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There are plenty of seemingly innocent products and services out there that are just elaborate ways of getting you to part with your money. They might not try to bamboozle you as obviously as some spammers and con artists, but underneath all the glitz and glamor, they’re still scams.

Redditors have been sharing their opinions about what things they consider to secretly be giant scams after redditor MelteyReddit asked them to share their thoughts on this. In a viral thread, these redditors touched on everything from baby products and printer ink cartridges to a variety of questionable ‘health’ products and multilevel marketing companies. You could argue one way or the other for some of these, but that’s half the fun.

Check out what these people think are total scams, meant to get you to hand over your hard-earned cash, and upvote the opinions that you agree with as well. Disagree with any of these opinions? Know of any other things that you think aren’t much better than actual scams? Share your thoughts in the comment section. Meanwhile, be sure to read Bored Panda’s in-depth interview with the author of the thread, MelteyReddit.

#1

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams This might be unpopular but here goes.... The Catholic church. Currently worth 30 billion, the Vatican has 8 billion in assets . In 2014, it was discovered they were hiding 1.1 billion off the books. Why aren't these funds going to the poor? In 2019 it was discovered the Vatican was heavily invested in unreported luxury apartments.

Then there's the ugly stuff all this money is financing; Until 2014, the age of consent in Vatican city was 12. Yes. Twelve - the lowest age of consent in the world. It was only changed after the pedophilia scandal took hold. Then there's the wide history of evils brought on by the church; the ivory trade, castration of young boys (castrada), the Spanish Inquisition, Holocaust denial, cutting funding for the poor with LGBQ ties and on and on....

The Catholic church provides a thin veneer of "good" for their followers, but for centuries they've been feeding corruption beneath the surface and continue to do so.

decorama , Reinaldo Kevin Report

#2

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Convincing every high school kid they NEED to go to university. In reality skilled Trades or another specialized school would be the best route for a lot of people, and the pay can be very good.

alp1ne , Honey Yanibel Minaya Cruz Report

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Hugh Willie Mungous
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One of the great mistakes of recent Western thinking was the decision to push so many of the young towards higher education (and in to degrees of limited use) and away from apprenticeships. This has resulted in heavily indebted graduates who are of no use to the job market and an extreme skill shortage.

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Redditor MelteyReddit’s question got quite a bit of attention on r/AskReddit. Their thread got 20.2k upvotes and 15.4k comments, while the original poster racked up a whopping 55 awards at the time of writing.

“When I first published my question, I didn't think it would get so much attention. I thought to get a few responses here and there but quickly realized my phone exploded with notifications,” the redditor shared with Bored Panda how they reacted to their post going viral.

“The reason why I think [the question] resonated so well is because it's a very open discussion that can be easily argued about,” they pointed out that there’s quite a bit of nuance in the thread and not everything is as black and white as it seems.

#4

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Any product that's made by Gwyneth Paltrow

lamesas Report

#5

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Anything that says it will detox your body. That's what your kidneys are for.

drromancer , Birgith Roosipuu Report

#6

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams US healthcare system. I went to the ER a few weeks ago for an unknown pain in my chest and overall sh***y feeling. Got slapped with a 1500 bill with what turned out to be viral food poisoning. My brother, who is a doctor, said that was normal. Why the f**k is that normal?!

bluthco , National Cancer Institute Report

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A B C
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because that's what a sad majority of the US-Americans wanted and still want, because the Orange tells them lies about how paying such ludicrous amounts (and $1500 is cheap) is better than having universal healthcare. I'm sorry for you folks.

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MelteyReddit personally believes that it’s vital to know where your money is going. “I always try to stay up to date with where my money is going. If you are unsure if something is a scam, you can try looking it up on the internet to see how other people feel about it,” they urged people to do their own background research before purchasing something. What’s more, if your gut says that something’s off, chances are that something fishy is actually going on.

In MelteyReddit’s opinion, there are a few things that stand out and scream that something’s secretly just one big giant scam.

“I think the best way to recognize one is by a few factors, [for example,] if they are really pushy about a product that they wanna sell or if the website design/product design looks fake/rushed. Or if they ask an unreasonable amount of money for their product,” they shared their take on how to recognize hidden scams. “An answer posted a lot on my post was the lottery or casinos. Of course, we can't forget those.”

The author of the post added that they’re thrilled and thankful to everyone who engaged with their thread on r/AskReddit. “I want to thank everyone for answering my post, it means a lot to me!”

#7

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Funeral services, preying on the grief of loved ones.

