34 People Online Expose The Biggest Lies Companies Tell In Their Advertising With No Consequences
Philip Cotler, known as the father of modern marketing, once said, "Marketing is not the art of finding clever ways to dispose what you make; it is the art of creating genuine customer value." I wonder what he thinks about where marketing is heading these days with lies and manipulation.
Many people catch this deception. When Reddit user Glad_Cat_5129 asked, "What's the most blatant lie a company is currently getting away with in their advertising?" folks gushed with answers. We compiled the best ones for you to peruse, so just scroll through!
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Your call is important to us…
We are experiencing a higher call volume…
If it was that important, they would hire people to answer the phones.
I normally get through quicker when THAT BS comes on. "No my call is NOT important, you don't have enough folks answering customers". They DO listen while you are on 'hold'.
"If it was that important, they would hire people to answer the phones." they have a budget....
When we were going into 2025, my Medicare advantage plan was changing the servicer of our OTC benefits. We were told NO particulars just that we got a new card and a new servicer. I tried calling for some info and the outgoing message said I was number 380+ callers in the queue. They needed to budget better, no question about it. I understand budgets but sweeping changes in the plan are going to generate calls and questions, the company knows this and budgets be damned, they need to do better. BTW, I pressed #1 to get a call back and it never came. Name and shame, Priority Health Medicare Advantage plan sucks.
Load More Replies...And I am convinced that they play the world’s worst waiting music in the hope that you hang up !
Or worse, for me, is the music that was "my jam". Damn, I am old.
Load More Replies...Press1 for English, press2 for Spanish. Why? I don't know what language they're speaking but it's neither of those.
"Your call is important to us! While you wait, please enjoy this 45 minute bagpipe solo!"
Goodwill is not a charity. they are 100% for profit with ceo and people in corporate offices raking in millions every month.
Salvation Army seems to be the only one that actually helps people. Don't get me started on what a waste the United Way are.
They have to be a charity in order to let you get a tax deduction on what you donate. I just like that they are a good way to recycle stuff or have someone else use it.
And salaries don't have anything to do with whether a company is for profit or not.
Load More Replies...Habitat for Humanity Restore is my go to, followed by a local animal rescue that fundraises with a similar approach.
Check your local charities. Some friends of mine help run a second hand store, and all the money goes back to the needy.
Absolutely correct. Sadly, I am unable to volunteer as often but all proceeds go to our needy community. Food, shelter, utilities, baby items, women's products, et cetera. They helped me at one point and it is my way of showing appreciation.
Load More Replies...I still shop there because I want to reduce the demand for new clothes made by people in sweatshops and it also lessons my environmental impact. And Goodwill has good prices. For me, getting my clothes second hand when I can is still ethically better than buying new.
In Canada it's the Diabetes Society. They seem like a charity, but the clothes go to Value Village which is a for profit company. The company doesn't actually donate the money to diabetes research. It's just pamphlets and webpages with training data. Nothing new has been contributed for a long time
All the big charities are the same. Only about 5p in every £1 actually goes to where its needed because the rest goes on paying the directors' and CEOs eye watering salaries.
Flushable toilet wipes.
YOU CAN ALSO FLUSH A SMALL EXPLOSIVE BUT YOU REALLY F*****G SHOULDN’T.
I work in waste water and these things are a huge fing problem, honestly people if you don't know it costs municipalities thousand and thousands of dollars dealing with the clogs these things cause in the pipes and pumps, it's mostly that the pumps get jammed up with them and need to be removed and fixed it sometimes even replaced. There was a settlement last year and we got some money from a bunch of companies that put these out, but the damage is done, people will keep doing it until they can't by them. Everyone please stop!
Especially facial tissue boxes usually carry a warning not to flush them, the flushable wipes are heavier duty than acial tissues. Seems a no-brainer not to flush those too
Load More Replies...Many people don't. I have them for guests and clearly mark them "NON-FLUSHABLE".
Load More Replies...Lying, manipulation, and deceptive schemes are all part of the dark side of marketing. Federal law says that an ad must be truthful, not misleading, and, when appropriate, backed by scientific evidence—and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforces these truth-in-advertising laws.
