard the majority of their stock to jack the prices up. Emeralds, Rubies and Sapphires are actually rarer than diamonds but cost less because of this.

Powerofgodandanime17 , flickr Report

Add photo comments
POST
erbakan_b avatar
Cat on a bike
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Diamond are not only used as gemstones but also in the industry for various cutting and polisihing effects. You can't use the other gemstones for this as they are not as hard. This is also a contributor.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#5

'What's A Scam Most People Don't Even Realize Is A Scam?': 40 People Deliver Their Insights "Woman's" anything. 90% are just colored different. Razors are the biggest offenders IMOP.

Grondosos , pexels Report

Add photo comments
POST
james_fox1984 avatar
Foxxy (The Original)
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Men's razors are so much better in my opinion and not just because they are cheaper, but I get a closer shave with them.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#6

'What's A Scam Most People Don't Even Realize Is A Scam?': 40 People Deliver Their Insights Planned obsolescence. Appliances being designed to fail sooner in order to sooner create demand for a replacement. In the same vein, devices being designed to not be repairable, so that you need to invest in a shiny new specimen whenever fashion or the predesigned breakdown require it.

BeeBarfBadger , flickr Report

Add photo comments
POST
saragregory0508 avatar
N G
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm not sure "most people don't realise [this] is a scam" applies here. Most people know their appliances break before their parents version ever did, or know that it cannot be fixed the way their grandparents did. But a key feature of a scam is that you have a way to avoid it. You cannot avoid your microwave breaking due to planned obsolescence unless you build your own damn*d microwave, because EVERY microwave is built with planned obsolescence. This is more like "suspect and unethical practices we consumers encounter from companies"

laurencaswell4 avatar
Lauren Caswell
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The market of good, built to last appliances is almost gone too. I have had several people ask if i want to sell my vacuum over the years, have had other ones that died, and lo and behold i got the old one out again. (Its a Tellus, steel body. I have bought a new hose for it once, as the old one cracked with sheer age. It can take the fleas off your dog) But they are getting rare, and vcrs, crt tvs etc are essentially obsolete regardless of function :(

Load More Replies...
cip-iesan-67 avatar
Cip IESAN
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've heard that this will change in the EU, because of pollution - appliances will be designed to last 10 years and to be repaired, not replaced.

laurencaswell4 avatar
Lauren Caswell
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That is really awesome. Repair can reduce waste, and any jobs lost from production of shoddy machines is replaced with manufacturing parts and repair service!

Load More Replies...
johnc_1 avatar
John C
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

RIGHT TO REPAIR. If you don't support the movement yet, it's time. www.repair.org

gilesmcardell avatar
Giles McArdell
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Being able to (occasionally) fix things is a real boon. I got a broken lawn mower from Freegle, taking it apart I realised it was designed such that the drive belt would slip off as soon as it became even slightly worn. I fixed the design (added a plastic ring to stop the belt falling off) and it's still running fine 10 years later!

jon_steensen avatar
Jon Steensen
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

unfortunately most electronics is not made to be fixed. Nowaday they use glue or snapjoints so you have to break things in order to even open them.

Load More Replies...
leodomitrix avatar
Leo Domitrix
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think part of this is that people don't read manuals and do proper upkeep, maybe? I've gotten apppliances to way outlast the so-called "lifespan" by just doing the proper upkeep.... regardless of brand, nitiial cost, etc.

jeffrequier_1 avatar
Requiem
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No, theres no money in repairs because people pay a small amount for warranty and it dies right away and you get a replacement. They fix it and resell it. I was a mover /delivery of furniture and appliances since 97. It went from bringing a tv or appliance to the repair guy to just bringing it back to the store and giving them a new one

changedmoon avatar
Hugo A-niro
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I did not realize that things could last forever if companies wanted to make them thar way .amazing!

stienbabe avatar
Becky Samuel
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There's a light bulb burning that has been lit for over 100 years. And yet the ones we buy don't last for more than a few months in regular use. This is a very deliberate manufacturing decision, not an accident.

