Finding out that you were being lied to is probably one of the worst feelings out there. It’s sad and disappointing and, if the lie was significant, it often has lasting repercussions. It makes people trust their surroundings less, grow more suspicious, and even become insecure about their future.
And while being lied to by someone you know and hold dear is 100% awful, being lied to by a company that you don’t care about can somehow make you feel even angrier. Company lies feel like worthless violations of trust that could have been easily avoided. But no, they just had to manipulate your perception and vulnerability for their personal gain. Jerks.
The following list is full of examples of people getting their days ruined by greedy corporations. So, scroll down with caution or you too will start having trust issues.
This post may include affiliate links.
This Tea Towel. The Patterned Part Was The Only Portion Visible On The Packaging
Deceitful packaging seems to be an epidemic that’s so common, people don’t even bat an eye at it. It is sort of expected, in a way, to be lied to by companies.
You got tricked by packaging? Well, that’s your own fault, you should know better. Corporations will always find ways to avoid regulation and it’s now on you, the consumer, to do your due diligence and not fall for the cheap tricks. And there are many of them out there.
This $5 Lunch Wrap That Is Mostly Tortilla
Can You Figure Out Why I'm Infuriated Before The 4th Picture?
What the literal hell Sergeant's?
PS: Be not concerned with the shampoo color, it became the host bottle for my cat's RX shampoo a long time ago.
Take the overall feel of the packaging design, for example. This one is all about first impressions and marketers love using it to their advantage. They put so much effort into making it just right. That’s because this where they try to trip you over first.
For instance, some companies like to make their product look rustic with off-white colors and curious font choices so that you would assume the item is somewhat natural. They pop a person with a straw hat on it and voila, it seems like you plucked this product straight from a farmer’s market. Even though, quality-wise, it’s no different from the next product on the shelf.
This Typically Sized Roll Of String Is Actually A Foam Mold Of The Shape String Normally Makes And A Little Bit Of String Wrapped Around That
This Sandwich
I would report the company to a Consumers' Association. This is actually a robbery. The problem is, in some countries there aren't any consumers' protection laws. (Is the label in Bahasa Indonesia?)
Tricked By The Packaging Of My Moisturizing Cream
Probably because of the ingredients list that's larger than the container.
Then, there are sleek and simple designs that give off a false impression of luxury. A neat font, a single pastel color, and minimal wording and you feel like this has to be the top-notch choice. Often, though, the only thing that makes it different from the other products is the higher price tag.
I Bought This Pallet Specifically For The “Blue” Middle Shade
My "Pound" Of Turkey Meat Is Short By Over 100 Grams (Almost Missing An Entire Fourth Of The Pound)
The package says it’s a pound of turkey meat. I weighed it, and it was over 100 grams short of a pound. I’m furious. I spent 75$ on groceries this week, and it feels like it got even more expensive. I’m being so honest when I say let’s do a class action lawsuit against every company.
This Is How 18 Snickers Bars Are Packaged In A "Yard"
Brand names are also pretty bad offenders here. That’s because they are used as a work-around to all the rules you have to adhere to actually make your product stand out. The worst ones in this category have to be the greenwashing ones. All the names with “natural”, “healthy”, “green”, or “planet” in them. They instantly give you an impression that the item is eco-friendly even though many of those words aren’t regulated in any way.
I Understand The Size Difference But Can’t Forgive The Color
Store Using The Clearance Stickers To Cover The Expiration Date. On Baby Food
Bought A 12-Pack Of Dove Soap, They All Came Out Like This
However, this is not the only time marketers just slap on a word on their product to elevate its value. This goes for other words such as “professional”, “plus”, or “lean.” No one needs to prove any of those to actually use them.
Opened A Pack Of Staples And Was Greeted With This Lovely Surprise
So I Only Get This Much Actual Cream?
Straight Up Lie
Then, there are claims that come under brand names. These are statements such as “made with real fruit” or “contains whole grain”. Sure, it probably does, that isn’t the lie. The thing is that to make that claim one only needs to put the tiniest amount of it in your product.
