Ridiculous Things That Made People Say ‘False Advertising’

The advertising game is a competitive one and as a customer, you have a responsibility to yourself to be on the lookout for scams and "false advertising."

Every one of the people below felt a little slighted when they took a closer look at what was being sold to them.

$20 Off Everything (Except The Shoes In The Picture)

Nike advertisement on shoe sale that excludes Nikes
Photo Credit: mjanicek345 / Reddit
Photo Credit: mjanicek345 / Reddit

It's exciting to find a great sale on your favorite shoes or clothes, but this sign would have you believe that you can score $20 off any pair of Nikes.

Unfortunately, the fine print beside the picture of a women's Nike shoe says "Excludes Nike." Of course, it does.

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Who Is Kate And Why Is She Lying?

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Candle with fake homemade sticker
Photo Credit: TaneSoup710 / Reddit
Photo Credit: TaneSoup710 / Reddit
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This dollar-store dupe is advertised as Kate's Home Candles but a loose label sticker reveals it's actually a very generic Mainstays candle.

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There were no Kates involved in the making of this candle.

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Hello, I'm A Trojan Horse

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Paper bottle wrapped around plastic
Photo Credit: SPLICER55 / Reddit
Photo Credit: SPLICER55 / Reddit
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One company thought they found a clever way to trick consumers into thinking they were buying a reusable, environmentally friendly "paper bottle."

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It didn't take long for people to notice that they had been deceived by a cardboard sleeve around a plastic bottle.

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This Pizza Tastes Like False Advertising

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Pizza box with hands rolling dough and words
Photo Credit: SIRasdf23 / Reddit
Photo Credit: SIRasdf23 / Reddit
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The box that this pizza comes in features a close-up shot of a chef kneading dough.

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In a fine print font that blends into the background, a disclaimer reads "Product is not handmade," and the illusion is shattered.

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No Sugar Added (Except All The Added Sugars)

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Bag that says no suggar added and then added sugars on nutrients facts
Photo Credit: Rmartin35 / Reddit
Photo Credit: Rmartin35 / Reddit
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According to the front of this bag there is "No Sugar Added," but the nutritional values on the back of the bag tell a different story.

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Not only are there 32g of sugar, but there are also 15g of "Added Sugars."

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Lay's Is A Jokester For This

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Lays advertisement featuring full bag of wavy chips
Photo Credit: Reddit / via Imgur
Photo Credit: Reddit / via Imgur
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This is about as fake as it gets because every Lays chip bag contains at least 40% air in the top of the bag.

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This type of chip volume simply does not exist in real life.

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Not The Color On The Outside

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Nail polish with different label colors
Photo Credit: peashooter / Reddit
Photo Credit: peashooter / Reddit
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Usually, nail polish bottles are glass or the sticker shows the color inside.

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This person was let down when they opened their nail polish jars to find out that the colors inside did not match the colors on the label. At least the purple is close, but the pink is way off.

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Eight Days A Week Open Five Days A Week

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Eight days a week business sign
Photo Credit: sneakybones / Reddit
Photo Credit: sneakybones / Reddit
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It's hard to beat the competition when they say they are open 8 days a week, like this Imaging & Copy center.

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It's too bad that their actual operating hours contradict their "Eight Days A Week" business name.

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Super Easy To Open If You Have Scissors

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Easy open package torn and sealed
Photo Credit: EupraxiaCM / Reddit
Photo Credit: EupraxiaCM / Reddit
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The packaging on this lunch meat says "Easy Open" but the picture proves that it's actually the opposite of easy.

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This mildly infuriating situation is only made worse by the fact that this person was probably hungry.

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Expectations Vs. Reality, Fruit Edition

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Fruit tray as advertised versus how it was in store
Photo Credit: Peth0201 / Reddit
Photo Credit: Peth0201 / Reddit
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This is one of those expectations versus reality situations where the grocery store advertised a picture of what people could expect, and then delivered something completely different.

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The fruit pizza on the left is aesthetically pleasing and the one the customer was given looks like a three-year-old's breakfast.

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What The Heck Is Push Root Beer?

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Mug and no name Rootbeer from vending machine
Photo Credit: Kwirt / Reddit
Photo Credit: Kwirt / Reddit
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This person paid a "convenience charge" for a name-brand soda from the vending machine.

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When the pop dispensed it was this random "unheard-of brand" and not at all the Mug rootbeer that they had paid extra for.

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Technically, They Are Telling The Truth

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False advertising sign outside a restaurant on a chalk board
Photo Credit: DaftAlive / Reddit
Photo Credit: DaftAlive / Reddit
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Some businesses know that false advertising can work to their advantage, as long as they admit that's what they're doing.