Load More Replies...
jameskramer avatar
James016
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My last microwave lasted 15 years before it went pop. Shame as it was a 900w one but it was enormous and look quite out of place when we moved into our new home. We lasted about 5 months before we replaced it.

esssea0903 avatar
esssea 0903
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think like if this is not done, then the company with thousands of people will go bank rupt right? Like mobiles, we gotta buy a new one every 2-3 years later, and WE DEFO use them for its storage to go brr.. and also for other appliances in my house we have them for like more than 5 years and we also need to improve with time.

dannyruiz avatar
Danny Ruiz
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, creating a throw-away product society is not being responsible. Just look at our land fills. They're irresponsibly is contributing to the global crisis in the long run.

cyberchook avatar
Cybele Spanjaard
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My 28 y.o. Convection /Micro has the full menu and the microwave still working efficiently. I test it regularly for any leaks!!It is amazing.

mhklevgard avatar
Melvin Dragvelk
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It is not a planned obsolescence of things today, it it more the fact that people today do not take care of the items as past generations did. The current generations have been living in a throw away society, just use it up and toss it and buy a new one.

brianboru5014 avatar
Barbara Baldwin
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's why I buy cuisinart or Hamilton beach. Mine are going strong after years of hard work

backatya7 avatar
backatya
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Same thing with Autos. Mercedes use to be too good until they thought of making them not so good so people will need to buy again.

stuartbeatty avatar
Stuart Beatty
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I discovered recently when my Apple HomePod died, and I was told that it’s unrepairable, that Australian consumer law requires that if a product is unrepairable, it has to be replaced. Which, after a chat with someone at Apple, is what happened

bmarrs avatar
Barbara Vandewalle
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I bought my microwave in 1984 and it died 2018. The one I have now is junk and is not going to make it 7 years.

atlmainiac avatar
Martha Higgins
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

FYI My Panasonic microwave was built and purchased in1985 for $200.00 and still works perfectly.

capragiaheidi avatar
H.L.Lewis
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And meanwhile more and more of the garbage fills up more and more landfills. So frustrating!

frostyruby avatar
Redfox
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

1987 I got an electric hand mixer, a handheld hair dryer, and jaffle maker. Used them all yesterday, as I do most days. Still going strong. Microwave - at least 7 of them. Electric kettles - who knows, I lost count. (Side note, I used to use a stove top kettle till it rusted out, so got the electric kettle instead. Lesson learned there!)

germangargicevich avatar
German Gargicevich
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's not clear the border between planned obsolescence and the current incredible low cost of manufacture. e.g., an 75" 4K TV costs $748.00 at Walmart. How much to repair it? First, diagnostic, "doesn't turn on" isn't diagnostic. A technician should look at it. If that couldn't be done online, a personal visit adds hundreds of dollars, so sending it back is the only option. Depending on if the guarantee, you or the underwriter should fork the greenbacks. When both see the estimates, both will say in unison: no way! If you are left to pay, you soon will find that a new model is available for a little more money. The responsible for the warranty will do one of two things; sending you a new one (or "refurbished") and telling you to dispose responsibly of the dude. Or bite the bullet and pay for the return and sell it "as is" to wholesale buyers. Note that is no cost of actual repairs is involved. A $1,000 repairable '51 TV would cost today $10,419.

keerthivardhan avatar
Keerthi Vardhan
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No wonder the old is Gold came in where corporate greed hasn't overtook the essence of need. Older appliances work like a champ.

rweaver-boredpanda avatar
Johnny
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Making products repairable also (usually) makes them more expensive. How many consumers will pay 10% more for a microwave that might be easier to repair if it breaks in a few years, assuming replacement parts are even available? You can already buy a commercial microwave that's built to last, it'll likely be larger, heavier and with less features and cost twice or more the cheap one, but it'll likely last decades in residential use. But how many people buy them for home use?

narutonobakka avatar
Kantami Blossom
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You should also count phones, laptops, and tablets that get purposefully slowed down by updates by the manufacturer in their attempt to make you upgrade your device.

idrow avatar
Id row
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh, I learned this the hard way. I got a TiVo when they first came out and I bought the 'lifetime' plan. Well, I learned that the lifetime plan only covers that box specifically. If the TiVo breaks, that's money down the drain. When I spoke with TiVo after mine died after 5 years to find out why my service plan didn't transfer to my new TiVo, that's when they told me. Then they said I was lucky I got that long out of it, that they usually break down before the 5 year mark. I got them to admit they were designed that way. I sold my new TiVo instead of signing up with them again and never went back. I still have the chat transcript from that.