You must be wondering how companies get away with it. That's where the loophole of puffery comes into play, which is a marketer's right to lie. It means that ads can legally lie to you as long as the lie is so obvious of an exaggeration that you know not to take it seriously.
Every fastfood/restaurant commercial on what they claim their food looks like!! Lies, all lies! .
In Japan, the food must look like the advertized photo. Truth in advertizing.
It's true not only for fast food but for all food. Quite handy if you have a small/large appetite; you can see the meal you are ordering in advance. (Or, if you don't speak Japanese, you can see exactly WHAT you're ordering so there are no surprises when your food arrives.)
Load More Replies...My dad got a McDonald's sandwich once (I think it was a big mac but might be wrong) and he said it looked so much like an advertisement picture he went back through the drive thru to compliment the person who made it. They were very confused, but happy that he was happy!
There are professional food "posers" whose job is to take a sandwich/meal and make it look as good as possible for photos/videos. They must use the actual food to assemble the sandwich, but they use tricks such as washing the produce in dyed water and dabbing glycerin or KY jelly on the meat/buns/veggies to make them look juicy.
>**UnitedHealthcare** is dedicated to helping people live healthier lives.
Direct from their website no less.
Thought trump was the antichrist. Are they sharing the job?
Load More Replies...When doctors quit taking their insurance, something is wrong. I have had doctors leave the medical group because of the insurance they accept does not allow for necessary medication for some cancer patients. It rips the doctor apart that the insurance companies will not do what is right for the patient, and not the shareholders. There is no moral compass any longer.
It seems the more a company claims to be "helping" that they are all doing quite the opposite.
Best coffee in town.' Every town seems to have 15 of those, though.
At the start of covid I bought an espresso machine and found a lady locally that roasts her own beans, I found my perfect blend, make delicious coffee at home and get to support a small business, plus while she is a little more expensive than buying from the supermarkets, she roasts to order, so my beans are always fresh. If I buy coffee while I am out I always notice the difference.
Load More Replies...During the recent coronavirus pandemic, the FTC sent warning letters to companies that they determined may be violating the FTC Act. It warned them that their conduct was likely unlawful and that they could face serious legal consequences, such as a federal lawsuit, if they did not stop immediately.
But that's not all—if the company's competitors were to find out that they were lying in their ads, there's another challenge that they will have to face. The competitors can simply lodge a complaint with the National Advertising Division (NAD). The NAD has been around since 1971 and has adjudicated some 5,000 disputes over whether advertising was fair and accurate.
'You need a subscription to buy this printer ink.' Like, just let me print in peace.
It's a symptom. Companies realized that subscriptions (or other versions of recurring income) are one of the only models that allows for (supposedly) infinite growth. A little bit guaranteed each month is much better than trying to get a lot all at once from someon
Load More Replies...That's why you buy a laser printer, and not from HP. Lexmark makes a good one.
I have a Lexmark color laser, the toner cartridges are $400, no way around it.
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Toilet paper math… 8 rolls =12 rolls ! 12 rolls = 36 !!
Just go by the price per sq ft or price per 100 sheets. That's the only way to actually compare TP costs.
Sounds reasonable, but there are usually very stickers, at least at Walmart.
Load More Replies...Yup, that's why I bought one of those TP stands with the bendy top
Load More Replies...Has anyone else noticed the width is shorter? I was going through my hurricane supplies and compared the rolls. I should have measured. But, definitely the same brand and shorter width.
In Germany, you can find also the price per kg (depending on what you buy of course). And that is sometimes an eye opener.
what i do is look at how many sheets per roll, how many rolls per bag, how much that bag costs, then figure out the cost per sheet and roll. then buy whatever pack gives me the best deal.
Same, I've started doing that now. That info is printed on the wrapper. Though in Tesco they do put cost per sheet on some of the shelf price tags.
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"All-natural" claims on products that still contain synthetic ingredients.
Organic coconut milk loaded with maltodextrin. Side effects of maltodextrin: Consuming foods high in maltodextrin can lead to fluctuations in energy levels, increased hunger, and potential weight gain due to the rapid rise and fall of blood sugar. Another side effect of maltodextrin is gastrointestinal discomfort.
