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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

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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.

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#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

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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.

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#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

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Mishte Tine
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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.

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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.

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#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

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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.

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#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

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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.

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#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

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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"

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“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.

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"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

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I want cake
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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.

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#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

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#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

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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!!

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"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

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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 🤗

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#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

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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#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

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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.

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#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

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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.

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#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

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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.

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#18

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

its-incredibl Report

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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.

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#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

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I want cake
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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.

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#20

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

Gui_Franco , pexels Report

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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 :)

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#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

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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.

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#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

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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.

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#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

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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.

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#24

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

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#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

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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.

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#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

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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.

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#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

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Karin Gibson
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You don't have to do all that. In the uk you can have nature burials where nothing has been done to the body.

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

You can do that as well in the US but it has to be within a certain timeframe from death.

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

We just cremate the body as quickly as possible before it begins rotting. Now there's even the option of using diesel machines to quickly burn it instead of using wood.

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Jan Feline
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm Jewish. We don't embalm, we don't have viewings, and we bury in a simple pine box. Have to say, I greatly prefer it that way.

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Jonathan
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Me too. And no fancy caskets, just a cheap pine box as a coffin- the environment gains so much from us.

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

Not sure how it is in other places, but in Romania these things cost as much as a wedding. You have to pay for all sorts of cr*p, like bagels, towels, candels, priests, assistant priests, palbearers, diggers, need to feed everybody, give everybody some symbolic thing, throw a chicken across the grave (this is no joke). And considering people in Romania are generally poor, these things cost a small fortune. What's even more baffling is that nobody questions these things, are accepted as a given, see that famous monkey story, exactly the same thing. If you question any of that omg you're the antichrist and deserve excomunication and be made anathema lol.

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

Well, a rotting corpse can be dangerous... and what would you do with the body, bury it in your backyard?

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Margaret Martin
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If THAT were actually TRUE... then every "Forensic Body Farm" & "Mass Grave" site would be a Bio-Hazard. Certain Religions & rural areas STILL have in Home WAKES & back yard burials.

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Diphylleia Grayi
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What this makes me feel is sad, if you haven't paid funeral services if you die your family having or not having the money to pay they would must pay it even after 5 years after you got out of the grave. I have seen slot in these days. You die you must pay. People can't die in peace

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Not A Panda
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's probably very country specific. Where I am, we don't embalm, we don't rip bits out and if you want to, you keep your loved one at home, funeral people will rent you (very affordable) cooler and stand and curtains if you want, and will come pick them up at the designated time. You don't _have_ to use funeral services if you don't want to where I am. You are fully entitled to do it yourself as long as you stick to the legal requirements (notifying authorities and transport of body within a certain time).

scigib avatar
Karin Gibson
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We even allow stillborns to go home with the parents. They are in a special chilled cots. This is to allow the parents to grieve.

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clive apps
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The entire funeral business is based on taking advantage of people at the worst times. The upwelling of services doesn't make the dead person any happier or you,show more respect to them.

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Freya the Wanderer
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When my grandmother passed, we didn't have a funeral - we just donated to her favorite charities. When a long-time friend of mine passed, we had a memorial at a local hotel (some of his friends came from out of town, and didn't need to be driving in the wee hours of the morning). We spent three hours guzzling beer and wine, munching on junk food, and telling stories about him or that he told. Many were the laughs!

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Ron Weber
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They don't rip out your insides anymore. That was ancient Egypt. Now they replace your blood with embalming fluid but it's unnecessary as long as the body is kept cool and buried within a few days. The only reason for embalming is if you are displaying a body for a state funeral or something where the body may be on display for days or if the body has to travel a long way to it's final destination.

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Nancy Munoz
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

the fact that you have to pay an execive amount of money YES... but funeral services has been a historic ritual throughout human history, some peruvian cultures mommified their dead, and kept their bodies in their homes

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RoseTheMad
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My grandmother recently passed, and she decided on a humanitarian funeral and was cremated- she didn't want embalming, she just wanted a simple wicker casket, with a small spread of flowers, it still looked beautiful and it was a beautiful service, but would have cost far less than your average funeral. But I totally agree - the cost of funerals can be INSANE depending on what you want, and in my opinion, it really shouldn't be. Death is inevitable, but so is the feeling of love to those who have passed, and thus the wish to give them a beautiful sendoff is also inevitable, we shouldn't have to pay through the roof for this, it's wrong on many levels. I'm going into the "industry" (it really shouldn't be an industry, should it? e_e ) myself, and can only hope I get the chance to somehow change this, and offer lower price funerals.

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Margot Artner
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I´m not surprised that my local cemetary is "losing clients". There are less and less occuped graves over the last years. The tendency here is to cremate, thus those parts are filling up rapidly. You may only take the urn home with security lock - just in case you might want to fulfill the deceased last wish to be spread at sea, over the favorite mountain, etc. And they apparantly check on you too.

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

Find yourself the pod people - they'll tuck your corpse up into a ball, with a tree on top and plant you. You become tree food. Circle of life, baby. Circle of life...