These Sly, Sly Bastards
Not Only Did My Box Of "90" Treats Have Only 75 Candies, But Also Only 1 Sour Patch Kids
I wonder if it had been opened in store and people taken out the missing bags. I always check things like this and properly sealed
Are They For Real With This? After A Long Day Of Work, I Wanted More Than 4 Pieces Of Cheese
I've stopped buying frozen or boxed pizzas like this, I want more than dough with tomato sauce.
Similarly, brands can manipulate you into thinking their product is better by adding a bunch of badges on it. This can be gluten or cholesterol free as well as claims that the food or drink is low in calories, fat, or sugar. This does not mean they are nutritionally more valuable than your other options. In fact, the low-carb claim is not even regulated, so virtually any product can have it. So, you better check the back of the label to really know what you’re getting.
Brand New Protein Powder, Not Even Filled With Half Whey
Can we all just take a moment to appreciate the pun in the title?
A Box 25% Filled With A Bottle That Is Also 25% Filled
This is normal at probably all pills in a bottle like this. I got some prescription pills about a month ago, It was supposed to be 2 days, 2 times 0.5 of pill. So - 2 pills in total, right? Wrong. Not only it came in regular size of bottle, but there were 11 pills which are for nothing, because you need just 2 and it is for such a specific problem that I won't probably need them again, or if so, not in 2 years at least and at that time they would be expired. And even then I would need only another 2 pills.
I Guess There Are Technically 2 Flavors In The Package
While you’re checking the back of the label, don’t just pay attention to the macro nutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fat) as they only say a fraction about how good for you the product actually is. Check the calorie content as well as serving size. The companies love to mess with the later one, as it allows them to claim the product is healthier than it actually is.
Company Adds Fake Sugar On The Package To Make It Seem As If There Was More Sugar
I would gave thought coconut flakes? (If correct word from G translate)
Who Was The Packaging Designer? I Just Wanna Talk To Them
I think this is more in response to the mixed colors, not matching. All else looks legit.
Box Full Of Turkish Delight
All in all, be aware that they’re out there to get you. And if, unfortunately, you do fall into their traps—don’t worry. Just snap a picture and share it online and we can commiserate together.
Bought Today. The Sealed Package Says 100. Counted 24
Happy Easter, Everyone
What big ears you have Santa. You might want to put some moisturizer on them as they look a little cracked and dry.
Wife Bought This No-Touch Thermometer Without Realizing It's A "Disposable" Device With "Non-Replaceable" Batteries
The packaging even instructs you to discard it when it stops working. I pried it open and it's powered by two AAAA batteries, which are easily replaceable.
The Size Of The Packaging vs. What You Actually Get. I Swear It's Getting Worse
This "Avocado Oil" That My Sister Mistakenly Bought Is Actually >90% Canola Oil
This Plastic Bottle Wrapped In Torn Cardboard To "Celebrate Mother Earth"
Packaging Is Interesting But What Is Inside Is Not
I try to remember to kind of grope the outside of some product packaging, especially "resealable" cookie packs. The only thing worse than these rip-off packages are opening them to find a stranger has already helped themselves.
This Has Got To Be Fraud In Some Way
When The "Value" 2 Pack Costs More Than Buying The Items Individually
Fabric Softener Says Extra For Free. The Same Size As The Old Bottle Actually Does 25% Less Washes
Everything Is In A Name. This Is A Sugar Packet And The Company Announces That It's Pure And Hygienic
The sugar must be pure. But then I saw the little star on the "e" of the word pure. Turned over. The "pure" and "hygiene" are a part of its name and not the character of the product.
Daily Reminder That HP Is A Scam. Ink Cartridges Come With 75% Empty Space
This Packaging Uses An Optical Illusion To Make The Vegetables Look More Green
This Damn Wrap Cost £3.50
I never understand this one? It says on the back it's cut in two, there isn't much space between the two halves and Pret sandwiches in the UK (where I presume this is from and that this extends to all stores around the world) are packed with ingredients, often too many- so definitely aren't skimping. Compare it to the other sandwiches on here and it doesn't belong at all
This "Missing" Piece Of Chocolate
Kids' Book Saying "Has 430 Stickers" On The Cover. 400 Of Them Are Tiny Monochrome Shapes
Not unusual. Some sticker books have activities like this. You put the shapes in the position in the picture. Develops dexterity.