In the USA the use of the word "natural" is not regulated. You could make a product out of 100% plastic and call it "natural".
Well plastic is made from petroleum, refined from oil, which is completely natural. Organic and gluten free even.
Load More Replies...The unethical practice of lying in ads can be very tantalizing to companies looking to get quick results through marketing. However, such lies can actually sabotage a brand's reputation. Due to the digital revolution, consumers are becoming more conscious, and they do not like being lied to.
If they realize that they are being manipulated with such blatant lies, it could cause a wave of fury amongst them, resulting in them switching to a more trusted brand—thus, causing the previous brand to lose their loyalty. Well, it looks like these companies are causing harm to themselves by lying.
Game ads -- NEVER like actual game play.
To the point that a game was made entirely to actually create the games from those ads that otherwise don't actually exist. It's even called Yeah, You Want "Those Games", Right? So Here You Go, Now Let's See You Clear Them!
If I find one that is blatantly unlike its ads I will install it, go to the app store and give it a 1 star rating with explanation, then delete it. Low ratings are the only thing that has any hope of influencing them.
Apple and their apple AI.
I always wondered if the apple logo represented "that" apple, and the Prince of Lies is bragging.
I recently went to a Dollar Store and everything was $1.25.
our dollarstores (named dollarama) are now called dollarama plus... cause things aren't a dollar or less anymore.
The Dollar Trees in my area really do have everything for a dollar. Of course it's total junk.
Would you prefer to still pay $1 but get a smaller quantity. Or inferior quality?
While lying in ads might seem like a quick way to boost sales, it can lead to serious long-term problems—like losing customers' trust, dealing with legal troubles, or hurting your brand's reputation. It just makes you wonder whether it's worth it in the end.
However, in the long run, misleading ads can cost way more than they’re worth. Fixing a damaged reputation takes a ton of time, effort, and money. Plus, once customers lose their trust, they’re likely to switch to competitors and warn others to steer clear of such lying companies and their brands.
ANYTHING Xfinity/Comcast advertises.
Playtex - as they sell feminine products, I assume must have some farce of caring about women’s health…I hope?
Their products contain chemicals banned in Europe. These chemicals leech into our reproductive systems causing fertility issues. The company donated to Trump.
They don’t care if they k**l women or prevent births to make money. .
wait for the next amendment so he can run a third time
Load More Replies...I'm 40 years old, and just this year I've been learning how very many feminine product lines have terrible stuff inside their products. Could not believe the low level or quality control that goes on for these items.
Who cares. Buy another brand move on. If enough people decide, they will change but just endlessly complaining is not doing anything
Awareness. If we don't know it's bad, we'll buy it.
Load More Replies...1) FPAS's are not banned in Europe, but being phased out (https://echa.europa.eu/hot-topics/perfluoroalkyl-chemicals-pfas). And in the US there is a full explanation why it is not banned. https://www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-explained https://www.fda.gov/food/environmental-contaminants-food/and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas (2) they also donated to Harris. In fact they donated 55% to Republicans and 45% to Democrats the last few cycles.
TurboTax has for the longest time sold their Federal product for $39.99 and told you that you can pay it out of your refund, they will 'just deduct the $39.99 fee from your refund.'
What they dont tell you is that there is a $39.99 fee in order to pay your balance of $39.99. So the total is actually ~$80.
Just did my taxes for free through an IRS-affiliated website. Americans, go look at irs.gov! They provide a list of safe, free websites.
Exactly. I did this and saved a few bucks using FreeTaxUSA. However, they charge for state returns. I went directly to my state site.
Load More Replies...They and all the big tax prep companies (H&R Block, etc.) all lobby the federal government to make sure the taxcode stays as complicated as it is, so people will always need them. That's why I use a small, local accounting firm for my taxes. Though the fact that they charge me a fraction of what Block wanted, the one time I used them, is a nice bonus.
Sort of true. The IRS could just do most people's taxes without people needing to do anything other than check. They lobby to not let the IRS do our taxes. The complication of taxes is mostly do to corporations in general.