amyjobuchanan avatar
Amy Jo Buchanan
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't know because my aunt has everything original in her house and it was built over 25 years ago, the microwave, and the refrigerator are still working. Kenmore.

antonyaston avatar
Antony Aston
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The UK is supposed to be bringing in a law of 'right to repair'. Can't wait to see how that goes...

theresamccreary253 avatar
Theresa McCreary
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We remodeled our house a few years back, changing from contractor brass to brushed nickel and silver tones. Our washer/dryer was a wedding gift from my parents-we were long distance, so my Dad gave me his credit card number. Well, I went and bought the most expensive Maytags (this was 30 years ago). Both still worked just fine, but we bought new ones to match colors. We put the old ones out at the curb and someone came by that night and got them. Husband had to have everything Samsung - big mistake. Already replaced refrigerator and the other ones give us problems.

bakerjeremiah avatar
ekBar57
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

basically apple's business model. :( so freaking wasteful too

junkmailspam avatar
An Co
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

3 types of planned obsolesce. 1) Cheap stuff. Save the customer money by using cheaper materials. It will break earlier, but not everyone can afford the expensive stuff. Your fault if you want the good stuff but cheaped out. 2) Similar break down time. If you are making a pair of shoes you do not need to make the leather shell outlast the sole of the shoe. So if your soul lasts 3 year of hard use, you design the leather outer shell to last about 3 years. Yeah, sometimes it only lasts 2 years and 6 months, but that is still a good idea. 3) ABUSE THE CUSTOMER. Here you pay an extra 10 cents to sabotage the product, ensuring they have to pay $30 every year rather than every 2 years.

kobayashi-ken avatar
K.Kobayashi
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not really a scam. It costs more to build things that last longer. Consumers have shown that we'd rather buy cheaper things even if they don't last long.

jon_steensen avatar
Jon Steensen
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In some cases yes, but in others things are delibrately programmed to break. E.g. Apple got a serious fine for slowing people's phones down to such a degree that they became useless in the hope that they would get the newest model instead. Inkjet printers is another example. The printers are rediculous cheap since the real business is selling the ink once people have committed to the brand. The ink is rediculously overpriced, and often the printer will report low on ink long before the cartridge is empty. To prevent the marked from regulating the price of printer ink by allowing competetors to sell ink cheaper, the cartridges comes with a chip that identifies their brand, and the printer refuses to use of-brand ink. The only way to circumvent this is to apply new ink to a catridge with a surringe, which is a slow and messy process, or know how to hack your printer. So when you are looking for a new printer do not even have a look at the price, but investigate what it cost to replace the ink and how many pages you can print on a refill.

Load More Replies...
vasanaphong424 avatar
Vasana Phong
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I realized this is true as I get older, even stuff work related so you have to call for maintenance

jon_steensen avatar
Jon Steensen
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Had my Iphone become so sluggish due to a software update, that it became practically useless. It maybe wasn't the newest smartest thing, but atleast it could do what I needed before that. Did i follow the religion and spend a furtune on the latest model? No way! it was bye bye Apple for using such lousy tactics. We must fight back to maintain our rights and not be screwed over by the tech gigants in the hunt for profit and get some proper products.

neilbidle avatar
Neil Bidle
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Half of this is cheap manufacturing and materials, but the other half is how things are cared for. People won't spend the money to get something decent quality, and they won't spend the time and effort to look after it either, yet then they complain about it being cheap junk. It's like cars, modern cars have such long service intervals now that people most the time don't even check the oil until they break down.

viktorfeurer avatar
Viktor Feurer
Community Member
2 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

The idea of "planned obsolescence" is ridiculous. It simply does not exists. There are only cheap devices from crappy materials. You can buy a washing machine for 300$, and of course it will break after 5 years (if you are lucky) and there are no spare parts available. You can buy a washing machine for 3000$, it will work fine for decades and there will be spare parts available. One thing you cannot expect: a 300$ machine to run for decades. There are no such cheap materials.

susannaental_1 avatar
Dynein
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have actually witnessed it. I used to own a netbook which, after a few years, developed display issues. I know someone who can repair electronic devices who offered to help me with my netbook. As it turned out, one of the displays wires was broken (literally, there were two loose ends). Incidentally, this one wire was bundled separately from the others, with less protection... also incidentally, this one wire determined if the display showed any picture at all... no-one can tell me that wasn't design...