Thought I Still Had 25% Remaining. No, Solid Glass
Glass, a diminishing and finite product, overused to save some corporate interest a nickel in the product that they actually exist to provide. Seems like good ol end stage capitalism to me!
Clearly Meant To Make You Think The Bottles Are Way Taller Than They Are Until You Pull Them Out
Feel the weight distribution (if on physical shop) and read the volumes!
Maybelline Sells Their Eyeshadow In These Glass Round Tubs, In Sealed Black Cardboard Packaging With A Small Window In The Front Part Through Which You Can See The Color
When you open it, that’s literally all you get - a smear of eyeshadow stuck to the lid.
We could all simply stop buying makeup. We are beautiful without it, why make them rich for practically no product?
Ah, The Old "Let's Make A New Packaging At The Same Price But Reduce The Actual Amount The Customer Gets" Move
$60 For Eye Drops That My Dog Needs Or He Will Go Blind. And This Is How Much Air I Had To Squeeze Out Before I Got Any Product
Chocolate Air
Bought A "2 Pack" Of Minecraft Masks For My Son
Useless Hair Removal Cream Bottle
Chocolate Cookies
Just Got This Gold Bond For My Taint. Isn’t Even Half Full. I Am Mildly Infuriated. Did I Do It Right?
These Gift Cards Are For Target, Not Xbox Or PlayStation
When Marketing Has A Bigger Budget Than Product Development
For Those Of You Who Don’t Know, All Of The J Series Roombas Are The Same Model Just Rebranded With A Sticker And Sold For Different Prices
Blue Threadlocker Is In A Red Tube, And The Red Threadlocker Is In A Blue Tube. Red Is Permanent, Blue Is Not
Pre-Workout: What A Waste Of Plastic
The Company Is Owned By The Czech Prime Minister. What Did I Expect?
This "Mega Pack" Compared To The Normal One I Bought A Year Ago
i don't understand what the second photo is trying to show? can someone explain? thanks :)
This Cream Bun I Was Having Was A Total Scam
Mac & Cheese With Broccoli Had No Broccoli
This Deceiving Packaging
Steak And Cheese Wrap - 80% Tortilla
Aside from being cheats that company must have stock in insulin and metformin manufacturers too.
The Packaging Makes You Think You Are Gonna Get An Eyeball Candy. But In Reality, It's Just A White Ball Thing
I got a bunch of these sorts of things one year. White marshmallow ball, eyeball on the packaging, they had some kind of filling. I was FORCED to eat most of them so that no one else had to suffer the disappointment. Poor me.
The Time I Got Two And A Half Milk Bags In My 3-Pack
Children's Book Has Half The Book Glued Together To Double Its Size
Just Enough To Cover The Window
How ironic that they do this in the American market but those that are actually sold in Switzerland are full. A******s these are!
This Box Of Dog Treats That Very Obviously Don’t Have Frosting Designs On The Cookies Behind The Top Layer
Packaging Of These Chocolates
Milka's Greed
Screw You Dove Chocolate
This Moisturizer Container. Not Even Half The Bottle. Maybe Only 1/4. Misleading And Wasteful
Retinol cream is so expensive too! I would be so pissed if I bought this!
Kinetic Sand: I Don’t Think You Get A Fourth Of What Appears On The Box
This is the stuff of nightmares do not buy kinetic sand!! it’s like glitter it gets everywhere and you will never find it all
I Don't Need A Grip For My Gum Package. What I Need Is Another Piece Of Gum
This Candy Burger's Bottom Bun Is Plastic Packaging Instead Of Candy, And It's Hollow From The Inside
I've Lost All Hope In Humanity
Bought This Pack Of Food Colors To Make Red Velvet Cupcakes
This just looks like they forgot to add the red one, or someone took it. Frustrating, but Not a deliberately deceitful package.
Words Can't Express My Disappointment
Fake Blood That's Unsafe For The Mouth Is Advertised On Mouth On The Package
It's fine on the outside of the mouth which is what the illustration almost gets right! So close, yet so far.
