ADVERTISEMENT

Article created by: Eglė Bliabaitė

How many times have you ordered something online and the item that arrived was of disappointing quality? Or how many times has a new item you bought broken after just one use? From shoes, clothes, cutlery, and even appliances – it seems that manufacturers don't build things that last anymore.

To highlight this phenomenon, we've collected the most frustrating and hilarious examples of low-quality items that people have shared online. From the "What I ordered vs. what I got" trend to everyday tools that left much to be desired in the quality department, we present to you the times new purchases had people extremely disappointed.

#1

I Bought A Cat Tower Online That Turned Out To Be Much Smaller Than Expected. Trevor Is Still Trying To Be Appreciative Tho

Cat awkwardly stuck in low-quality cat tree, poorly designed and uncomfortable, in a cozy living room setting.

SageKitty666 Report

RELATED:
    #2

    Ordered Doc Ock, Received Depressed Ock Instead

    Two side-by-side toy figures, one high-quality, one low-quality; both depicting a character in a coat with robotic arms.

    Beautiful_Fishing569 Report

    #3

    It Said 72 Bags. Didn’t Say They’d All Have Tea. A Few Of The Bags In My Great Value Green Tea Box Are Like This.

    Low quality items: Two identical round tea bags, one visibly empty, on a speckled countertop.

    philwrites Report

    #4

    Bought The Walnuts And Nutcracker From Local Market

    Broken nutcracker next to an uncracked walnut, illustrating low quality items shared online.

    voucherwolves Report

    ADVERTISEMENT
    #5

    Sick Of Everything Being Made Out Of The Lowest Possible Quality Plastic And Breaking After Like A Month Of Light Use

    Low quality items including a black toilet brush, tongs, and a blue-handled scraper displayed on a wooden floor.

    123ticklemyknee Report

    WubiDubi
    Community Member
    9 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Get a 3D printer and choose the quality of the filament. Or go hardcore and get a CNC machine.

    ADVERTISEMENT
    #6

    I Ordered Some Acoustic Sound Panels. And People Complain About Their Big Macs

    Low quality foam panels flattening over time, disappointing online buyers.

    Woop_dee_do Report

    #7

    The Crystal Mug My Boyfriend Ordered Me For Our Anniversary vs. What We Actually Received

    Low-quality geode mugs with mismatched blue designs highlighted for poor craftsmanship.

    sleepysphynx Report

    WubiDubi
    Community Member
    9 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There are about 10 accounts selling them. China, China. China. Or rather resin resin resin.

    #8

    My Toaster Melts Its Own Plastic When Toasting

    Low-quality toaster with chipped edges and stains, resting on a kitchen sink.

    Thereareways Report

    ADVERTISEMENT
    #9

    I Ordered A Happy Sad Octopus, Both Sides Came Sad,

    Blue plush toy with a reversible sad and happy face, showcasing low quality design.

    JackLlewellyn2 Report

    ADVERTISEMENT
    #10

    You're Not The Only One

    Man sitting uncomfortably in a small, low-quality chair, wearing a green shirt and cap, highlighting poor product quality.

    mojorisn45 Report

    #11

    This Electric Heater Can Melt It's Plastic Casing When At Full Power

    Low quality heater with a melted front grill, held in a hand, against a bathroom countertop background.

    ignatirabo Report

    #12

    My Boss Ordered Chairs For The Break Room Last Year. He Too Did Not Get What He Expected

    Man sitting on a broken, low-quality chair in an office setting, demonstrating poor product durability.

    reddit.com Report

    ADVERTISEMENT
    #13

    My Shoes Crumbled Into Literal Powder On My Way To Work

    Low quality shoes falling apart, with torn soles and scattered pieces on the ground.

    Swipe through the pictures for reverse disintegration I guess. For context, these were relatively cheap off brand shoes I bought a few years ago and had not worn in the last 2 years. Had almost reached work when I noticed, had to ask the cab to take me back home and then bring me back to work.

    dinosaursandme Report

    WubiDubi
    Community Member
    9 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    A fair few modern shoes do this if you don't wear them wnough. What glue are they using?

    ADVERTISEMENT
    #14

    My "Genuine Leather" Calvin Klein Belt. Got Home, Tore Off The Tag Which Peeled Back The Plastic Coating Revealing The Rubber Core

    Close-up of a low-quality belt with a damaged buckle and worn leather held in a person's hand.

    jorel424 Report

    WubiDubi
    Community Member
    9 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Genuine Leather is the worse grade of leather. Genuine Leather plated?