Load More Replies...
View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

“Online scams also use a lot of tricks to pressure buyers; low prices, pushes to buy now!, taking advantage of someone's kindness or naivete (re: advance check fraud, money mules, etc), or advertising one product and sending another (or nothing at all, by using a fake tracking number). Getting a person to make a decision via high-pressure tactics and preventing them from reflecting and making a sound decision is key," the mod listed some of the tactics that online fraudsters use to get their victims to part with their hard-earned cash.

ADVERTISEMENT

"If a deal is too good to be true, it is. If you see a pair of brand new Apple AirPods advertised for $50, you are not getting an authentic product. There are many counterfeit items out there on the market, and you need to verify authenticity before hitting buy," the redditor reiterated that we should always trust our gut and stay skeptical of empty promises.

#7

'What's A Scam Most People Don't Even Realize Is A Scam?': 40 People Deliver Their Insights Unpaid internships. What the actual f**k is wrong with America.

benjamynt , pexels Report

Add photo comments
POST
lisa-warndorff avatar
I want cake
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not exclusively an American thing. The reason I work in a completely different sector than my degree in art history is that I refused to do an unpaid or minimally paid internship, because I couldn't afford to. These art galleries would straight faced tell you they don't have money to pay you more than 195 euro a month for 40 hours of work, but spend triple that on an opening party for a new exhibition. Screw that. Edit: 40 hours of work a week. So 195 euro for 160 hours of work in a four-week month.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#8

'What's A Scam Most People Don't Even Realize Is A Scam?': 40 People Deliver Their Insights Scientology... And by most people, I mean those people in it.

herda831 , unsplash Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#9

'What's A Scam Most People Don't Even Realize Is A Scam?': 40 People Deliver Their Insights The Humane Society of the United States

"HSUS doesn’t run a single pet shelter. HSUS is not affiliated with any pet shelters. And HSUS only gives 1% of donations to pet shelters." Most of the donated money goes into the higher up's pension plans.

Seriously don't donate money to them, instead donate to a local shelter near you, they're the ones doing real work & helping animals.

Any "charity" whose president is living high on the hog on donations is a scam.

FarmerTex , pexels Report

Add photo comments
POST
neilbidle avatar
Neil Bidle
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Most "charities" do this, sending money to the directors and doing very little of use. It's almost as bad as the millionaire celebs pestering us to give money to "their" charity. Look at the Oxfam scandals for a start!!

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT

"Not only to avoid contributing to the counterfeit market, but because these knockoff products do not always go through the same safety standards of the real item; they may not be UL certified, they may use chemicals or ingredients that are not FDA approved and are unsafe for use on or in the human body, or could cause major harm to human life or property."

What’s more, even seemingly safe activities like renting properties online can lead to disappointment and lost money. “It is very common for scammers to lift photos and descriptions of houses for sale, mark down the rent as ridiculously cheap, then insist on getting the deposit sent via Western Union or other untraceable means; when it comes time to pick up your keys, the money is gone and there was no rental for you to move into, to begin with."

#10

'What's A Scam Most People Don't Even Realize Is A Scam?': 40 People Deliver Their Insights Contrary to popular belief, there a very few hot Russian singles in my area.

KokonutMonkey , unsplash Report

Add photo comments
POST
laurencaswell4 avatar
Lauren Caswell
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love the ones where someone in *my town* is making thousands per day, accompanied by an image of someone with a pile of foreign money. Oooh, so authentic 🤗

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#11

'What's A Scam Most People Don't Even Realize Is A Scam?': 40 People Deliver Their Insights .99 cents at the end of pricing.

uscx2 , flickr Report

#12

'What's A Scam Most People Don't Even Realize Is A Scam?': 40 People Deliver Their Insights Printer ink.

cartoonassasin , flickr Report

Add photo comments
POST
ssnx01 avatar
Chich
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I bought one with tanks that I just pour ink into when they get low. No more tiny $50 cartridges.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

The mod explained how doing some background research can help you avoid online rental scams. For starters, try Googling the address and seeing if it’s on a real estate listing for the property for sale. “You may find a real estate listing on MLS, Zillow, or other popular property rental/sale sites. I ran into this recently with a too-good-to-be-true rental, and I was able to report the listing and notify the listing agent that their listing was being used in a scam," they said.