Load More Replies...I use Cash App, which used to be Credit Karma. Been doing it for years and it's 100% free for both state and federal. Highly recommend!
My library used to purchase TurboTax every year and put it in the circulating collection for people to check out. Then TT changed it so only one person could use it. Period. We stopped offering it, and of course we're the bad guys.
I haven't paid to do my federal taxes in decades. freetaxusa never charges me for federal tax filing, and I have stocks/dividends/dependents/etc to report. There's no reason to pay someone or some website to do your taxes. It's super easy.
Let's look at a typical example of how lying can be really bad for companies. Kellogg Co., which is a prominent name in the breakfast cereal industry, claimed that their Frosted Mini-Wheats could improve children's attentiveness by around 20% compared to those who skipped breakfast. However, the FTC found that these claims were false and in 2009, Kellogg had to settle these charges.
Well, when you look at the impact lying has on these companies, it does make you think about why they would do it in the first place. It seems like their desire for quick results is clouded by how unethical it really is. Do you know of any other such companies that have gotten away with these lies? Please share them with us in the comments!
Any skincare product claiming to “visibly lift” anything. There is no physical mechanism by which anything like that could happen.
“NUMBER ONE MOVIE IN AMERICA!”
...sure thing Sherlock Gnomes.
Or "New York Times Bestseller" - it seems that most books proclaim that.
There is a demonstrable process to becoming a NYT bestseller. It has nothing to do with the quality of your book. Every literary insider knows the 'accolade' is worthless. But, the general public does not.
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"Best Buy" was opened with the promise of their name being a guarantee. That guarantee didn't even last a week before they walked it back. Now it's one of the worst places to purchase low-end consumer electronics. Their actual name is a lie.
And they have the gall to charge a restocking fee for any returns!
One of the most blatant lies could be from companies claiming their products are "eco-friendly" or "sustainable" without offering clear evidence or certifications. Many brands use greenwashing tactics to appear environmentally conscious without making real, impactful changes to their practices.
I fail to understand why there is even a #5 plastic. NO ONE I am aware of recycles it.
That's why I think manufacturers should be allowed to use ONLY truly recyclable plastic in their products, including the packaging. Locally, only #1 and #2 are recycled.
Load More Replies...We got rid of those thin plastic bags; which I used to line the bathroom garbage cans and for used kitty litter. So now, rather than buy extra new bags, I try to scourge other used bags, say for potting soil, bread bags, Amazon mailers. Kind of stupid as the replacement bags are even less ecological than the "evil" plastic bags.
We are raising the prices so we can keep delivering you great products.
Also, that thing you like and buy our products for? Yeah we don't do that anymore.
My daughter is still teasing me because the store I grew up with and still shop at, Meijer, took out their 'Purple Cow' ice cream service, as well as their cafeteria. Go in, get a cone, walk around eating it. Meijer kids took out a LOT of stuff the old man had there. He KNEW that those little draws increased sales...dumba^^es.
I've worked in retail and know what customers are like. I guarantee he got tired of cleaning melted ice cream out of his shelves and off his product. Customers shove stuff everywhere.
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The vitamin industry.
Useful pre pregnancy (Folic acid/vit B) to prevent neural tube issues (spina bifida) and if you are in prison, multi vitamins are almost certainly required. Vit D in winter months. Otherwise a waste of money if you eat a normal diet.
Not a vitamin, but as a female blood donor, I benefit (objectively measurable) from iron supplements
I really need vitamin D, I’m hypersensitive to UV light. Spf 50 for me at all times.
Those Prevagen commercials are selling modern day snake oil.
When I worked at Girl Scout Camp as kids would come to the office feeling homesick or vaguely blah, we would give them white Tic Tacs and call them “Placibuminofren.” Those things worked like a charm!
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Dating apps like Hinge claim they’re ‘Designed to be deleted,’ but not because you’ve found someone…. Just out of sheer frustration with their algorithms and paywalls! It should be illegal to manipulate people’s emotions like this!
