Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
“What Are Some Of Your Favorite Life Hacks That Teeter The Line Of Unethical?” (20 Answers)
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."
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
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.
Son of Philosoraptor 1 year ago
Best Buy has an excellent warranty... Had a lot of free tvs and totally legit.
RELATED:
#2
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.
John Nelson 1 year ago
Or, if you don't know the answer but want to help someone out who's getting no replies, give the wrong answer. At least half a dozen keyboard commandos will correct you, and give the poster the answer to their problem. :)
Ace 1 year ago
Indeed, or even go to the effort of creating a second, fake profile to propose, in the most arrogant way possible, a solution that you know to be wrong.
Load More Replies...
Denise Melek 1 year ago
I do it the other way round. When I'm interested in buying a car or technical device from a man, I write sounding very "manly". It decreases the chance of them trying to scam me. Sad, but true.
Tyranamar Suess 1 year ago
Needs to start picking younger sounding names. What's a good Gen Z one?
Farah the Turtle 1 year ago
Do the basic names. Emma, Eva, Tara, Poppy, Alexa, Olivia, Livi, yeah :)
Load More Replies...
#3
If you have a discount code for a website for example: discount10 for 10 percent off. Try : discount20. Works sometimes.
WindySwede 1 year ago
"We are almost out of treats and catnip, yes?" *does jedi paw wave* 👋
Load More Replies...
Dumb teenager 1 year ago
I’m going for discount 1000. They pay you 9 times the price of the item
Load More Replies... 
Bananaramamama 1 year ago
I can absolutely vouch this could potentially work. I managed the online website for my last company and you have to code in the phrases depending on discounts or sales. We are not that crazy about making things overly complicated for our own sake. Especially when there are standard generic discounts (for customer satisfaction after a complaint, a vendor, a family discount, a business partner, etc ).
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
I use multiple email addresses to continuously take advantage of free trials.. extending use of paid services..
Emma London 1 year ago
And that's why companies are now demanding also credit card numbers upfront. How many cards you have?
ƒιѕн 1 year ago
Use privacy.com, create a virtual card, set a $1 limit, get the free trial, close the card after starting the free trial. Even if you don't close the card, it can't be charged.
Load More Replies...
#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. .
eric p 1 year ago
It kind of does. Usually when a buffet has "premium" items for dinner there will be signs that say "dinner customers only"
Load More Replies...
Maisey Myles 1 year ago
I made friends with the owner of a small Chinese buffet place that my sons and I went to 1-2 times a week. One night she told me to start bringing some containers from home at closing time and she’d load us up with all the leftovers. Otherwise, they’d have to throw it all away.
#6
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.
Kraneia The Dancing Dryad 1 year ago
Just don't turn into an AH if you are refused that discount.
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
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.
Daisy1355 1 year ago
My favorite part is how your score will drop by 20-30 points from one missed payment, even if it's an honest mistake, but making on time payments will not grant you the same recovery unless it's been months and months. The system also does not require reporting, which means you can have plenty of things you pay regularly that never get credited to you. (But again, one mistake and they'll often report that). For example, my rent does not get reported at all. The five years I've paid rent with no issues is irrelevant. But if I were to get evicted? All that negative activity would be reported.
Cyd Cherise 1 year ago
It's my understanding that late payments aren't reported to the credit agencies until they are 90 days past due.
Load More Replies...
Ron Man 1 year ago
This doesn't work anymore. Before it gets dropped you have to reach out to the credit company that you're trying to get rid of, demand their proof that this is your account, and they will send it to you. Usually it's a copy of your application. Then you take that and send it to the credit bureau and tell them this isn't you. You have to do that with every bureau and all of this has to be in writing. It doesn't have to be certified mail or anything like that, but it's got to be written and sent by postal service. After that, the credit bureaus will decide to drop it or not. I went through this about 15 years ago after someone telling me what someone told the OP, found out it wasn't accurate, but then found out the right way to do it. There's a lot to this and before you start wasting your time, google it and see all the forms/statements you must make as part of the correspondence.
Iamterribleatpickingoutnames 1 year ago
In the US there are 3 credit agencies. Companies with which you have credit report whether you pay your bills on time and how much debt you have. All of this information is used to create a credit score. That score is used to determine whether to give you credit and at what interest rate. A low score may prevent you from getting a credit card, a car loan, a mortgage, rent an apartment, and so on. You may have to go to companies that provide high risk loans at extremely high interest rates. A high credit score makes it much easier to get credit at a better interest rate, rent an apartment, and any number of things. It is, unfortunately, an extremely important thing and easy to mess up with too much debt, late payments, judgments against you in court, etc.
Load More Replies...
#8
Book all your dental and doctors appointments for Fridays or Mondays to guarantee a 3 day weekend.
leendadll 1 year ago
If getting cosmetic botox, book the last appt of the day. It can't be refrozen and docs will often offer extra injections for free.