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This pub came up with a clever way to get people in the door, especially if they don't take time to read the full sign.

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This Knife Is Confused About Its Identity

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Stainless steel and copper knife label on package
Photo Credit: GitEmSteveDave / Reddit
Photo Credit: GitEmSteveDave / Reddit
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The package for this kitchen knife identifies it as both a "copper knife" as well as "stainless steel."

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Even if it is a copper-coated stainless steel knife, the package does not do a good job of communicating that.

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Chipotle Is Not Fooling Anyone Here

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Chipotle surge pricing on delivery menu
Photo Credit: Arucious / Reddit
Photo Credit: Arucious / Reddit
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One burrito lover was left annoyed when they realized that "Chipotle goes all-out advertising that for the next week delivery is free, and then casually makes the delivery menu priced higher than the regular one."

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Menu surge pricing has been a thing forever but it sucks to catch it happening to you.

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This Is A New Low For Packaging Tricks

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Markers hidden in packaging to seem like there are more markers
Photo Credit: StarFox80 / Reddit
Photo Credit: StarFox80 / Reddit
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This bulk pack of markers is not as bulky as the customer originally thought.

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A large cardboard box takes up space in the middle of the container to help the package look filled out, but really it's just empty space.

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Just A Few Extra Service Fees...

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Extra Airbnb fees add up to double the price
Photo Credit: Earlspooperscooper / Reddit
Photo Credit: Earlspooperscooper / Reddit
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Airbnb never tells you how fast those service fees rack up, so fast that it can double the cost of your stay.

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This man was left shocked by the additional fees on his rental and considered just getting a hotel instead.

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Everything Is Always Normal Price

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Advertised as always 30% off furniture
Photo Credit: hoikarnage / Reddit
Photo Credit: hoikarnage / Reddit
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This sign at a furniture store says everything is "as Advertised" but the advertisement is fairly confusing.

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If all the merchandise is always 30% off, is it ever really 30% off?

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The Least EasyNap We've Ever Seen

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Napkin dispenser with napkins stuck inside is called
Photo Credit: GhostWithToast / Reddit
Photo Credit: GhostWithToast / Reddit
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Even though this napkin dispenser is called the "EasyNap" there is nothing easy about it.

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People have to claw for their napkins and they end up coming out looking like shredded toilet paper.

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Mangos Are A Great Source Of Vitamin A (But Not These Ones)

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Mango nectar label says mangos are a source of Vitamin A but the nutritional value label says 0% vitamin A
Photo Credit: jennyboh / Reddit
Photo Credit: jennyboh / Reddit
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Mangos are a natural source of Vitamin A and this can of mango nectar says so right on the front.

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But a closer look on the back of the label shows that there's absolutely zero trace of Vitamin A in there.

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This Ham Is All Smoke And Mirrors

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Ham sandwich from deli with ham cut and arranged to look thicker
Photo Credit: Gunnersaurus_Rex / Reddit
Photo Credit: Gunnersaurus_Rex / Reddit
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This sandwich was probably the lowlight of someone's day when they opened it up and realized that it was just strategically cut and placed ham instead of a filling sandwich.

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They definitely had to go back for seconds because this is meager.

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A Sad Popsicle Indeed

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Strawberry short cake ice cream with no toppings
Photo Credit: Reddit / Imgur
Photo Credit: Reddit / Imgur
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This disappointing dessert is not as pictured on the box, it's a sad excuse for what it's supposed to be, which is covered in delicious toppings.

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It's possible that it got melted or that a child ate the toppings and then put it back in the freezer.

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The Old Switcheroo

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Pranking child by switching bagels with raisins for bagels with cholocate
Photo Credit: Boogsifil / Reddit
Photo Credit: Boogsifil / Reddit
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This packaging creates the perfect opportunity for a bait-and-switch prank.

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A mom uploaded this picture and said she swapped the bread inside the bags to trick her 11-year-old son with the raisin bread instead of chocolate chips. He was unimpressed.

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The Wind Seeker Found More Than It Bargained For

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Wind Seeker ride at amusement park closed due to high winds
Photo Credit: GoFishRy / Reddit
Photo Credit: GoFishRy / Reddit
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This high-flying ride called the Wind Seeker is not actually super great at dealing with winds.

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If there is even a little bit of wind action the Seeker does not need to seek and remains grounded instead.

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Ah, The Salt Of The Earth, Good Until 2019

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Pink Himalayan crystal sea salt
Photo Credit:@BobGolden / Twitter
Photo Credit:@BobGolden / Twitter
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A man uploaded this picture of his Himalayan sea salt advertised on the package as being "formed by the primal sea more than 250 years ago."

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The only problem is that the plastic container it comes in says it expires in 2019.