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We all love saving money—whether it's trading in your old TV for a discount on a new one, using coupons, or holding out for a big sale. But sometimes, people go a step further, sharing clever but slightly shady life hacks that definitely toe the ethical line. If you're curious about these kinds of tips, one Redditor recently asked: "What are some of your favorite life hacks that teeter the line of unethical?" The responses were full of those questionable tricks that feel just a little wrong, yet don’t break any laws. You might not want to try them yourself, but they're certainly entertaining to read—and might even make you think twice about what counts as "playing fair."

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#1

"What Are Some Of Your Favorite Life Hacks That Teeter The Line Of Unethical?" (20 Answers) Extended warranties.

They aren't always worth it, but many of those extended warranties on electronics and office chairs and stuff will give you back the full, undepreciated value of what you bought if anything goes wrong with it. Usually as store credit. That usually only applies for lower value items that aren't worth repairing - and that's where those warranties shine.

Mark on your calendar a month or two before the warranty ends. Then find something wrong with it that requires using that warranty. I don't think I've ever had to actually lie - for example my now 2 year old office chair loses an inch or two of height a day from the gas cylinder leaking. Guess what, that's covered under warranty - full replacement value back. And they don't care about taking the "defective" chair away either.

Just be sure you read the terms of what the warranty does and doesn't cover.

Justsomedudeonthenet , Pixabay / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
60points
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#2

"What Are Some Of Your Favorite Life Hacks That Teeter The Line Of Unethical?" (20 Answers) Before Reddit was a thing, I would register with tech support message boards when I needed some technical help with my computer or other things. However, I would make my username super feminine like “Stacybabe” or “Heather.” When I asked the question; it would never fail that I would get a flood of replies from helpful guys that thought they could hook up with me.

-CoachMcGuirk- , Djordje Petrovic / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
49points
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#3

"What Are Some Of Your Favorite Life Hacks That Teeter The Line Of Unethical?" (20 Answers) If you have a discount code for a website for example: discount10 for 10 percent off. Try : discount20. Works sometimes.

chafemagic , Ruca Souza / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
49points
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Honestly, there's nothing quite like snagging a good deal. Whether it's getting a discount on a brand-new washing machine or saving a bundle at the grocery store, it feels like a win. Companies know this well, which is why they often use coupons or special offers to tempt us into buying things we might not have planned on getting, boosting their sales in the process.

Take a simple grocery trip, for example. You head to the supermarket with a clear list—just veggies, nothing more. But then you spot a tempting deal: buy one, get one free on pasta. It's hard to resist. Pasta lasts forever and it's always useful to have on hand, so into the cart it goes.
#4

"What Are Some Of Your Favorite Life Hacks That Teeter The Line Of Unethical?" (20 Answers) I use multiple email addresses to continuously take advantage of free trials.. extending use of paid services..

laceyrup , Solen Feyissa / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
45points
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#5

Go to a buffet 10 minutes before they change the food and cost from lunch to dinner. The food quality goes up. The new food is fresh and hasn’t been sitting out for hours. And you pay the lower cost. 

A guy who works for me taught us this trick. 

We aren’t really a buffet type family in terms of what we eat. But if I take the work crew out or have a group of people visiting from out of town and I’m gonna pay for their dinner…the buffet trip is fun. .

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Final score:
33points
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#6

"What Are Some Of Your Favorite Life Hacks That Teeter The Line Of Unethical?" (20 Answers) You can usually get away with things just by asking confidently, as if the request you are making is obviously normal. You will still get a lot of nos, but a huge percentage of people simply do not know how to react when asked for something directly and as though you actually expect to get it.

Discounts, passage into places you shouldn't be allowed to go, free stuff.

The key is you have to ask with 100% confidence. You cannot give any indication whatsoever that there is any chance they will say no.

This works better if you are attractive, and a woman, but contrary to what incels will tell you, neither is required. Just positive, confident, direct.

Spunge14 , energepic.com / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
24points
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Usually, such offers can draw in new customers. Picture this: you're browsing online, and you see a pop-up that says, "Register now and get 10% off your first purchase." Even if you've never shopped there before, it's hard not to feel the pull of that discount.

Whether online or in stores, these deals are a clever way to catch your attention and turn browsing into buying.
#7

"What Are Some Of Your Favorite Life Hacks That Teeter The Line Of Unethical?" (20 Answers) Credit reporting agencies aren’t staffed enough to handle all of the error reports they get from people. They by law have to either look into it or drop the item from your report. You can get things removed by just repeatedly reporting things as errors until you end up in the “drop it” stack. I haven’t needed this but I’ll use it if I ever do.