ADVERTISEMENT

An extra line of defense that you should consider is getting a credit card and using that instead of a debit card. “Credit card protections for most cards are much more forgiving than debit cards. You can generally get your money back faster if you were scammed or mislead by a business, versus initiating an investigation through your bank. It is always smarter to pay by credit card (and pay off your balance monthly!)."

#13

'What's A Scam Most People Don't Even Realize Is A Scam?': 40 People Deliver Their Insights Expiration date on million years old himalayan salt.

gat000r , pexels Report

Add photo comments
POST
hannu avatar
Hannu Luhtasela
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Expiration date is added on these things because packaking materials (plastic etc) releases chemicals over the years into the product.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#14

'What's A Scam Most People Don't Even Realize Is A Scam?': 40 People Deliver Their Insights Having to pay $100+ bucks for Microsoft word.

yawnandshrug , flickr Report

#15

'What's A Scam Most People Don't Even Realize Is A Scam?': 40 People Deliver Their Insights Trickle down economics.

HiopXenophil , wikipedia Report

Add photo comments
POST
mishte_tine avatar
Mishte Tine
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That people ever bought into this, or worse - still push it - is another draconian greed grab.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#16

'What's A Scam Most People Don't Even Realize Is A Scam?': 40 People Deliver Their Insights Recycling plastic. The “recycling symbol” with the number on it is not a recycling symbol. It’s a resin identification code. It was intentionally designed to look like the recycling symbol to fool consumers. Only around 10% of plastics are recycled and usually only once. The whole campaign about recycling plastics and consumer responsibility was set up by the bottling companies to avoid legislation banning plastics because of their harm to the environment.

ioncloud9 , flickr Report

Add photo comments
POST
neilbidle avatar
Neil Bidle
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We should go back to glass bottles. Everything tastes better out of glass anyway, easier and cheaper to recycle, and a surcharge on the bottles (money back for empty bottles) means less litter.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#17

'What's A Scam Most People Don't Even Realize Is A Scam?': 40 People Deliver Their Insights Ordering a full carafe of wine in a restaurant. Where I work, a full carafe can fill 4-5 glasses. Ordering 5 glasses of some of our types of wine is actually $1-2 cheaper than the full carafe. Check the prices and do the math before ordering! Same goes for pitchers of beer!

neeeenbean , pexels Report

Add photo comments
POST
jmscargill avatar
Scagsy
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't really trust carafes. It could be literally anything in there. Wine that's been left open for a fortnight. Old stock. Damaged stock. Diluted. etc.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#18

When stores ask you to donate at checkout, they're using it as a tax write off.

its-incredibl Report

Add photo comments
POST
mishte_tine avatar
Mishte Tine
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This. I learned about this recently and it made me ill. I wonder what actually goes to the charity. Things like this should be transparent and easy to find out but most, if not all - are not. It’s devastating because I want to donate what I can to things and I don’t. : ( I donate to the KIND fund for desks and tuition for girls in Africa (school is not free and girls lose the most. They need personal products, too). I hope it is a meaningful way to give.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#19

'What's A Scam Most People Don't Even Realize Is A Scam?': 40 People Deliver Their Insights The concept of "superfoods" and "organic" anything. I work at a smoothie bowl place, and people will come in and literally pile 1500 calories full of peanut butter and granola into a bowl and think it's healthy because they put some superfood organic something into a bowl. It's literally pumpkin granola cereal from the store down the street, it's not going to cure cancer.

plantayshun_610 , flickr Report

Add photo comments
POST
lisa-warndorff avatar
I want cake
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This one needs a bit of nuance on the organic part. Just because something is organic doesn't mean all the rules about nutrition fly out the window, but it isn't a scam in itself, it is a product that is better for the environment and the body as there are no (potentially) hazardous chemicals involved in the production process. However, the thing that gets me the most about organic produce is that the main reason it's so expensive (at least in my country) is that the certificates are so expensive and it drives the prices up way more than it needs. So what I do instead is find local producers who work organically but don't want to pay the certificates, and there are more of those than you'd think.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#20

'What's A Scam Most People Don't Even Realize Is A Scam?': 40 People Deliver Their Insights Psychics.