I understand that its really for the living to celebrate their lost loved ones, but when I'm done I just want my family to bury my dead ass in the backyard and throw a bash at the house in my honor. Doubt I'll mind considering I'm dead.

SingleFunction80 , Rhodi Lopez Report

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

And the prices are crazy. You just lost someone you love and you literally have to wonder how you're going to pay for their funeral.

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#8

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams That humans are here to just work and die. No way humans evolved so we can work 5 of 7 days of the week, trying to jam fun in on weekends

Visible-Activity2200 , Alex Kotliarskyi Report

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

I can't really afford it, but I now only do 2 hours on Wednesday morning instead of a full day. I use the rest of the day for appointments and relaxation. Been a godsend for my mental health.

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#9

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Emails and messages from corporates and celebrities that "We are in this together" during the pandemic.

northern_light007 , Stephen Phillips Report

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

All sent from their villas to several million while we "essential workers" continued to go to work to be paid trifles.

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For an earlier article, I’d spoken with one of the mods helping run the r/Scams subreddit, a community that helps support the victims of scams and help inform them about the various ways criminals might try to bamboozle them.

One of the mods told Bored Panda that rudimentary research, education, and preparation all make a huge difference when trying to recognize scams for what they are. Nobody is ever 100% foolproof, no matter how insightful and perceptive they might be, but it’s always better to educate ourselves. Internet scams, in particular, can be more difficult to recognize in some cases because you’re no longer dealing face-to-face with a real-life person.

“When you have a real person in front of you, a typical person will feel shame or guilt at the thought of taking advantage of a person. With the internet, you aren't dealing with a person, but a username and avatar. It is much easier to act maliciously when you don't have a real victim directly in front of you," they explained.

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#10

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Planned obsolescence.

recaffeinated Report

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Gandalf the Pink
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A bit lacking in elaboration here so: Planned obsolescence is the practice of artificially making a product's lifespan shorter so people will replace it more often. This leads to a massive waste of resources and towering amounts of hardware trash that most often isn't recycled. Poisoning the planet all in the name of profit. If you wonder why phones seem to generally break just in time for a new generation of phones that's why. Nokia bricks was never as profitable as today's iPhones which a lot of people replace semi-anually. Imagine building yourself a house but not making it as sturdy and long lasting as possible. Planned obsolescence is seriously a horrifyingly Earth-destructive strategy. Another good example is light bulbs, which early models could last many years or even decades but today's light bulbs are manufactured to last about a year. Check out "This is why we can't have nice things" by Veritasium on youtube!

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#11

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Organized religion.

thedeadeye , Aaron Burden Report

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Mike Crow
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Organized religion is now big business, especially in the USA.

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#12

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams The whole baby product industry is based on making parents feel worthless and irresponsible if they don’t shill out for things that will be outgrown or unnecessary in six months.

mywifemademegetthis Report

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

When my son was born, as soon as I went out with him, even for an hour, I literally took EVERYTHING I could need. My bag weighed tons, but I was like "you never know". A few months later, I took a diaper or two, wipes and something to drink. And I had a lot of stress in less. It's difficult because indeed, as young parents, we take a lot of judgment in our teeth. "Ah, didn't you take (insert here the super crappy trendy thing that everyone considers essential)?" "You only took 12 diapers for an hour's outing ??? how are you going to do it?" "Do you use disposable wipes? I thought you were green?" "Is your stroller a second hand? You should have bought the (insert here a trendy stroller that costs a kidney)" ....

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“Online scams also use a lot of tricks to pressure buyers; low prices, pushes to buy now!, taking advantage of someone's kindness or naivete (re: advance check fraud, money mules, etc), or advertising one product and sending another (or nothing at all, by using a fake tracking number). Getting a person to make a decision via high-pressure tactics and preventing them from reflecting and making a sound decision is key," the mod from r/Scams told Bored Panda earlier.

"If a deal is too good to be true, it is. If you see a pair of brand new Apple AirPods advertised for $50, you are not getting an authentic product. There are many counterfeit items out there on the market, and you need to verify authenticity before hitting buy," they said.

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"Not only to avoid contributing to the counterfeit market, but because these knockoff products do not always go through the same safety standards of the real item; they may not be UL certified, they may use chemicals or ingredients that are not FDA approved and are unsafe for use on or in the human body, or could cause major harm to human life or property."

#13

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Any claim that a 'magic' drink will help you burn fat.

