Buyer's remorse is a real thing. As far as anyone goes, if you've ever shopped, you've probably made a bad purchase here and there. This Bored Panda thread was dedicated to the most regretful instances of buyer's remorse. Check out what our brilliant community has submitted!

If you want to get the gist of it, here's a summary of the thread. While many described their regretful purchases that were pretty common, like a bad tech item, some had some brilliant insights that many unexpectedly related with. Bought exercise gear that you barely use? Turns out, you're not alone, perhaps even in the majority. Other submissions were a tad bit more strange, but all the more interesting. And, of course, there are many more truly brilliant stories that are best told by the authors themselves.

#1

30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community A few years ago, Cadbury claimed they would stop selling their choco bars in the USA. I bought a gazillion of 'em. They're still available in the USA and they're fresh. Not like the evil choco-things taking up space in my pantry. As a door stop.

Report

#2

30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community My treadmill, elliptical, spin bike… each one with the promise to exercise more. Oh well, there is always tomorrow.

Report

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

Consider this, if you were to get rid of them, where would you dump your clothes?

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

30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community A college degree. I haven't been able to use it at all. I got BS's (Law Enforcement and Forensic Anthropology) and a BA (Pre-Law). Couldn't get a job. Then went back to a Community College for an Associates of Applied Science in Accounting. Now working for an international firm making the most money I've ever earned. Wish I'd known before wasting all that money.

Report

#4

30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community An air fryer that I've used once in 6 months.

Report

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

I encourage you to try it again- my SO makes onion bhaji from scratch in ours - better than our local Indian takeaway, he also does breaded chicken to rival the Colonel... and the chips (fries/potato wedges) are soooo good, and ooooh the breaded garlic mushrooms! All this sounds like awfully naughty food, but done in the air fryer it's not nearly so unhealthy! I consider our air fryer to be one of our best kitchen investments.

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

30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community I bought a tablet around 5 years ago thinking I will use it for work. I used it a few times out of curiosity but never used it for work as it wasn't efficient at all for me. It's just too small for work and movies, and that's basically all I use my computer for. So it ended up being an expensive useless purchase I still have on my shelf collecting dust. It wasn't touched for a few years. I should have sold it or donated it but here we are.

Report

Add photo comments
POST
robert-townsend avatar
Billy The Kid
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Donate it to a school. With this working.... from home im sure there is someone who cant afford one and could really help them out

View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#6

A Time Share. Worst idea in the world. Can't use it and can't get rid of it. Costing thousands a year in fees.

Report

Add photo comments
POST
faeriewoman27 avatar
A.
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To each their own when it comes to timeshares. I've got good friends who love theirs, other friends who've been trying to unload for years now.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#7

30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community My first tattoo. I walked in and picked a piece of flash off the wall featuring a Chinese word that (you guessed it) was badly translated. Every other tattoo I have has either been designed by me or I worked with the artist to design it. Technically I still have my first tattoo, I just got it covered up.

Report

Add photo comments
POST
clarissa-h-unpronounceable avatar
Easily Excitable Panda
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The first time I got a tattoo, I brought in my own design. The artist said, "Good for you for not choosing flash." As a novice, I had no idea what he was talking about, and vaguely wondered if showing my boobs would get me a discount. (The Catholic schoolgirl in me was horrified by the thought!)

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

30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community In fourth grade, I bought a rabbit pelt on a field trip at Waterloo Village because it was soft. It's definitely in the house somewhere. Yes, I'm an animal lover and it hurts me a bit to see it.

Report

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

I went on a French Exchange trip to the French Alps when I was 11... All the gift shops had little souvenirs (key fobs, random ornaments) with rabbit or marmot fur... Yes I bought one, and yes, I kept it for years to remind myself how stupidly easily I'm won over by strokable stuff, but to think about what I'm buying into.

View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#9

30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community When I was in my mid twenties, I was single and had a good paying job. Mind you this was in the 1990s. I went to dillards and bought this genuine leather jacket that cost around $500. I wore it maybe 6 times because I didn’t want to get it wet but it couldn’t keep me warm at all. I still have it in my closet just sitting there, reminding me of how stupid I was to purchase it.

Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#10

30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community This one time I brought an iPad case from Amazon as an early birthday present. I really loved it. Then about a week later I had my birthday party. My mum told all her friends about the case I loved, no about a third of them bought it. Since it was $45 I was touched, but now I had four iPad cases and no one I knew had an iPad except me!

Report

#11

30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community My truck. Couldn't drive it within 30 min of purchase. Spent $10,000 on it in 14 months.

