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30 Terrible Products That Are Still Sold By The Millions, As Shared By This Online Group
Have you ever found yourself being angry at your printer that stops working out of nowhere and then spits out a dozen of the same copies? Or maybe you were disappointed by the game that you waited for for so long? Experiencing situations like these where people find some well-known product to be useless and irritating can make them wonder why these products are so popular and who still buys them.
Having this in mind, Reddit user @jezbez asked people online “What terrible product sells by the millions?” and besides receiving 57.1k upvotes, they also found out what products made someone a millionaire but are actually awful products.
Which one of these products do you find unnecessary or useless? Leave your thoughts in the comments down below!
More Info: Reddit
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Puppy mill puppies. Sorry to compare them to a product, but that’s how they’re treated. No one should purchase a puppy from a pet store, EVER. This now extends to online brokerage websites like greenfield and puppyspot. They’re like Amazon, a few clicks and a puppy will be sent to your door, and these puppies are coming from the exact same place as the pet store puppies. Because of people’s need for instant gratification, these facilities with hundreds to thousands of breeding animals persist. They are the best cash crop you could hope for.
Never believe a store who claims they only sell puppies from responsible breeders. No, not even if the owner has visited the breeders and “know” they’re good! By definition a responsible breeder would NEVER send their puppies to a pet store. Even pet stores that claim to only have rescues need to be scrutinized because some mills will use a shell rescue to “puppy launder”. “Licensed and certified breeders” should be a red flag - depending on the state, a breeder only needs to be licensed if they have a large number of dogs, are selling to brokers to go to pet stores, or to people “sight unseen” (online). YMMV depending on the state.
People sometimes justify their purchases as “saving” puppies from a pet store. But that is still investing in the industry and funding their operations by giving them profit. Legislation hasn’t stemmed the tide. Only a loss of profit will make mills move on to another hustle.
So please educate yourself and anyone you know who loves dogs and might ever be tempted to purchase a puppy from a pet store or online. Either adopt from a responsible rescue, or purchase from a responsible breeder.
Women’s pants/trousers which STILL have tiny pockets.
This is so horrible! I heard they do this to market the purse industry
Diamonds.
Diamonds are fu*king worthless and fuel a gigantic slavery trade business. We should have stopped digging for em.and just using lab made ones.
Speaking as a European, Hershey bars are absolutely horrendous
Speaking as an American, about every 2 years, I order an 5kg block of Callebaut dark chocolate from Belgium. (We do have quality artisanal chocolate makers in the US, but Hershey is just disgusting. It's too sweet and the texture is off-putting.)
The Belgians do make excellent chocolate, but a lot of other European countries do as well
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People get used to it maybe. However, it does have that hint of vomit flavour. Caused by the butyric acid... real chocolate doesn't have that taste. Hershey's purposefully puts their chocolate through controlled lipolysis, giving it that unique taste. I brought some back from a holiday to the US for my work colleagues, Everyone could taste that tang. Threw it away in the end.
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I can’t cope with the level of butyric acid in a lot of US chocolate. It smells like vomit to me.
Ironic that its one ingredient in chocolate that's actually healthy to eat.
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It's probably the paraffin wax... Yes, it's really listed as an ingredient!
(Swede) When I tasted this chocolate I immediately had to check the date on it because I thought it must be spoiled, it must have gone bad tasting that bad. I had never tasted a chocolate that I didn't think was at least "bland", I am a chocolate lover through and through. And love many American sweets. Fast forward to this summer and my boyfriend bought me Hershey's kisses (he is also happy to taste new things) and I just laughed. He wondered why, but I told him to taste it and then we laughed together. Our little son was jelous that we had candy and he didn't, but we said "go ahead, you can have some too" and just looked at him trying to keep from laughing as he made faces tasting it. First candy ever that he didn't like but we sure had fun. I really love Swedish, Finnish and English candy, nordic chocolate being my favorite. I hope you will have a chance to try Marabou or Fazer chocolate.