No, no drink or no food can burn that -- that is a pure fabrication.

moosejaw110 , Alex Lvrs Report

#14

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Ink cartridges for your printer are super cheap to manufacture but the retail price is really high

holytaco57 Report

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Trillian
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's why they can make printers super cheap. You will pay through the cartridges

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#15

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams The wedding industry in the U.S.

$20,000 - $30,000 for a single day, stressful-as-hell event. When I learned a photographer alone runs $5000 minimum I almost puked. And a lot of venues didn’t give a s**t about covid and hosted packed weddings, resulting in deaths because “wE gOtTa MaKe MoNeY sOmEhOw” Absolute slime balls.

Now before all the vendors dog pile me, let me be clear, I’m fully aware why you guys charge as much as you do. I also hope you understand why an average person like me looks at the price and says hell no.

And for those that want a conventional wedding: If you can swing it, do whatever you want. My wife and I did a Sandals all-inclusive vaca/wedding/honeymoon, which has its own pros and cons but still a no-brainer due to the cost and convenience.

CaptainPlummet , Shardayyy Photography Report

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

A closed friend had a "dream" wedding, very expensive, very "conventional", very "not her". And when I found out the amounts allocated for this wedding, it hurt me a bit, because if I had such an amount, I could have finished paying off the house ... (spoiler alert, this was 15 years ago and the house is not yet reimbursed: D)

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#16

Bottled water, looking at you Nestlé

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Hugh Willie Mungous
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've only ever bought bottled water when I was in a jam - whenever I needed water and couldn't get tap water easily. I've never understood why anybody would waste their money on bottled water.

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#17

Instagram fitness model meal plans. I cant believe people still pay them a lot of money for cookie cut meal plans and fitness advice. They are literally just pulling s**t off of google, copy paste your name, and make you think its personalized for you. Taking advantage of dumb people who are desperate to lose weight. Its pitiful on both sides.

thascarecro Report

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Suzanne Haigh
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would not call them dumb or pitifull, I would say "Hopefull" or "Desperate"

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#18

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Any online course promising to teach you how to make money

Sullixio , Samantha Borges Report

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Chloe *Leah* Pheonix
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I basically make 80000-1000000000000 per day>>>>>>>omg so life changing>>>>>>>work online>>>>>>>*insert sketchy link*

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#19

Two-party political systems. They seem to be in opposition to each other but in reality take "donations" from the same entities to further their agendas, so the sense of choice is mostly false in reality.

Mr_Lumbergh Report

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

I only know of the US that does this (Though I guess the UK comes close?) and from the outside it seems that that whole system needs to be scrapped and started over. It looks broken beyond repair.

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#20

All multi-level marketing companies.

They tell you that all you have to do Is get 5 people to sign up and they each get 5 people to sign up, etc. Except these are not mathematical geniuses running these companies. By the time you get about 12 levels deep, you’ve surpassed the entire population of the Earth. It’s a good lesson in exponents.

FatherPyrlig Report

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Kathryn Baylis
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just look at who falls for them, in huge numbers, and you’ll see why they don’t want the best and brightest. They don’t intend for anybody to do anything but spend money buying stock to sell.

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#21

Companies saying their employees are valuable to them and they care about their employees.

Uncertn_Laaife Report

#22

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Casinos.

All of the casinos in my state are video poker and video slot machines. There are barely any table games left.

No one is happy, no one is having fun. It's just a room full of zombies feeding the machines and losing money. Every person I talk to is convinced that they know the secret formula to win. You cannot win.

It might sound trivial but the old slots were just a spinning reel. These new machines are extremely addictive. The way the lights flash and the sounds go off like: Bing Bing BING. WINNER of 40 cents. The entire thing is a psychology hack to give people the impression that they're winning when they're not.

MSFNinja , Kvnga Report

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Sam Kunz
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We have a new Casino near where I live. I stopped in because they were offering a free buffet. I walked around and saw one person sit down and start to win hand over fist on a video slot. People crowded around the person. This person made thousands in minutes. Then got up and disappeared into the crowd but I followed and saw this "Winner" sneak into an employee only door. This person was paid to pretend to win.

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#23

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams College tuition. I graduated with a B.S. Information Technology and Computer Science. Working at a job and earning just as much as my coworkers who didn’t go to college and earned certifications. They have zero debt, while I’m $40k in the hole.

Accurate_Interview10 , Vasily Koloda Report

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beastmachine.
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Dude I'll be getting into uni next month and my fees are about $300/yr for a STEM/CS deg that includes tuition and lodging along with food coz it's sponsored by government. For places that aren't sponsored you may have to shell out $4000-5000/yr and that's pretty reasonable

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#24

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Trying to look good for men by reading women's magazine articles! Throw those magazines away, take good care of yourself, make the best of what you've got and don't be defined by someone else's expectations of what you should be.