    #15

    Broke After A Month On Untangled Straight Hair

    Black comb labeled "unbreakable" with missing teeth, highlighting poor quality item.

    rabbitonthemoon_ Report

    ADVERTISEMENT
    #16

    What I Ordered vs. What I Got

    Low-quality sweater comparison, featuring intricate knit design differences.

    Pbacker Report

    #17

    The Handle Just Broke Off My Brand New Cast Iron Skillet. I Haven’t Even Cooked Anything With It Yet

    Broken frying pan handle beside the pan on a wooden floor, highlighting low quality issues.

    sixpigeons Report

    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #18

    This Garbage "Leather" Coating That Eventually Flakes Off And Gets Everywhere

    Close-up of worn-out headphones with damaged ear pads, highlighting low quality.

    I love these headphones (Anker Soundcore Life Q20), they have great sound quality and noise cancelation for their price. But my GOD can manufacturers stop trying to make imitation leather with this garbage? Every time I use them, my hands and ears get covered in little black flakes.

    MrZokeyr Report

    WubiDubi
    Community Member
    9 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Looking at you Bose. It's a repeat purchase model.

    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #19

    Ordered These Cute Little Guys Assuming I Would Receive What Was Advertised….you Know What They Say About Assuming

    Christmas ornaments with poor quality animal designs, featuring a hedgehog, monkey, and rabbit on a wooden table.

    TemporaryCapital1830 Report

    #20

    I Ordered A 6ft Tall Rainbow Tree From A Facebook Ad And This Is What Showed Up! I'm Crying From Laughing So Hard, I've Never Had This Happen In Real Life!

    Low quality rainbow Christmas tree compared to a vibrant, advertised version.

    soomanytomatoes Report

    #21

    Phone Was Dying And I Was In A Hurry, And Didn't Get The Chance To Read It Properly Until I Got Home

    Low quality pink one-time use emergency charger on a dark surface.

    hotto_ Report

    WubiDubi
    Community Member
    9 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You could probably open it and see if the battery is anything replaceable but it's probably a small bag of alkaline acids.

    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #22

    When You Purchase A $20-30 Stained Glass Lamp On Amazon With Bad/No Reviews

    Mushroom-shaped lamp with colorful stained glass design, showing low quality when compared to a promotional image.

    Listings I could find ranged from $20 to $30, all using the same product photo just edited into different backgrounds. Most had no reviews, a few had bad reviews but most people at least got something 3 dimensional!

    someusername47 Report

    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #23

    My Toilet Brush Broke

    Low quality toilet brush submerged in water inside a toilet bowl, highlighting its poor design and functionality.

    Foxbaster Report

    #24

    The Seal Plush Pillow I Ordered vs. The One That Arrived

    Low-quality seal plush comparison showing differences in design before and after purchase.

    SplashDMG126 Report

    #25

    Put My Brand New $120 Pan On A Hot Pad That Was Supposedly Made For Hot Pans. I Hadn’t Even Cooked On It Yet, The Fabric Is Fused To The Pan And Won’t Come Off

    Low quality item, stainless steel pan with damaged coating, held by person, showing flaking and scratches on the surface.

    Jakefrmstatepharm Report

    WubiDubi
    Community Member
    9 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don't trust silicon much. Was the mat upside down? /s Bamboo boards easier.

    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #26

    The State Of My Raybans Case After 1 Month

    Low quality brown eyeglass case with a noticeable rip held in hand.

    Haven’t been rough with it at all. Started to split a couple days ago and now it’s completely torn as I’ve gone to open them with absolutely no resistance. Premium sunglasses with a cheap leather case

    Professional-Date735 Report

    WubiDubi
    Community Member
    9 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    May 2009 one is going strong. 2025 quality is bad on everything.

    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #27

    Pearls Of Wisdom: Be Cautious When Ordering Online. Expectations vs. Reality

    Low quality jacket comparison featuring real pearls versus printed design.

    cynman Report

    #28

    Ordering Paper Towels From Some Random Website

    Low-quality paper towels on a counter with packaged rolls and a banana for scale.

    karma_withakay Report

    #29

    Turns Out The Art On The New Mug My Dad Bought Me Is Just Paper And It’s Already Peeling From Washing

    Low-quality mug with peeling Canada design in a sink, showing chipped print and damaged surface.

    Miniastronaut2 Report

    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #30

    Amazon Is Selling Bootleg Disney Colouring Books

    Rapunzel coloring book with low-quality illustration inside, shared online due to dissatisfaction.

    Wife bought this on Amazon, it's just a bound book of random low resolution/quality colouring pages easily found on Google image search. Initiated a refund and they didn't even want it back.



    inv4zn Report

    WubiDubi
    Community Member
    9 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Amazon print on demand cares nothing for ©

    ADVERTISEMENT