Nanny to 3 rescue Greyhounds 1 year ago
Get 10 days holiday instead of 4 over Easter. UK has Good Friday as a bank Holiday, then you get Sat and Sunday off (if you of course don't have to work weekends). After Easter Sunday we have Monday Bank Holiday. You then book tues, weds, Thurs,Friday as AL then you have another weekend. So 10 days off for 4 days booked.
#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.
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
Geo arbitrage- sign up for a service via another country where it’s cheaper.
Luke Branwen 1 year ago
My student told me he buys premium Discord from Turkey (IIRC) because it costs peanuts there.
shylittlehippo 1 year ago
Can confirm, did it with an app that's $70 a year USD, was charged $3.78 or so with my location set to Turkey.
Load More Replies... #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.
#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.
Roxy222uk 1 year ago
Morrison's is a chain of supermarkets in the UK, and they often have a cafe in them. I have discovered that if you want a tea or coffee in a UK town and there's a Wetherspoons pub there, not only are their hot drinks the cheapest but you pay at the bar and they give you a mug to help yourself from the machines, so again you can go back again and again all for the one payment. Staff don't care.
Load More Replies...
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
Signing up for free trials with multiple email addresses... the art of never paying for a subscription.
Travelling Stranger 1 year ago
no worky, subscription service companies use your IP to prevent one from using this hacky; also, some companies require one's CC number even for free trial period, so ..
Bored Seagull 1 year ago
Identifying people by their IP address is in most cases unfeasible. IPv4, which is still prevalent in the internet, doesn't allow for enough valid addresses to provide every device with a fixed IP address. This is why most people have dynamic addresses: on connecting to the internet, their ISP assigns them a free address, which is freed up, and likely assigned to another customer, after disconnecting.
Load More Replies... Tyranamar Suess 1 year ago
Everything requires credit cards now. Who gets a free trial without a credit card anymore?
#14
I had multiple microsoft rewards accounts and got a lot of free gift card with it.
Farah the Turtle 1 year ago
Also, download a buncha pay to walk apps - Like cashwalk and winwalk
#15
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.
Joshua David 1 year ago
Collection agencies love it. In the 90s US someone would get a yellow envelope with a message to call now. Of course it uses your last know address. So you get an envelope and curiosity killed the cat. You call the number, enter the special "code" they ask for and get hung up on. The next day theyre calling you. Thats all I knew about skiptracing.
Load More Replies...
BS Detector 1 year ago
Skip tracing is a terms used for the steps used to find people that don't want to be found. Most often for people that "skipped" bail or "skipped" out on their bills.
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
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!
Lewis KR 1 year ago
Your sainthood should arrive in the post any day now. Who does it hurt? Hotel staff probably feel good about doing something special for you. You feel good about getting extra stuff. This is like the definition of a little white lie
Load More Replies...
Brenda Spagnola-Wilson 1 year ago
Most places are happy to do that. For our 10th anniversary, the hotel caterers messed up what hubby ordered for the group. But simply by asking, the restaurant nearby agreed to help out last minute. He told them it was our anniversary. They not only gave us a huge discount, but included a fruit/vegetable/cheese plate, some appetizers and a bottle of champagne for free! But if people abuse their kindness, it stops for everyone
Fabian Bernard 1 year ago
We come back from a trip to Italy, my wife and I had been upgraded and offered grappas just by being kind, smilling, decent, patient and respectful to our local hosts, not using crappy entitled questionable methods....
Devin Schmitt 1 year ago
My wife & I celebrated our 35th anniversary. I mention the celebration on every reservation, and most restaurants gave us either free appetizers or deserts (or both). Unfortunately, often they would bring out the free desert after bringing the one we already ordered. We ate too many deserts, more than we should have.
Ace 1 year ago
Happy days. When I got married I was doing some contract work for BA, in a dept that was responsible for the reservation system, and who had direct access to it. So one of them made a note on our flight out to Venezuela )en-route to Margarita) which I'd already purchased with a substantial discount through their staff "friends and family" scheme and we got better seats and a complimentary bottle of champagne, a proper full-size bottle of Piper Heidsieck, complete with an ice bucket and all. Best was the reaction of a somewhat drunk guy a couple of rows behind who was demanding the same and caused quite a fuss when told that no, he'd have to make do with the little twist-top bottles off the trolley. Smug mode activated.
Maisey Myles 1 year ago
I inherited a big diamond ring from my Gran. Once, my boyfriend told our server he was going to propose and would he put it in a glass of champagne to surprise me. The manager gave us a very nice bottle of champagne and free dessert - thanks Nana!!
#17
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.
kitten levels tokyo 1 year ago
Lying is being promoted pretty enthusiastically in this list. But gaining the reputation of being a liar doesn't help one in life.