KatPrincess88 , Charisse Kenion Report

#25

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Recycling plastics.

Less than 10% of plastic waste is actually recycled.

vitto2point0 , Julia Joppien Report

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Hugh Willie Mungous
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why not just ban the use of single use plastics? It is easy - and quite a few countries have taken major steps in this direction. We can (and have in the past) relied on glass bottles, paper bags, paper straws, card burger containers, card ear bud shafts etc. etc.. Profits need not be affected (heaven forbid!) and most/many consumers would tolerate the tiny increase in prices.

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#27

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Apple cables

hellofellowhumanss , Mika Baumeister Report

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ben woskje
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The apple eco-system - all of it. Intentionally created to be product specific, always technically behind the current technology standards - creates an obscene amount of waste... all to lock people in.

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#28

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams In the US, doing my own taxes. The government literally has all my info and can do it for me, but their excuse is that "but Americans like doing their own taxes!". No. I especially don't like being forced to pay for a service like TurboTax either.

turnOn , Kelly Sikkema Report

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Gin. No tonic
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In my country taxes are done on a government's website, where most of the info is already inserted and I just have to check it or can add some extra expenses (such as giving back education/housing loan). It takes no more than 15 minutes once a year

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#29

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Essential Oils being marketed as having these major health benefits/as treatment for illnesses. The only exception being clearing your sinuses. Some essential oils actually do pretty good work in that regard (at least for me personally... mileage will vary I'm sure).

tim_to_tourach , Chelsea shapouri Report

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

Seems when people don't have access to affordable health care, they'll try any alternative - no matter how far fetched

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#30

The entire working economy is a scam. You bust your ass for half of your waking hours, at least, then get told that your work is worthless and you don't deserve basic needs... even though your rich owners are making millions in profit off of your "worthless" labor?

NoKenjataimu Report

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J. F.
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"I don't pay good wages because I have a lot of money; I have a lot of money because I pay good wages." - Robert Bosch, sadly something that was forgotten over the last 30 years

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#31

The "All natural" market/label. Means nothing.

jackHadIt Report

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troufaki13
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Gluten free. Most people are not gluten intolerant, it's just a fad they need to follow.

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#32

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Adobe’s subscription based monopoly

pregnantbaby , Szabo Viktor Report

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beastmachine.
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Dude, just search on Google and you'll find so many alternatives. Maybe try watching Linus Tech Tips video on how they made videos without using any Adobe product

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#34

non-GMO food

GMOs are safe, we have been unknowingly doing this for thousands of years. Now we just have a more reliable,safe and fast way to do it.

Existing_Lynx_337 Report

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A B C
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This. People need to understand that selective farming, e.g. taking only the seeds of the most productive plants for next year, is selection based on genetic mutations and therefore LITERALLY IS genetic modification, just on a slow term and based on observation rather than design.

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#35

Adulthood because kids think it’s great but it’s not

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

Adulthood rocks. I'm 43, my other half is 42. 13 years going strong. No kids = no stress, no drama, no school/government/etc hassle, a lot more money, travel when we want, sleep when we want etc. Basically 2 peeps in their 40's still living like we're 18. You get the life you make for yourself by good planning, and not letting the energy stealers, Karens and drama-people in. Again, adulthood is awesome :D

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#36

Pretty much anything that says it will enlarge your penis

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#38

Getting a phone call about your cars extended warranty.

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#39

And survey says; Diamonds (but also most jewelry)

footinmymouth Report

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

Agree! Why is wearing a hard rock mined by exploited people in Africa considered an act of love?

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#40

Eating/drinking raw eggs. The proteins found in eggs only become useful to your body after the structures are changed by applying heat aka cooking them.

There's not only no point choking back a raw egg. You're also absorbing less protein from it than if you were to cook it.

"Cooked eggs have a bioavailability of around 91% for protein, while protein from raw eggs only is 50% bioavailable (Evenepoel et al., 1998)."

https://www.reddit.com/user/BloodintothewildRed/ Report

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May
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Do people actually do this? I've only seen it in like movies from the 80s - but love the citation

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#41

Insurance, health insurance in particular. The whole concept is pay into a pool on the off chance that something happens you can get some kind of reimbursement which sounds fair on the whole, but is so often bogged down with unfair terms and conditions that many get screwed over. This on top of predatory policies and greedy salespeople means a whole lot of people get [screwed] over.

nineball22 Report

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Kari Panda
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That depends heavily on the country and honestly, I think it‘s a major reason why universal health care has such a bad reputation in the USA. I was in a bad car accident two years back and had no trouble at all with neither car nor health insurance, which I am very grateful for because I had enough to worry about at that time.