My Husband Bought What He Thought Was An RCA Universal Remote At A Bargain Shop. He Couldn't Figure Out Why It Wouldn't Work Until He Noticed The Remote Was RGA Brand
Just Another Company Misleading Its Consumers
This 0.7 Ml Dogs' Anti-Flea And Anti-Tick Drops Straight Out Of The Box
well at some point the tube becomes too small to handle. Imagine how finicky it would be if it was just big enough to handle three drops of the substance. Not everybody has the dexterity to squeeze that, or or the eyesight to find it again if they accidentally drop it on the floor. A lot of tiny items are sold in this way for ease of handling.
EB Games In Australia Using Stickers To Cover Up The Fact That It's Just A Digital Code, And Not An Actual Game
It’s An 8-Pack, But 9 Would Fit Perfectly
Pringles' New "XXL Pack" Has Got Probably Like 5 Chips More Than The Normal Pack
12-Pack That's "Equal" To A 16-Pack, Makes It Look Like A 16-Pack
Where's The Milk Chocolate? (Colorful Balls)
when i was little i used to grab a handful, pick out all the candies and eat them, put the nuts back in the bag, and shake the bag up. i got away with that for like a year lol
Misleading Packaging
Again, the packaging may be misleading, but it says clearly what it contains: 30 soft gels.
The Amount Of Bananas In This Pack Of Shrimps And Bananas
Bought Jam Donuts From Tesco But When I Bit Into Them It Was Custard Donuts
Starburst Halloween Candy Flavor Distribution
13 Grams Of Protein Per Serving (Small Print: If You Add 7.3 Grams Of Protein Worth Of Milk)
Flavor Distribution In A Bag Of Jolly Ranchers Is Not Okay
The problem is the way they're packaged. You get a completely random amount of each and yes, that does result in lots of packages with extremely uneven distribution. You get some with tons of one sort and next to none of others. If the distribution is even or mostly even, they don't pack pre mixed items, it runs through a packing band that adds some of each at each station. It's impossible to get even packaging with premixed sorts. You can test that at home. Take an even number of equally sized items, whatever it is, then mix them in a non see through bag ad draw randomly by grabbing a fistful. You'll see you rarely ever get even distributions. Also the la place experiment shows this. You throw a dice that's perfectly balanced, so if you throw it a thousand times, all numbers will apper roughly the same amount of times, but if you look at ten throws in a row, you'll see a very uneven distribution despite the chances all being equal. That's what random means
My Walgreens Brand Tylenol Capsule Is Just A Pill With A Removable Shell On Either Side
Women’s Blade Cartridges (Easily Could’ve Fit Four) Packaging Very Misleading
Sticker Perfectly Covered This Moldy Berry
Bought these from Costco today and unfortunately, this isn’t the first time.
The only thing that i encountered, is reducing product amount, while leaving the same package size. Probably because i live in "evil" EU that has laws to protect customer rights. That is not to say that corporations in EU are any less greedy than everywhere else. But i have never got such infuriating sandwich or cream bottle, like in this thread. One thing that i always do, is check packaging weight/volume. "Evil" EU chimes in again, so we have not only the price of the package, but also price per g/ml/unit on the tag.
That's exactly what is the bare minimum that's needed. Also, adding the weight doesn't help much. Every product has different volume. 100 gr chips are plenty, a whole bag full, but 100 gr cheese are much less in volume. Same goes for creams vs mousse when it comes to cosmetic or bars vs Powder etc. Misleading packaging is still a fraud, banking on the fact that most people can guess volumes pretty well to know how much they'll need for one application, but have no idea what the potion actually weights because, lets be hones, in most cases you have no way of knowing, especially with beauty products.
Load More Replies...
We should have a post like this, but for the Bored Panda article titles that misrepresent what they're actually about.
I really hope that those who do this get short changed in life with things they want, They would soon kick off if they went to by a top spec car only to find when they got it it had less power and have the stuff they wanted was missing.
I can understand why people open up packages in shops to see what they are getting (unless it's food items), but even then, I slide the cardboard over to one side, if i can, to see what's underneath. People are tired of being ripped off by "shrinkflation" and "greedflation". I've learned long ago to not trust packaging and corporations.
I've been buying the standard "Whitman's Sampler" my entire life, my parents bought it, my grandparents bought it. It's been the same exact box of chocolates for over 100 years. Only now......it's not. Last year, they removed the dark chocolate covered nuts, the toffee bars and the cordial cherry cream. The box went from 16 oz, to 12 oz. 1rxjuriqyt...dd-png.jpg 
What we can do - apart from law suits, which none of us has the time or money for - is to make selling these things a loss of money to the shops.