Report

#12

Does an unfinished degree count? I'm still paying off the loans so it's still hanging over me..

Report

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

Transfer the credits you did get to a course in a cheaper college and get a cert in something you do like in a faster time then starting from scratch. Also works for online courses and colleges in different countries.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#13

30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community The iPad/iPhone chargers that hardly even function.

Report

#14

30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Workout equipments😅

Report

#15

30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community 50 beanie babies. Still want more.

Report

ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#16

30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community NVIDIA 3D glasses before VR was still fiction. Used them twice and never again since the glasses were too heavy for my nose. The pain wasn't worth the slight 3D...

Report

Add photo comments
POST
foxtreme007 avatar
Francisco Garcia Bustamante
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My 3D tv, lasted 10 years before broke down last year, and i only used like twice a year with the 3D on

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

30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Not me but my mom. Shoutout to metro.

She needed a new phone and bought a new anderoid. The manager charged her $532 and gave her headphones she didnt even want. Then my mom went home and did the math. It only cost $432. We gave up on trying to sue because unless the cameras caught the scam on tape we would have no evicence

Report

#18

An $88 karaoke machine I bought from Walmart 5 years ago. We never get to use it as we live in an apartment and the times we have tried using it the quality is no better than the kids karaoke toy my daughter had. Plastic mic, music significantly lowers when you add your voice but as soon as you stop it the music goes loud creating a disorienting pitch problem. Apparently you can add lyrics displayed on the TV but I was never able to figure it out. It's been just sitting there for years. It's better worth the money to go out to my favourite karaoke joint.... how I miss going out to karaoke.

Report

ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#19

30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community I got these hair clips/ties off Amazon and they are to big and we’re made of plastic (the pictures looked like they were metal and the description didn’t say) but yeah I spent 15$ on junk and I see them every day on my shelf :D

Report

Add photo comments
POST
clarissa-h-unpronounceable avatar
Easily Excitable Panda
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Maybe you can use them to keep open bagged items fresh? (I'm thinking of things like potato chips.) At least you'd get some use out of them.

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

Idk if it counts but a crappy tattoo that has not aged well.

Report

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

That definitely counts! I mean that's are literally WITH you forever, not just in a closet, shelf or drawer

View more commentsArrow down menu
#21

30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Happy meal Toys. What do I do with them?
And the little cheap useless toys at the the cash register.

Report

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

Yeah, these things should never be produced- it's just plastic waste. Serves no purpose except to make kids want low quality sugary food even more than they already do. Ban plastic cr@p.

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

A house! The mortgage is killing me! Only 20 years to go before it is mine and will be paying almost double in total than what I 'bought' it for.

€200k was the price, will have paid 380k when I'm done.... And the house is worth 350 now. (And that'll buy me 75% of the space on the current market)

Report

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

Yes but in 20 years you never have to pay rent or mortgage again.

julialawley avatar
Flabuless-Jaye
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Once you've repaid a chunk, would you be able to remortgage to a better deal and reduce your monthly payments? Also, if you are feeling a bit cash rich one month, or you've had a bonus, overpay your mortgage payment. They come straight off the capital sum, not on interest. Plus, in general, house prices go up, so it'll be worth more than you spent on it . Buying a house is the best way to pay yourself, as at the end you'll have a lovely house that you own outright. Not so if you rent.

danadetrick avatar
Dana Detrick
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I actually heard once that a better way to pay off the capital faster is put the extra you'd be adding to your monthly payment in an interest-bearing account instead until you have enough to just pay the loan off in full. This was because if you do hit a bind where you are at risk of foreclosure, banks are less likely to work with you and go ahead and foreclose because they take less of a loss than on homes where more is still owed. Doesn't seem fair, but better business for the mortgage.

Load More Replies...
barts_1 avatar
Bart S
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So the person just signed the docs not doing or looking at the calculations? No reason to complain for not doing own "due diligence" on mortgage.

dianapahule avatar
Diana Pahule
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You can still complain. Being unhappy with a purchase doesn't mean you weren't part of the reason.