Marabou is the stuff they sell at IKEA! THAT STUFF IS DELICIOUS!!
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The US corrupts any chocolate they can, look what they have done to Cadburys, loved for over 100 years and now, horrible.
I won't buy Cadbury after the recipe changes, I buy Whittakers choc now
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Hershey chocolate isn't a scam. It just isn't very good chocolate in comparison to most other chocolate producing countries.
Now, mac, this is a fair assessment.... Glad some people are still objective and not just a parrot repeating what they hear! I don't personally care for chocolate, so it's not like I have skin in the game... I just tire of all the insignificant things that people complain about without objectivity....
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EU people: I am so curious. I like Godiva chocolate which is sold even in US drugstores. If you ever had it, is it comparable with your better chocolate brands?
No. Godiva is lovely but it doesn't compare to swiss or belgian. It gives companies like Milka and Cote d'or a run for their money though.
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That’s because America uses a different recipe for its chocolate that the European pallet does not like
I'll never understand why American chocolate has that vomitty/sour milk smell/taste
Most people,if given a choice,would choose "Milk Chocolate".Speaking as a Mexican,Hershey's chocolate is garbage but to the average American it's.."best in the world","world champion","number one"..LOL.
I like Hershey chocolate just fine. But I am also an American. Can't stand Cadbury, Kinder, or Milka though. So, to each their own.
Hershey's was invented as an easy to mass produce chocolate for the masses and made it affordable for the everyday person. Today, their method for manufacturing and their use of less Cacao bean per bar is actually the most environmentally responsible of all major chocolate brands.
Speaking as an American, pre-palm-oil Hershey is great. these days, no. And I will always prefer my good stuff from Belgium, yes. (FYI: Nestle bars in the US are just as gross, IMO.)
As an American i agree! Most if our candy is too sweet and just disgusting my friends ask me why i dont like candy well bc ive been to dennmark and tasted real candy
Speaking as an American, I agree. It tastes terrible and makes my throat burn.
Hershey is not allowed to sell in its original USA form in the EU because it doesn't contain enough chocolate/cocoa. It is shocking how little it contains. Read about it a few years back when still living in the USA and never let my kids have any Kisses or such given to her. It was tough but I stand by it.
Yup, Hershey's is the worst candy as it is bitter and waxy. I never buy it
I am quite surprised that the bumble bee opposes "waxy".
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I ordered it once, to see what the fuss is about. Trew is away after one bite. I am a Belgian, I have easy access to beter chocolat. Even better, I'm from Bruges a city with like 3 chocolate stores in each street ;-)
Agreed. Hershey bars taste waxy to me. Spend a bit more and get really good chocolate
Sorry. I like Hershey bars. May not be Vosges or Valrhona...but I like them.
To me ... Hershey chocolate is smooth and perfect! Euro chocolate is very-very bitter and hard, good for baking, but not for just eating.
people like what they like, and in this instance shouldn't be shamed for it. my mom's primary vice is hershey's milk chocolate - the giant size bars. the different sizes do actually taste different, and that's the one she prefers.
YES! It has a vomit aftertaste to me. I won't eat it or buy it. Yuck! BTW, I'm originally from Germany, and it's Milka all the way for me!
I went NY when I was 17.... 15 years ago eurgh lol.... I brought a bar of hersheys back and put it in the fridge... later opened the door and all you could smell was s**t.... 🤢
I think I’d be more open to your comments if you’d just start by saying….. in my opinion……..
I feel like most American snacks are pretty terrible. At least the one above tried...
While I agree that Hershey’s is not very good, the most disturbing part about this is the image. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a chocolate bar not sectioned into breakable pieces, and that one is just solid and bit into and it makes me uncomfy. I can’t be the only one, right?
They are financially available to all income levels. It is not great but it works. They are the Salisbury steak to your porterhouse. It gets the job done.