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

In the UK we have a "National Insurance" fund scheme, which every employee pays out of their pay at 12% (ordinary employee) or 9% (on profits if you're self-employed). And for that, you get UNLIMITED access to ALL healthcare provision. That's everything from going to a GP with a cold, to receiving years of cancer treatment. Oh, and that "National Insurance" contribution not only pays for your healthcare, but it also funds the provision of the state pension, statutory sick pay, maternity leave, and unemployment benefits. Seems like a bit of a bargain, doesn't it.

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Sherri Mantooth Bagwell
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In the US we pay for our own policies, mostly thru employers. If you have "good insurance" you will meet your out of pocket amount you are responsible for the year (mine is $4K!) After that, insurance will pay 100% until January 1, when everything starts over. If you work for the government, you have better insurance (federal), than the waiter whose employer offers zero health insurance benefits

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John Dilligaf
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Like other things on this list, this is a "in the USA" problem

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Markus Holstein
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It can happen to anyone that unexpected sudden medical costs suddenly pop up. Everyone can have a traffic accident, for example, and a day in the ICU costs thousands of dollars, not including surgery a.s.o. Nobody who isn't a millionaire can pay for that out of his own pocket, that's the whole point of paying into a common pool "just in case". Most people never really needing it is kind of the idea behind it

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James Pasquini
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's called gambling. The insurance company is gambling that few people will "win" (need services) and the customers are gambling that they will get sick or injured and will need services. Since the insurance companies are "the house", they've got all sorts of gimmicks to tilt things in their favor. I.E.: co-pays, deductibles, paying only part of certain procedures, creating "networks" which doctors/hospitals have to pay into in order to be "within the network," and outright refusal to pay if one goes "out of network." Universal healthcare, single-payer healthcare is and should be worldwide. And for those in the USA, that's the government footing the entire bill. So why would you not want this?

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Mandy Delaforce (PC Girl)
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I pay nearly $4000 a year in health insurance for a couple. Every year they pay out double that. We make sure we use it. :) Yes, there is a gap, but it's nothing compared to what I would pay if I didn't have the insurance.

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Kelly Hartle
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And you’re afraid to file a claim in case the insurance company decides to raise your rates or cancel your policy.

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

A novel idea would be to bypass the insurance parasites and put money in a savings account and pay the health professionals directly. Or just have bloody free universal health care like normal countries.

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Jennifer Hall
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would have died in childhood without halth insurance (OK, moostly due to medical costs in the US), but for those of us who are broken, whatcha gonna do?

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Vivian Ingram
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Trick: ask for the credentials of whoever is making the decision to decline your treatment. Instant approval. They don't want to admit that the people making medical decisions for you are HS grads with no medical knowledge whatsoever. Saves me as a young woman with many pre-existing conditions and frequent unexpected health problems.

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

My BIL retired from a big Insurance company as a "managing partner". The whole business plan reeked of MLM. Recruits could earn perks like trips to fun places based on how many people they recruited....and so on and so on.

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Bora Zrinyi
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

National health insurance is a clever thing. You are not immortal, something WILL happen to you. You are not a hydra to fix every cell in your body. You became older. Accidents happen. The older you are, the more illness will find you. To sorry the healthcare found from other people when they are in need is a very selfish, very stupid thing that will hurt you and your own family in the times when you will be ill and weak and vulnerable.

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Sage Gusano
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've been fortunate to never have problems with private insurance. My only issues actually came from government programs. I was working as a temp years back. Full time but no benefits. My ex(then current) wife took the kids to sign up for Healthy Families (a program in California). They said that even though I was the step father my income counted. We made $1.00 too much (not a typo) and the kids were not given coverage. When I blew a disc in my back I went to try to get Medi-cal to get help. I was told that the kids DID NOT count as dependents and that I, therefore, made too much and was turned down. Eventually got a regular job with private insurance. I was seen by my doctor, got an MRI, diagnosis, treatment, etc.

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Alexei Arntzen
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I feel like the mess you had to go through wouldn't exist if the US had a NHS-like system. You and the kids would have had healthcare, even before getting a "regular job." If the entire US paid into an NHS (based on income), we wouldn't have to deal with insurance plans at all, and everyone would be eligible to receive care when they need it.