Worst truth-in-packaging? University education. My major, top-rated state university promised average class sizes of 11, and the greatest of top-notch scientific minds. What I got was class sizes of 600, and incomprehensible ESL teaching assistants for lecturers. Then there's the University of Massachusetts, where tuition isn't terrible, but the fees are almost $10,000, and half of a shared bedroom is $9,000, several times market rates.
How did they get away with this? The great minds all taught graduate students, and every course for every student was counted as a separate section. So yeah, it had 2000 professors and 2,200 students, but good luck ever actually seeing a real, live professor for your first three years. They're there for research, not education.
Load More Replies...
I recently bought a "Welkom Sint" garland from Jumbo, turned out it actually said "Wekom Sint" (and I didn't see it until I put it up). Well that sucked... I bought a another one though, which was luckily fine. XD
I would love if anyone who bought such an awful item would print out a picture and put it up at the store for everyone to see
I'm not sure what bothers me more, the deception or the wastefulness.
So you think you need to comment about how superior your country is because they don’t fill their cereal with air. Ok…?
Load More Replies... The only thing that i encountered, is reducing product amount, while leaving the same package size. Probably because i live in "evil" EU that has laws to protect customer rights. That is not to say that corporations in EU are any less greedy than everywhere else. But i have never got such infuriating sandwich or cream bottle, like in this thread. One thing that i always do, is check packaging weight/volume. "Evil" EU chimes in again, so we have not only the price of the package, but also price per g/ml/unit on the tag.
That's exactly what is the bare minimum that's needed. Also, adding the weight doesn't help much. Every product has different volume. 100 gr chips are plenty, a whole bag full, but 100 gr cheese are much less in volume. Same goes for creams vs mousse when it comes to cosmetic or bars vs Powder etc. Misleading packaging is still a fraud, banking on the fact that most people can guess volumes pretty well to know how much they'll need for one application, but have no idea what the potion actually weights because, lets be hones, in most cases you have no way of knowing, especially with beauty products.
Load More Replies... We should have a post like this, but for the Bored Panda article titles that misrepresent what they're actually about.
I really hope that those who do this get short changed in life with things they want, They would soon kick off if they went to by a top spec car only to find when they got it it had less power and have the stuff they wanted was missing.
I can understand why people open up packages in shops to see what they are getting (unless it's food items), but even then, I slide the cardboard over to one side, if i can, to see what's underneath. People are tired of being ripped off by "shrinkflation" and "greedflation". I've learned long ago to not trust packaging and corporations.
I've been buying the standard "Whitman's Sampler" my entire life, my parents bought it, my grandparents bought it. It's been the same exact box of chocolates for over 100 years. Only now......it's not. Last year, they removed the dark chocolate covered nuts, the toffee bars and the cordial cherry cream. The box went from 16 oz, to 12 oz. 1rxjuriqyt...dd-png.jpg
What we can do - apart from law suits, which none of us has the time or money for - is to make selling these things a loss of money to the shops.
Worst truth-in-packaging? University education. My major, top-rated state university promised average class sizes of 11, and the greatest of top-notch scientific minds. What I got was class sizes of 600, and incomprehensible ESL teaching assistants for lecturers. Then there's the University of Massachusetts, where tuition isn't terrible, but the fees are almost $10,000, and half of a shared bedroom is $9,000, several times market rates.
How did they get away with this? The great minds all taught graduate students, and every course for every student was counted as a separate section. So yeah, it had 2000 professors and 2,200 students, but good luck ever actually seeing a real, live professor for your first three years. They're there for research, not education.
Load More Replies... I recently bought a "Welkom Sint" garland from Jumbo, turned out it actually said "Wekom Sint" (and I didn't see it until I put it up). Well that sucked... I bought a another one though, which was luckily fine. XD
I would love if anyone who bought such an awful item would print out a picture and put it up at the store for everyone to see
I'm not sure what bothers me more, the deception or the wastefulness.
So you think you need to comment about how superior your country is because they don’t fill their cereal with air. Ok…?
Load More Replies...