There are chemicals in American chocolate that are the same chemicals that you find in human vomit. Which is why American chocolate has that odd smell.
Speaking as an American.. Yes they are. I call them 'Plastic Chocolate'
Hey. Y'all can have any kind of chocolate, but the people who like Hershey bars get to like whatever they like. I'm not a Hershey's fan, but no need to be so superior. You know? I buy my chocolate directly from chocolate processors and it suits me perfectly. However were I having a moment and needed some easily grabbed chocolateness, I would be happy to grab a few of those bars.
Can't remember what they're called but was the American version of maltesers- they were absolutely disgusting- so much do I went round my whole extended family asking everyone to try one just so they knew how awful they were. Results were clear, everyone hated them, we'll stick to some maltesers
wow, it’s almost like you’re prone to enjoy the product you’re familiar with and grew up with but perpetuating European snobbery is always cool too.
I understand why they're unpopular, but I love them. I like other chocolate brands better, but sometimes the familiar cheap stuff is what you need
Back in the 1970s my folks were going to America and I begged for Hersheys bar as I'd only seen it mentioned in books It was awful give me Dairy Milk or Galaxy any day. I'd also asked them to bring me knitting wool and it was terrible too, split broken and knotted in places. Other craft stuff they bought for me was great however and a lot cheaper than here
As an American that’s had dutch chocolate, I prefer it over Hershey. I didnt know chocolate wasn’t supposed to have a slight acidity, and it’s much better without
AGREEEEEE 100% American chocolate tastes like dog poop compared to European chocolate and Americans literally have no idea.
As an American, I agree. Alsooooo all Chocolate, cacao, etc makes me want to throw my whole life up
this should go without saying, but coffee pods
Regardless of what it may say on the label, they aren't actually recyclable. The ones that look like a little bag with a plastic ring at the top are just as bad, there's as much plastic in that ring as there is in an entire cup.
Detoxification miracle products.
"Get all the toxins out of your body!"
You have already have a pancreas and liver.
Edit: and kidney(s)Edit 2: Thanks for the silver!
Edit 2: Glad to see so many people actually are educated about their digestive systems. One of my favorite areas of study right now are the gut microbiome and it's ever increasing known impact on our overall health. So far it really seems like one of the most important factors (if not the most) is the quality of care you give your ol' poop machine. So yeah, don't consume garbage branded as detox products that f**k your colon.
GOOP
Never heard of it, had to google. Apparently not working well in Sweden.
Plastic water/soda bottles. Environmentally terrible
I am not 100% sure about that one. Yes plastic isn't easy to recycle. (Although HDPE (Lids) and PP (bottles) can be recycled quite well. IF you recycle).. but: It is a lot lighter than glass. Less weight means less energy/fuel for transport. And that means less CO2 (for transport). So.... if you look at the facts and add up the numbers (instead of just going: "Plastic is Evil) you might be surprised. Could be that, as enviromental bad as they are, they could still be better than glass
Any product where marketing is 95% of the production budget
Cheap toilet paper that your finger goes right through unless you fold it over several times.
Homeopathic “remedies” that are so diluted they might contain one molecule of what they purport to hold. And no, shaking them does not “activate” them. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/1800-studies-later-scientists-conclude-homeopathy-doesnt-work-180954534/
They are facing a problem im the EU now. They cant be labled by what they are working against (because they don't) and they can't be labled by what's suposed to be in it... because there is almost nothing of it left. So soon they will habe to be labled as what they are... sugar
Herbalife.
One of the techs at my dialysis unit just started this. She's only in her 20's and has no idea how long it's been around. She was going on and on about it and I just rolled my eyes.
Beats headphone, speakers etc. The headphones are so cheaply made that they put weights in them to make them feel higher quality
Edit: for those asking, you can't go wrong with JBL - they're invincible, affordable and unbelievably high quality for the price.