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

No, health insurance is sooo important! It is so disturbing to see people e.g. in the US going bancrupt because they can't pay their hospital bills or dying because they can't afford cancer treatment.

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

Just remember that insurance companies don't make money by paying out claims, they make money by denying claims, and then it all makes sense.

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

American health insurance aside, I don't know how you get around the concept of insurance.

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Julie C Rose
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’ll give Southern Cross in New Zealand credit where it’s due. They’re a nonprofit so they’re less shitty than a lot of the ones overseas.

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Paul Z.
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Bullshit! In the US (the dysfunctional in the family of nations, but still in demial) maybe. In more functional countries it is not.

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Viv Hart
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nothing wrong with my health insurance, after 60, you definitely need it.

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

I live in Canada and still have health insurance. For me and for my dog. My dental bills are very high. I have coverage for a lot of those treatments, plus all my med. My pet insurance has saved me $23K for a dog that got sick at age 3.

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

Exactly. I am forced by the belgian and dutch governments to have a dutch private insurance. I have no job and I am disabled but I must pay 90 euros a month for an insurance that basically covers my GP appointments and nothing more.

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Don Golosso
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There are so many lies in your story. If you are unemployed and disabled you will get zorgtoeslag in the Netherlands, reducing the cost of your health insurance. Also, the basic insurance covers a lot more then just the GP appointments.

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cybermerlin2000
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My fiancée is seeing a chiropractor here in the UK. He has really helped her a lot, and it is only taking 6 sessions. I suppose when you live in USA anyone can call themselves anything and do what they like because without proper monitoring of medical professionals, charlatans can get away with it

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Not Proud British
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Get a quote, then start putting that monthly money into a savings pot that you do not touch at all for anything else. That will be your insurance should things go wrong. No raised premiums, no haggling over whose fault it was, no assessors trying to bring the price down.

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Alexei Arntzen
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That wouldn't work very well in the US if you have a chronic or severe health issue. You'd need hundreds of thousands of dollars to pay for something like cancer treatment out-of-pocket. For a T1 Diabetic, it would cost hundreds a month for just the insulin.

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#42

Tiktok. They now have an event where they pay you $40 if you refer a friend. It’s clearly selling your private information, but people ask their friends to be referred like crazy.

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A B C
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I still don't get why we don't finally start boycotting this chinese surveillance bullshit, but apparently people just don't care.

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#43

Realtors, probably the most overpaid, under qualified profession. The commission based comp is crippling for some sellers, and if you try to sell on your own (FSBO), they will steer all their buyers away from you.

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Shelly M
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because FSBOs don't know what they are doing and dont get smoke inspections or final readings.

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#44

Having a royal family. It’s bonkers in this day and age that a country as grown up as Britain has a monarch that costs us all money, just for privilege of having her. A literal Queen, wearing a crown, who believes that she was sent by God to sit on a gold throne. And we have to sing a song asking for her longevity at football games. The royal family are a scam, cost us too much money and are currently harbouring a nonce to boot.

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Gin. No tonic
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's image also brings in a lot of tourists, helps sell loads of souvenirs, and overall adds to the economy. It would be interesting to know not just the cost, but also the value of having a royal family. Also it seems that countries with royal families tend to be more stable during crises.

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#46

Corporate owned apartment complexes tacking on hundreds of extra dollars in monthly fees on top of rent. Mandatory cable TV packages, parking fees (on a flat surface lot, with no assigned parking), valet trash. All a scam and just a way for them to pocket incremental sales on top of rent.

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

Isn't this only a high-end complex thing, ..for Luxury Apartments and Condos for people who make the top 1% of income? It is in Boston...I know many complexes on the waterfront do, but...who else but a top earner can afford 7k in rent a month, and why would they complain if they could? LOL.

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#48

NFTs.

There will be a market for these in some form, but we are hip-deep in the rowdy, scam-filled early days.

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

I will never understand NFTs, no matter how many ways it's explained to me. They make no sense.

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#49

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Chiropractors. "The only way I can help is if you come see me 3 times a week for as long as you live."

zopea , Toa Heftiba Report

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Valisbourne Spiritforge
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I feel so much better after a visit to the chiropractor (once or twice a year) that I fail to understand the scam. I wanted my back to feel better and it does after I leave, service given, service paid for. Where was the scam?

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#50

Fifa games

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

I know this post was meant for the video games (I've checked the reddit post) but it could also apply to actual real football (or soccer for US) games.

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