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Margot Artner
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When they picked up my mother, the younger guy said "I hate this job (taking out the dentures)". His partner urged him to shut up. I was too shaken by seeing her die and by this moron to react appropriately! In Europe deceased are merely dressed in clothes you supply. You have to buy a coffin (even if it gets burnt with you), if they chose to be cremated. You pay for the hospital/doctor that declares you dead. You pay for the transfer to the funeral parlor and again to the cemetary. There you pay for the priest, with or without service. Again you pay for the hole in the ground. Here charges vary, depending on the length of stay! (Paying rent!) Thereafter, you are thrown out and dumped in a hole, together with other (literally) poor soules. Grave stones are optional! All in all, you are faced with a horrendous bill, which you need to save up prior to your demise, if you don´t want your children to be charged. Hence, I plan on donating the meager rest of me (a number of organs already gone) to medical students. Once they´re finished, the rest will be cremated and buried in a ceremony accompanied by some students and seniors! a) done some use to humanity and b) saved some cash! You do not have the option of being scattered in a place of your choice! The hole in the ground it is in Austria. Apparently for ethical reasons - to preserve the person´s dignity! What a joke!

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Viv Hart
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My family have all opted for cremation, including our pets.

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

it's a rip off but a body's bacteria is dangerous and that's why they're buried

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Laurie Ostergaard-Overbey
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

this is absolutely true! i had to pay for a coffin for my beloved husband, but i insisted on viewing the creamation. for 'display', he was on a wood slab with a quilt on him, and they took the lovely quilt away for the burning, and just covered him with a sheet. no coffin

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

Recompose is a company, founded by Katrina Spade, that composts bodies and returns the nutrient rich soil to the earth. Cool, recompose.life Become soil when you die Death is profound, momentous, and beyond our understanding. With an approach that is as practical as it is meaningful, Recompose connects the end of life to the natural world.

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

Only if they have been laying dead for a week in the height of summer when no one found them and they are starting to explode. Yeah, nothing dangerous about a bit of ecoli floating around the room.

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Giaan Beeltje
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just burn me and throw a party, I'm already dead a funeral means nothing to me.

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Mike Serrano
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

nope, obituaries are the rip-off. Or, and someone put it, the "the nearly dead, fleecing the dead".

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Deborah B
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There is a lot wrong and dangerous about dead bodies. Bodies rot fast, and can contain a lot of harmful micro-organisms, which you do not want to be exposed to. You don't have to have a funeral, or a coffin, or a viewing, and you may not need to have enbalming, depending on local laws. You can have a body cremated, rather than buying a cemetary plot. You do have to have the dead body safely and legally disposed of.

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David Redman
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One final $12,000 or more look. Close the casket and watch it be buried in a deep hole followed by a special chiseled monument cost another few grand. How about cremation and a beautiful urn at a fraction of the price? And your loved one is portable!

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

I mean, I'd phrase this a bit more eloquently lol, but I totally agree! I am a firm believer that cremation is the better way to go, it's cheaper, and more effiecient when you consider that there's only so much room for graveyards. As for having a headstone to remember them by - you may do this, but at the same time - don't think in the way that this constricts their memorial to one singular place. Your loved ones will always be with you listening, and if you speak to them, they will know that the bunch of flowers on your window ledge are dedicated to them, etc. :)

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Deb Dedon
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But just try to find a cemetery that allows 'natural' burials.

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Laura Nelson
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

cremation folks! I'm going to be turned into a coral reef when I die.

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Donkey boi
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There is a lot of dangers that a dead body can bring! Also you do not have to pay to put them to rest. Not a single country in the world has a legal requirement for a family member to pay to have you buried/cremated. Once you are dead your remains are the responsibility of the state, most countries have a formal 'release form' or document to 'sign the body over' to you, if you do not agree or sign the documents, it's not your responsibility.

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cybermerlin2000
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Have you ever wondered why you should never eat from any plant tree or bush that grows in a cemetery? Embalming slows down the decay of the body in case a problem comes up where the relatives have to wait longer to bury their loved one. The insides are not ripped out unless they have a donor card. Dead bodies are very dangerous. Try licking a decaying corpse and let everyone know how you feel after a few days

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Pink Floydian Panda
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'll take your word for it on licking a decaying corpse, but thank you for the suggestion.

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

I'm going to take a detour into the world of fiction here but the way we bury the dead is one of the main reasons why a zombie outbreak would never be as bad as it is in shows like The Walking Dead. If that show was real the majority of zombies would be stuck in the ground or locked in their houses or buildings. Life would continue like normal just with a lot of gossiping going on. That was a random thought.

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Vasana Phong
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The price is mind boggling, I’ve always wondered what happens if a family can’t afford this for a loved when they can’t even afford basic essentials, go fund me can only go so far.

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#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

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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.)

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#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.

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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.

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#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

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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.

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#35

Tipping.

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#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.

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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.

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#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.

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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)

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#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

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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.

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#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

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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.

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