Edit 2: not saying weight = quality, I'm saying that people think weight = quality
Other excellent headphone manufacturers include Sennheiser, Klipsche, Audio Technica, Sony (they have a wide range including some very good stuff) and Bose (overpriced, but better than Beats).
Stuff with microbeads.
Seriously, how was this ever legal in the first place and why is it still legal?
Edit, apparently mictobeads were mostly banned in the US (where majority of redditors are from) in 2018 (enacted 2015) but I missed that. However, this is not a strict ban as they are still allowed in "non-rinse off" products such as make-up or pillow stuffing and you can order large quantities of them on Amazon. So while this is a step in the right direction, it is certainly not good enough. Furthermore, they should be banned worldwide like CFCs were as their environmental impact is equally as bad.
LOL surprise Toys or any such surprise toy , they sell like crazy and the whole idea is to buy them open the wrapper and see what you have got , once opened the toy is never used
Microtransactions in games.
The cosmetic ones I can understand, they can be fun, but the pay to win ones are terrible and yet they make millions every year.
Hartz brand pet flea treatments/medication. It's dangerous and has been the cause of death for many pets. IIRC it's a nerve agent that's supposed to make the pet's blood toxic to fleas.
I used some on my cat once and she started freaking out, then had trouble waking normally (her legs were twitching and kicking, clearly out of her control), and tears of brown thick liquid started streaming down her face. I picked her up and frantically gave her a bath hoping to wash any of the remaining chemicals off the back of her neck before any more of that poison seeped into her skin.
Cable TV (from major providers)
They made money f*****g people over and then when streaming services changed the game they decided to continue finding new ways to f**k you over. God help you if you live in a rural area.
There is absolutely no reason to have cable anymore. I have Netflix, Disney+, Amazon prime, Hulu and Funimation subscriptions and all of them combined cost a fraction what cable does,. Include limitless on demand content (much of which is better than anything on cable) and without 30% of the air time being commercials. Cable is dead. It died a horrible and well disserved death and it will not be missed.
There's an old IT joke about being in a room with three truly despicable people and a printer and a gun with two bullets. Who would you shoot? The answer for IT people is you would shoot the printer twice.
My data
Note: this post originally had 40 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
And commercials that pop up every two minutes on non-premium! Everyone hates those commercials no one wants them, no one watches them.
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Commercials on cable TV or streaming services you pay for. Why am I paying if you're already being paid for by commercials?!
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Why in blue blazes does BP truncate every thread? I can understand showing only the top 50 of 100+ items - but showing only the top 30 of 40? Seems absurd.
The more interacting a website has from the public the higher it ranks in search engines. If you're compelled to click again in order to see the full article, the article ranks higher and its more likely to be seen in a search engine.
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2 Threads with exact the same content in one day. Do you guys at BP don’t talk to each other?
Easy. It's still better than random cat pics all the time.
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Hearing aids for most old people. It's like putting more petrol in your car and expecting it to go faster.
Or glasses for asinine commenters. They shouldn't be allowed to see!
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And commercials that pop up every two minutes on non-premium! Everyone hates those commercials no one wants them, no one watches them.
Load More Replies... Commercials on cable TV or streaming services you pay for. Why am I paying if you're already being paid for by commercials?!
Load More Replies... Why in blue blazes does BP truncate every thread? I can understand showing only the top 50 of 100+ items - but showing only the top 30 of 40? Seems absurd.
The more interacting a website has from the public the higher it ranks in search engines. If you're compelled to click again in order to see the full article, the article ranks higher and its more likely to be seen in a search engine.
Load More Replies... 2 Threads with exact the same content in one day. Do you guys at BP don’t talk to each other?
Easy. It's still better than random cat pics all the time.
Load More Replies... Hearing aids for most old people. It's like putting more petrol in your car and expecting it to go faster.
Or glasses for asinine commenters. They shouldn't be allowed to see!
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