Gui_Franco , pexels Report

Add photo comments
POST
celinebernadet avatar
Lynn Donovan
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love my tarot cards. The cards in themselves are beautiful. My mom gave them to me when I was young to perpetuate the tradition. I do tarot reading to my friends (very occasionnally). Mind you, I don't believe they're magic in any way. I just think that there is so many interpretations possible, that the one you chose to believe is true tells a lot about your frame of mind. So I don't read the cards per se, I read my friends instead :)

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#21

'What's A Scam Most People Don't Even Realize Is A Scam?': 40 People Deliver Their Insights In app mobile purchases. Especially for kids games.

JUST_THAT_JERK , pexels Report

Add photo comments
POST
mishte_tine avatar
Mishte Tine
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I hate this. I don’t get apps that have “in app purchases.” It’s limiting, but I won’t do it. The growth of “subscription” products (apps and other things) is another example of limiting access to things for lower wage people - I might buy something for ten dollars flat, but I can’t afford $4.00 a month - with automatic renewal. Also, “free trials” are usually not, requiring your credit card info and only available if you agree to pay after the free trial.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#22

'What's A Scam Most People Don't Even Realize Is A Scam?': 40 People Deliver Their Insights Insurance, at least in the US. If you have to fight for something YOU PAY FOR to pay THAT WHICH IT'S LITERALLY SUPPOSED TO PAY FOR and in return GET SCREWED with higher premiums, higher deductibles and higher copay amounts, then it's basically useless. We're paying into a scam cause we're idiots who don't understand, and don't WANT to understand how much better off our we'd be with Universal coverage, due to cost alone. But hey, what do I know?

snflwr1313 Report

Add photo comments
POST
jameskramer avatar
James016
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had such a nightmare with travel insurance once, we had to cancel a holiday as my son got sick a couple of days before, they did everything to avoid paying out. Even said that not using blue ink when filling out the form was a reason to reject the claim. It went on and on until we threatened court action, then it was settled.

View more commentsArrow down menu
#23

"Hustle" culture. Capital doesn't even have to manage you anymore; you manage yourself by convincing yourself that lack of sleep is good and that you should be working around the clock.

Blue_Dog_Democracy Report

Add photo comments
POST
cwebb5000 avatar
Chris365
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Individualism is a cancer - divide and conquer has worked for Boris the ballbag, Trump etc. And is an easy go to for conservatives. Pit anyone with any difference against each other and it’s an easy win for them. It’s all just a class war at the end of the day but they manage to chop society up and weaken their opponents. ‘Hustles’ shouldn’t have to exist but there is a political will to encourage them to weaken you. They want everyone to think it is every man for themselves, to fight each other for resources, because together we’d vote them out.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#24

“Work 12 hours a day every day and I’m surrrre they’ll move me up. I’m very valuable to my company “

EscapeOdd8897 Report

#25

'What's A Scam Most People Don't Even Realize Is A Scam?': 40 People Deliver Their Insights Our (US) health care system.

Lauren12269 , pexels Report

Add photo comments
POST
mishte_tine avatar
Mishte Tine
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Human lives depending on a profit based “market” - every other developed country rejected this model, many for decades - because it’s inhumane and unthinkable.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#26

'What's A Scam Most People Don't Even Realize Is A Scam?': 40 People Deliver Their Insights Out of network ATM fees.

Vespaeelio , unsplash Report

Add photo comments
POST
libstak avatar
Libstak
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Or non bank arms. 7 Eleven whereby am took away the bank arms from their premises and replaced them with 7 Eleven brand arms that cost all cardholders, regardless of which bank $2.50 per withdrawal. I hope this sends them bankrupt, cynical smarmy toads.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
See Also on Bored Panda
#27

'What's A Scam Most People Don't Even Realize Is A Scam?': 40 People Deliver Their Insights Bottled water.

poopyhole2 , pexels Report

#28

Funeral services. There is nothing wrong or dangerous about dead bodies. The idea that random people come into your home and take your loved one away, rip out their insides, fill them will chemicals and out them on display and you have to pay to put them to rest is ridiculous and quite frankly evil.

FoxFetter Report

#29

When I was a kid my brother would tell me the lottery is 'a tax on stupid people.