K- THULU 1 year ago
Especially teaching your kids that lying is OK to get stuff.....
Load More Replies...
Tyranamar Suess 1 year ago
One of the staff members gave one of these buttons to my kid. I made him take it off. It's confusing to be repeatedly told it's your birthday when it's not. We don't need a free drink anyway. Not worth it to teach your kids to lie.
#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.
kitten levels tokyo 1 year ago
Ice water is pretty easy to come by without resorting to elaborate "life hacks".
Brenda Spagnola-Wilson 1 year ago
It's the cup most places are charging you for, not ice or water
Georgy 1 year ago
"ice water is free in nearly every convenience store everywhere." No it is not.
Ashley Porter 1 year ago
Circle K now charges for ice even if you bring your own cup 😐
Load More Replies... 
Geoffrey Scott 1 year ago
You'll find that if you bring your own cup, even if it's not the store's, you will get a discount.
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
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.
Ron Man 1 year ago
You need to have different phone #s, emails, and credit cards and just create fake new accounts.
Load More Replies...
DeoManus Argentem 1 year ago
Wouldn't this require multiple addresses and phone numbers? I recently tried to switch my Signal (free messaging app) account to a new device that had previously been registered under a fake phone number (I wasn't trying to scam anybody for personal gain, just privacy) and none of the free burner number services I tried worked anymore for verification unless I paid.
#20
Lose your sunglasses? Go to a hotel and say you left them in your room and can you see the lost and found, please.
Ace 1 year ago
Also pretty sure any hotel would want to verify your name, the date you stayed and the room number.
Load More Replies...
kitten levels tokyo 1 year ago
But what are the chances your lost sunglasses will actually be in that hotel's lost and found area?
Joshua David 1 year ago
As a former hotel employee we put a time limit on how long we kept items. Its a hotel, not a storage for wayward guest lost items. If someone left an expensive pair more than likely they come back for it. This is good also for charger cables. Forgot one? Ask the front desk. They have a fűck ton of them.
Ace 1 year ago (edited)
Chargers as well as their cables are the most common things I find left behind in my holiday rental apartments. Nobody's ever bothered about them, cheap and easy enough to replace. Small items of clothing are next most common, socks, knickers and stuff like that. Only three or four times over the last five years or so have people left things that were important enough, like expensive ski goggles, gloves or sunglasses, for us to send on to them, but that's what we do, just asking them to refund the postage.
Load More Replies... Emma London 1 year ago
Or go to a grocery store info and ask for forgotten black gloves in winter.
Brenda Spagnola-Wilson 1 year ago
Usually, if you ask if they have any you can "borrow" a pair from lost and found, they'll just tell you to keep
Load More Replies... What do you think ?
Cooter McCoughlin 1 year ago
Close the bored panda app and immediately reopen it so you don't have to deal with the obnoxious ads that are impossible to close out every damn time you finish reading a post
Jane Jayne Jain Jeign Jein 1 year ago
Don't use the app, just use the web page, then there are no ads.
Load More Replies...
Michael P (Perthaussieguy) 1 year ago
Sad that too many people have no qualms about lying and cheating if they think they can get away with it :(
Pandaodboredem22 1 year ago
So many of these simply increase the costs for the rest of us. Thanks, D bags!
Nancy Bania 1 year ago
I can't even imagine doing some of these! No wonder prices keep rising. It's self defeating.
Steve Robert 1 year ago
BP, what's up with all those despicable ads? You're making the site a no go for me. Can't even read a paragraph without some intrusive ad placement. Stop before you destroy your site!
Cooter McCoughlin 1 year ago
Close the bored panda app and immediately reopen it so you don't have to deal with the obnoxious ads that are impossible to close out every damn time you finish reading a post
Jane Jayne Jain Jeign Jein 1 year ago
Don't use the app, just use the web page, then there are no ads.
Load More Replies... Michael P (Perthaussieguy) 1 year ago
Sad that too many people have no qualms about lying and cheating if they think they can get away with it :(
Pandaodboredem22 1 year ago
So many of these simply increase the costs for the rest of us. Thanks, D bags!
Nancy Bania 1 year ago
I can't even imagine doing some of these! No wonder prices keep rising. It's self defeating.
Steve Robert 1 year ago
BP, what's up with all those despicable ads? You're making the site a no go for me. Can't even read a paragraph without some intrusive ad placement. Stop before you destroy your site!
You May Like “I Can’t Believe Other People Don’t Do This”: 43 People Share Their Best Life Hacks Simple Life Hacks You Might Wish You Always Knew “Using The Family Bathroom”: 45 Loopholes So Clever, They Feel Illegal
Jonas Žvilius
Žydrūnė Trukanavičiūtė
Dominyka Proškėnaitė
Related on Bored Panda