Yeah, I've read articles written by people who work at dating sites, and every one of them admitted that their company posts extremely attractive profiles to keep the paying customers interested. Also, isn't it interesting how the likes flood in after you cancel your paid subscription?
That's gotta be clean coal, right? What else comes close?
There is more than one kind of coal. Some of them burn less dirty than others.
Clean Coal??? Here is a link to an interesting read. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/column-clean-coal-mean-can-save-planet
Clean Coal? Is that the same thing as Dry Water?
Load More Replies...Clean Coal is a process in which they reduce the emissions and environmental impact from Coal. As of now they can reduce emissions by over 80%! Considering we get 17% of our power from Coal, as well as other economic considerations, this is a viable long term option. BTW less environmental damage than the construction of wind turbine farms. Short of going all nuclear, this is one of the better options when you look at the whole process rather than one little part of it.
digging up huge stretches of land, tearing down mountains, and polluting the water is not the solution
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Every single car dealership in American advertising any kind of deal. They're all made up b******t, either they don't have the inventory to support the deal or they are for trim levels or combinations the dealerships just don't order. Those "deals" are entirely to trick you into just coming to the dealership.
IMO though dealerships should be phased out, why can't I just order a car direct? Why do I, by law, need to go through some random dude who buys hundreds of them and ends up marking up the cost with useless dealer add-ons?
Some good points here, but I want to be able to test drive a car so I know it's the right fit for me.
Take our word for it, this $75,000 pick up is JUST what you need and the answer to every prayer! /s
Load More Replies...How about every single auto insurance company showing the rates of all the other companies are higher then their rates. Just can’t be !
Just bought my truck from a repair/sales shop. He buys auction stuff. EVERY model I looked at online trying to find one was 15-$16k. Got this one for $12k after due diligence research on common problems. It's a 'fleet truck', but that also means attention to maintenance.
Typically, when you order a car direct, it's not road-worthy: they have to be seen in service to do a PDI. Yeah, you can do this yourself, but it's better for a dealership to do this so that you aren't held responsible if you miss something that turns into an issue. Also they'll take it through registration for you. Most deals are actually applicable at the dealerships advertising - they WANT to get those cars out the door to make room for newer, more profitable stock. You're not obliged to purchase any dealer add-ons like VIN etching (it may already be on the car, but you tell them you don't want it and they should have to eat that cost), any warranties or service contracts (or haggle - they are typically marking these up by at least 600 - 700 bucks).
Kohl's putting things "on sale." Everything on sale is the same price as it is in other stores, and everything that isn't is wildly overpriced. Found a paid of Enzo shorts in Kohl's for like $100 last summer. The ones on sale were closer to $40.
I had a hard time with this one until my bestie--who worked at Kohls at the time--walked me through it. In my defense, I was still naive enough to believe corporations.
Menards does the same thing with their "special" 11% rebate. They always have an 11% rebate....
Very true! It used to be they did the 11% a few times a year. Now it's 100% of the time. What's annoying to me is that more than once, my rebate never made it to my house. Likely misdelivered to someone who just keeps it. (I have the USPS feature that tells me in an email what's being delivered to my mailbox that day.) Grrrr.
Load More Replies...Yeah, except when JC Penneys tried to not do the "everything on sale" method and just make everything lower priced, people complained and stopped shopping there, because they wanted to feel like they "got a deal." Unfortunately, Penney's failure to succeed means everyone else will keep the "everything on sale" method.
I'm laughing at the Safeway coupons. What the price is reduced to on the coupon is what the regular price used to be. Sorry, gents, I comparison shop at WinCo's and if they have it cheaper there, that's where I'll buy it. Screw your coupons.
Red Bull gives you wings!
Love-handles are sometimes referred to as wings. With the amount of sugar, you'll grow your own wings easily
Nope - in the UK they were banned for that lie, so now, they give you wiings.
And I have a bridge for sale. You'll have to move it to your land yourself. It's currently in Brooklyn
Load More Replies...My son in law started having seizures at 33, and has mild but actual brain damage from this poison, according to his neurologist. Also gave astronomical hypertension (which caused the seizures). He's been off the s**t for 2 years now, and he's doing better but they expect some damage is permanent. Aaaand, the military passes it out like they used to ration out bottles of whiskey.