Luke10124 Report

#30

I’m most intrigued by the vague life coaches, who use lots of big words and mention specific figures they have supposedly earned, but there is no clarity on what exactly they do.

immoreoriginalmate Report

Add photo comments
POST
christineschneider avatar
Beeps
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It’s just awful, especially given that life coaching isn’t a regulated discipline. Sure, there are several scam accreditation bodies, but most people just don’t understand that I could make up my own college of life coaching and accreditation right here and now, give it a fancy name, and it wouldn’t really mean anything. Yet so many people fall for it. Please, please, please, stick to licensed and regulated psychologists and mental health professional (and check what ‘licensed’ and ‘registered’ actually means for your country, as it’s different everywhere.)

View more commentsArrow down menu
#31

Those Facebook post that my grandparents always repost that go on about some s**t like Facebook doesn’t want you see this... trump bla bla bla ...... repost this if your brave .... let’s make this go viral etc

Drywalleater03 Report

#32

"Shrinkflation." Where they give you less, and charge you more.

U_Have_Issues Report

#33

Crystal healing, religion, and horoscopes. How are we still buying this bulls**t with the internet out there.

DefenestrateWindows Report

Add photo comments
POST
jaynekyra avatar
Jayne Kyra
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Crystals can definitely keep bad people away. If you throw them correctly, that is.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#34

'What's A Scam Most People Don't Even Realize Is A Scam?': 40 People Deliver Their Insights Boomers getting free healthcare (Medicare) while voting against anyone else getting it.

gamechanger112 , unsplash Report

Add photo comments
POST
jmscargill avatar
Scagsy
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

'Oooo, let's blame older people for a problem that could easily be solved by politicians if they could stop starting wars for five minutes'. In other news, the wall is working in hampering Mexican border-crossing. Apparently they are finding it much harder to get out of the US than ever before.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#35

Tipping.

FalconFox500 Report

#36

I don't know if they are still around but around 2010, people were buying these "ionic footbaths" that supposedly removed toxins in your body through your feet.

mr_sweetandawful Report

Add photo comments
POST
ssnx01 avatar
Chich
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

anything to "remove toxins" is a huge scam. Knew a woman who was selling detox foot baths for $1000 and people were buying them. Absolute nonsense.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
See Also on Bored Panda
#37

'What's A Scam Most People Don't Even Realize Is A Scam?': 40 People Deliver Their Insights Supplements. Because they are considered a food they are not regulated. A recent study found that 25% don't contain any of the substance it is sold as. About as many others contain actual prescription medicines that are not listed. In the US about 23 000 people a year are hospitalized, have organ failure or need a transplant due to taking unregulated supplements.

NZT-48Rules , unsplash Report

Add photo comments
POST
saragregory0508 avatar
N G
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This might be a "unique to the US" thing. Food supplements aren't separately regulated in the UK, but are covered by multiple food regulations, which means they sort of are regulated (they can't contain something not listed on the packaging, for example, and cannot claim medical benefits they don't actually provide)

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#38

'What's A Scam Most People Don't Even Realize Is A Scam?': 40 People Deliver Their Insights Most extended warranties on electronics. Usually you're paying extra for the warranty and extra on top of that as a "labor cost" of whoever is fixing the device.

Cheaper than a new device? Sure but can still be pricey.

KingGooma , flickr Report

#39

'What's A Scam Most People Don't Even Realize Is A Scam?': 40 People Deliver Their Insights Willfully deciding that a week inside the casinos of Vegas sounds like a good vacation.

YouMightBePregnant , flickr Report

Add photo comments
POST
malagotelli avatar
Eslamala
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

People have the right to go wherever the fck they want on vacation, don't they? I'd never go to Disney-anything because I hate it, but I don't give a shït if people want to go.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#40

'What's A Scam Most People Don't Even Realize Is A Scam?': 40 People Deliver Their Insights Premium cables. In order for one hdmi cable to have better quality over another, you'd need hundreds of yards between the source and display. Cat5 vs. Cat 6 makes a difference for high bandwidth companies, not for your cable internet ass. Really the only thing it matters in is phone charging durability. Yes, don't get the gas station cables if you help it, but if you do, your phone will still charge at the same rate.

personguy , flickr Report

Add photo comments
POST
saragregory0508 avatar
N G
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm conflicted by the phone charging. I have cables which are demonstrably better at charging my phone than others. Plus you also have cables with data transfer capabilities which are different to the charging only ones. There are far more nuances to this one.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

Note: this post originally had 86 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.