Load More Replies...
justamarineveteran avatar
Just a Marine Veteran
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you're renting, you're just giving that money to someone else. It sucks either way, but I'd rather be paying my own stuff.

janrosier avatar
Jan Rosier
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In some European countries, where inflation is automatically coupled by law to your income, a fixed but large monthly payment seems a big chunk now, but in ten years time you're still paying the same but it will have become a (much) smaller part of your income..

jtmarie64 avatar
Jill Tremblay
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Or you could have spent that on an apartment and have nothing to show for it.....?!?

chrysalis_1 avatar
WordWeaver
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hang in there, because it's worth it. Think how much rent you would be paying over your lifetime compared to your mortgage.

rosidah_yahya avatar
Rosidah Yahya
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

take good care of it, a house is a good investment at the end :)

gregory_hoggarth avatar
Greg Hoggarth
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sounds like you're already ahead on this purchase, so why are you complaining?

mjw0sysascend_com avatar
lara
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We paid our mortgage off early buy paying about twenty five bucks a month more. The first twenty years of a thirty year mortgage is about 99% of the interest on the loan. The last ten years is just the amount of money for the house. If you pay a little bit extra they apply it to the purchase price of the house.

n_kriaraki avatar
Nikrikri
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Refinance for a better rate and shorter repayment period ….? To reduce the total overall cost.

richard_6 avatar
Richard Willis
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So even if you only bought it 20 years ago, it has only cost you 180k/240 = 750/m, probably less than renting. If you only count your equity loss, /240 is only 125/m

billmarsano avatar
bill marsano
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My 30-yr mortgage didn't hv a pre-payment p[penalty. That allowed me--when flush w/extra bucks--to pay in advance the back end of the mortgage, where payments are almost all principal and v little interest (the opposite the beginning). That way I shaved a coupkle pof years off the mortgage and saved quite a few bucks.

aprilpickett_3846 avatar
April Pickett
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah, that's the catch. I was told that I should sell my house since the market was so high. I asked what would I be able to get because the market was so high.

pauleedee avatar
Paul Z.
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Bought the wrong house in the wrong place with the wrong mortgage...

clairebauling avatar
Crouching hippo hidden panda
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That seems a ridiculously high interest rate, at least compared to what I’m paying on mine. I don’t know where OP lives, but they for sure should inquire about renegotiating the rate and possibly moving the mortgage to a different bank

cwright410 avatar
Carol Wright
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I bought a condo because it was actually cheaper than renting an apt. It is in a nice quiet, unbelievably but thankfully no-crime area even though it is a mile or so off a busy highway. My backyard is a State Park where I can watch the deer from my balcony. $2,200 a month for the mortgage, taxes, insurance, snow removal, landscaping, and lawn mowing. All of the structural building expenses, water, and trash are covered by the HOA. A comparable apt. would be about $2,500 a month and the prices go up every year by $60 to $100 per month every year. If you don't want a house, consider a condo.

skidog911 avatar
Kusotare
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's the way mortgages work. Unless you're in an area where the market tanks or if you overpaid at the time of purchase, you'll be money ahead in the long run.

macillo48152 avatar
Mary Ann Camillo
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In today's market, you're still ahead. Value will go up. Just have to wait. You probably couldn't afford rents now. Talk about throwing money away!

mallee49 avatar
Anne Mitchell
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well you are paying a mortgage not rent, so every cent you pay is increasing equity in the building, A bit like enforced saving. Paying rent instead of your mortgage is putting more equity in someone else's real estate.

sueuser avatar
Sue User
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The house is worth 350,000 , so in 20 years, it will probably be worth over 600,000. So if you end up paying 380,000 you are fine.

mstburns avatar
Tiffi
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My mortgage is paid for. Just have to pay taxes, utilities and of course maintenance. It's piece of mind that is worth the 20 years of payments. I'll never be evicted or homeless, and I love that feeling.

ssnx01 avatar
Chich
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ask about paying bi-weekly rather than monthly. Also, I have a friend who could have bought a place years ago. Decided not to and is now retiring. Could have owned a place by now but will be renting for the rest of her life.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#23

An Elmo toy— scares the crap out of me

Report

ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#25

30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community A 350-euro Samsung phone. It cracked its screen on its own after one week when the alarm went off on vibrate mode on an uneven table. I never replaced the screen but I use it for international calls.

Report

#26

30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community About €500 worth of hair weaves. I keep changing my hair color so I can no longer wear them since they don’t match my actual hair color anymore and have to get a new one made. Such a waste…

Report

#27

30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community A $400.00 piece of art that I could have paid maybe $30.00 for the poster print.
Don't get me wrong; beautiful piece but $400.00!?

Report

#28

Very expensive hiking boots... but I'm going to return them 😉

Report

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

I got my hiking boots at a Tractor Supply store! Seriously, they were great boots and lasted about 10 years before developing a tear, I got the new pair at the same place. Companies that build shoes that are mean to be worn on muddy farms don't mess around with comfort, waterproofing, or durability, or their customers would never buy a second pair.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

Note: this post originally had 58 images. It’s been shortened to the top 28 images based on user votes.