There are many literal-minded people, I know. Nonetheless, if one is old enough to buy/drink energy drinks, then that one must be old enough to understand the impossibility of the ad.
Loblaws in Canada and most of their stores advertising "lowest prices" on things they are clearly wildly overpriced.
Loblaws is the United Healthcare of Canada. They buy up all competing stores, buy up supply chains, then jack up the prices. They're caught in price fixing scandal after price fixing scandal. Before it was fixing the price of bread (keeping it 200-300% above normal for years). Then it was skimpflation (30% less in every product for 30% more). Now they're being sued for misrepresenting weights (the NET weights on their products now include the weight of the packaging). The former and current CEOs of the company have hired extensive security because Canadians are actively calling for them to get Luigi'd
Many shops in the US claim to beat the lowest price...so long as it is the same amount in the package or some other random trickery to set them apart.
Or "private label" products. Try price matching a Wal-Mart computer, you can't. The manufacturer number is a Wally World exclusive so you can't price match it in hopes of getting a better deal elsewhere.
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A brand of ginger ale here says it's "made FROM real ginger". Ginger is the ingredient present in the smallest amount. I've made real ginger ale from real ginger and I use several times as much ginger as sugar.
I wouldn't mind if it said "made WITH real ginger".
There has to be some sort of lie in those O-O-O-Ozempic commercials.
The one thing those commercials that I have been convinced of is that if you take these weight loss d***s, you will have a complusive urge to join any mob of people that are walking down your street. It won't matte why they are marching, you will not be able to resist joining the group.
I can't help but wonder about all this... think of the money big pharma stands to lose (ha!) if obesity goes away. Oh, and the medical supply industry. If they made semiglutide meds affordable and available to all, so many health issues could disappear. Just the reduced sales of motor chairs alone... Mental health disorders may be reduced (ha again!) because how much misery comes from obesity... i could go on. It's like cures for cancer.
You can rent a U-haul for $19.95 per day.
Do they even check if the renters know how to drive the bigger trucks? Judging by what I see every day on dashcam videos I think not.
That's why I give rental trucks a wide berth when I'm driving. Likely rookies are behind the wheel. When I last moved, I had my brother drive the rental truck because he has a CDL (commercial driver license).
Load More Replies...I made a reservation for a Penske truck for one day. I made the reservation over the phone, talking to a real person. It was advertised for, I believe, around $29. Great. I went to pick the truck up and the bill was over THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS! When I reacted, the clerk said, there's a $250 deposit, and a basic charge for gas. The person I spoke to to make the reservation didn't mention either of these things. The price they charged for gas was about 25 cents more per gallon than gas stations in my area. As for the deposit, they said that they would hold that amount on my card, then release it when I returned the vehicle, but the release would take several business days to be reflected on my account. So they could TAKE my money right away, but I'd have to wait 3-5 business days for them to RETURN my money! BS, but I was a captive audience so I had no choice but to pay it.
Baseball cap presumably. "Rent it for 2 days, and you can keep it!"
Yup! If you're hauling it around town. In the US, given the migration to warmer climes, they have no way of returning them to the original rental lot, hence the increased fees going south. Lots in the south are OVERFLOWING with units.
Miller lite tastes great.
If you took a wizz into a sodastream machine, you'd get Miller Lite! :)
Tic Tacs are made almost entirely of sugar.
yes they are. this was about companies lying... i dont think they lied about having sugar.
The problem is they advertise them as 0 calorie and can do that because they are so small it rounds down to 0. But they have calories especially since no one ever eats just one.
Load More Replies...Allegedly there was/is a loophole in US food legislation, saying that anything containing less than 1g (or so) of sugar could be advertised as "sugar free". A single Tic Tac weighed less than that, so albeit being nearly 100% sugar ...
Load More Replies...I specifically recall asking my mother why products needed to to be"new and improved". Weren't they okay before? We still don't have an answer.
I specifically recall asking my mother why products needed to to be"new and improved". Weren't they okay before? We still don't have an answer.