MrAudacious817 , Glenn Carstens-Peters / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
21points
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#8

"What Are Some Of Your Favorite Life Hacks That Teeter The Line Of Unethical?" (20 Answers) Book all your dental and doctors appointments for Fridays or Mondays to guarantee a 3 day weekend.

-CuriousityBot- , Quang Tri NGUYEN / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
21points
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#9

I buy the protection plan for low quality but nice looking outdoor furniture knowing that it will almost certainly break within 1-2 years and I can get replacements for free (or money back) over and over again.

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Final score:
21points
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So, when you see a "Buy 3 for the price of 2" deal, that one T-shirt you originally planned to buy turns into three. Suddenly, you've got a bargain, but you've also spent more than you intended, boosting the store’s average basket value.
#10

"What Are Some Of Your Favorite Life Hacks That Teeter The Line Of Unethical?" (20 Answers) Geo arbitrage- sign up for a service via another country where it’s cheaper.

that-guy-in-YYZ , Marek Levak / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
15points
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#11

When there are two lanes on a roundabout, and everybody is sitting in traffic only in the straight ahead / turn off immediately lane. I just go in the completely free lane, do a full lap of the roundabout and skip ahead. Totally legal and safe driving, but just feels a bit icky skipping the queue.

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Final score:
11points
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#12

In the Morrisons cafe they don’t care if you refill your coffee cup multiple times. I’ve literally heard a staff member saying just do it. So I do.

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Final score:
10points
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Additionally, when companies offer coupons for specific products, it's a smart way for them to clear out slow-moving inventory. Those targeted discounts not only make space for new products but also encourage customers to buy items that might have otherwise sat on the shelves, gathering dust.
#13

"What Are Some Of Your Favorite Life Hacks That Teeter The Line Of Unethical?" (20 Answers) Signing up for free trials with multiple email addresses... the art of never paying for a subscription.

SuperAngelofdeath69 , Taryn Elliott / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
7points
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#14

I had multiple microsoft rewards accounts and got a lot of free gift card with it.

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Final score:
5points
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#15

"What Are Some Of Your Favorite Life Hacks That Teeter The Line Of Unethical?" (20 Answers) Used skip tracing to figure out the address and name of the person that stole my identity. I was indicted for the felony crime he committed against me before hand. It took me 48 hours all because of a small flaw in the way he stole my mail and skip-tracing worked like a charm. Sadly, since perjury was used to indict me, he walks free. I harass the criminal and his wife on a regular basis.

SubpoenaSender , Obi Onyeador / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
3points
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But here’s the thing: while some people hunt for the best discounts and wait for the right offers, others push the boundaries of what’s acceptable to get ahead.

These posts showcase just how creative—and sometimes questionable—people can get when seeking benefits, not just for products, but in various aspects of life.
#16

"What Are Some Of Your Favorite Life Hacks That Teeter The Line Of Unethical?" (20 Answers) My wife and I just got back from our honeymoon. We let places know everywhere we went and got all kinds of special deals and bells and whistles. Hotels upgraded us to nicer rooms at no additional cost. Nobody once fact checked us lol. Makes us want to lie about this on future vacations!

Foresight_2020 , Ash Dhakne / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
0points
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#17

"What Are Some Of Your Favorite Life Hacks That Teeter The Line Of Unethical?" (20 Answers) If you take your kids to Disney World get them a first visit or birthday button whether it's true or not. It's mostly minor things but my daughter got quite a few freebies when we took her for her birthday.

molten_dragon , Craig Adderley / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
-1point
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#18

If you have your own cup, ice water is free in nearly every convenience store everywhere. Many stores explicitly allow you to fill your own cup with ice water for free, and in the others the staff is generally too busy or doesn't get paid enough to care. This also works in hotels (for just the ice) and fast-food restaurants, but many restaurants are getting rid of self-serve drink dispensers.

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Take Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, as a recent example. They reportedly fired about 24 employees from their Los Angeles offices for misusing their $25 meal credits to buy non-food items like toothpaste, laundry detergent, and even wine glasses.
#19

"What Are Some Of Your Favorite Life Hacks That Teeter The Line Of Unethical?" (20 Answers) I used multiple emails to get $30 of free stuff on Uber Eats. I just logged into an account, waited a few days, and ordered my free food.

Thedoglover1234 , cottonbro studio / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
-4points
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#20

"What Are Some Of Your Favorite Life Hacks That Teeter The Line Of Unethical?" (20 Answers) Lose your sunglasses? Go to a hotel and say you left them in your room and can you see the lost and found, please.

VaguelyFamiliarVoice , Annie Williams / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
-5points
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