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Buyer's remorse is a real thing. As far as anyone goes, if you've ever shopped, you've probably made a bad purchase here and there. This Bored Panda thread was dedicated to the most regretful instances of buyer's remorse. Check out what our brilliant community has submitted!
If you want to get the gist of it, here's a summary of the thread. While many described their regretful purchases that were pretty common, like a bad tech item, some had some brilliant insights that many unexpectedly related with. Bought exercise gear that you barely use? Turns out, you're not alone, perhaps even in the majority. Other submissions were a tad bit more strange, but all the more interesting. And, of course, there are many more truly brilliant stories that are best told by the authors themselves.
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#1
A few years ago, Cadbury claimed they would stop selling their choco bars in the USA. I bought a gazillion of 'em. They're still available in the USA and they're fresh. Not like the evil choco-things taking up space in my pantry. As a door stop.
Final score:
120points
#2
My treadmill, elliptical, spin bike… each one with the promise to exercise more. Oh well, there is always tomorrow.
Final score:
120points
Dorothy Parker 3 years ago
Consider this, if you were to get rid of them, where would you dump your clothes?
#3
A college degree. I haven't been able to use it at all. I got BS's (Law Enforcement and Forensic Anthropology) and a BA (Pre-Law). Couldn't get a job. Then went back to a Community College for an Associates of Applied Science in Accounting. Now working for an international firm making the most money I've ever earned. Wish I'd known before wasting all that money.
Final score:
87points
#4
An air fryer that I've used once in 6 months.
Final score:
82points
Ashamba 3 years ago
I encourage you to try it again- my SO makes onion bhaji from scratch in ours - better than our local Indian takeaway, he also does breaded chicken to rival the Colonel... and the chips (fries/potato wedges) are soooo good, and ooooh the breaded garlic mushrooms! All this sounds like awfully naughty food, but done in the air fryer it's not nearly so unhealthy! I consider our air fryer to be one of our best kitchen investments.
#5
I bought a tablet around 5 years ago thinking I will use it for work. I used it a few times out of curiosity but never used it for work as it wasn't efficient at all for me. It's just too small for work and movies, and that's basically all I use my computer for. So it ended up being an expensive useless purchase I still have on my shelf collecting dust. It wasn't touched for a few years. I should have sold it or donated it but here we are.
Final score:
74points
Billy The Kid 3 years ago
Donate it to a school. With this working.... from home im sure there is someone who cant afford one and could really help them out
#6
A Time Share. Worst idea in the world. Can't use it and can't get rid of it. Costing thousands a year in fees.
Final score:
74points
#7
My first tattoo. I walked in and picked a piece of flash off the wall featuring a Chinese word that (you guessed it) was badly translated. Every other tattoo I have has either been designed by me or I worked with the artist to design it. Technically I still have my first tattoo, I just got it covered up.
Final score:
68points
Easily Excitable Panda 3 years ago
The first time I got a tattoo, I brought in my own design. The artist said, "Good for you for not choosing flash." As a novice, I had no idea what he was talking about, and vaguely wondered if showing my boobs would get me a discount. (The Catholic schoolgirl in me was horrified by the thought!)
#8
In fourth grade, I bought a rabbit pelt on a field trip at Waterloo Village because it was soft. It's definitely in the house somewhere. Yes, I'm an animal lover and it hurts me a bit to see it.
Final score:
61points
Ashamba 3 years ago
I went on a French Exchange trip to the French Alps when I was 11... All the gift shops had little souvenirs (key fobs, random ornaments) with rabbit or marmot fur... Yes I bought one, and yes, I kept it for years to remind myself how stupidly easily I'm won over by strokable stuff, but to think about what I'm buying into.
#9
When I was in my mid twenties, I was single and had a good paying job. Mind you this was in the 1990s. I went to dillards and bought this genuine leather jacket that cost around $500. I wore it maybe 6 times because I didn’t want to get it wet but it couldn’t keep me warm at all. I still have it in my closet just sitting there, reminding me of how stupid I was to purchase it.
Final score:
58points
#10
This one time I brought an iPad case from Amazon as an early birthday present. I really loved it. Then about a week later I had my birthday party. My mum told all her friends about the case I loved, no about a third of them bought it. Since it was $45 I was touched, but now I had four iPad cases and no one I knew had an iPad except me!
Final score:
57points
#11
My truck. Couldn't drive it within 30 min of purchase. Spent $10,000 on it in 14 months.
Final score:
52points
#12
Does an unfinished degree count? I'm still paying off the loans so it's still hanging over me..
Final score:
52points
#13
The iPad/iPhone chargers that hardly even function.
Final score:
48points
#14
Workout equipments😅
Final score:
47points
#15
50 beanie babies. Still want more.
Final score:
45points
#16
NVIDIA 3D glasses before VR was still fiction. Used them twice and never again since the glasses were too heavy for my nose. The pain wasn't worth the slight 3D...
Final score:
41points
Francisco Garcia Bustamante 2 years ago (edited)
My 3D tv, lasted 10 years before broke down last year, and i only used like twice a year with the 3D on
#17
Not me but my mom. Shoutout to metro.
She needed a new phone and bought a new anderoid. The manager charged her $532 and gave her headphones she didnt even want. Then my mom went home and did the math. It only cost $432. We gave up on trying to sue because unless the cameras caught the scam on tape we would have no evicence
Final score:
41points
#18
An $88 karaoke machine I bought from Walmart 5 years ago. We never get to use it as we live in an apartment and the times we have tried using it the quality is no better than the kids karaoke toy my daughter had. Plastic mic, music significantly lowers when you add your voice but as soon as you stop it the music goes loud creating a disorienting pitch problem. Apparently you can add lyrics displayed on the TV but I was never able to figure it out. It's been just sitting there for years. It's better worth the money to go out to my favourite karaoke joint.... how I miss going out to karaoke.
Final score:
40points
#19
I got these hair clips/ties off Amazon and they are to big and we’re made of plastic (the pictures looked like they were metal and the description didn’t say) but yeah I spent 15$ on junk and I see them every day on my shelf :D
Final score:
39points
Easily Excitable Panda 3 years ago
Maybe you can use them to keep open bagged items fresh? (I'm thinking of things like potato chips.) At least you'd get some use out of them.
#20
Idk if it counts but a crappy tattoo that has not aged well.
Final score:
39points
Channon Doughty 3 years ago
That definitely counts! I mean that's are literally WITH you forever, not just in a closet, shelf or drawer
#21
Happy meal Toys. What do I do with them?
And the little cheap useless toys at the the cash register.
Final score:
37points
#22
A house! The mortgage is killing me! Only 20 years to go before it is mine and will be paying almost double in total than what I 'bought' it for.
€200k was the price, will have paid 380k when I'm done.... And the house is worth 350 now. (And that'll buy me 75% of the space on the current market)
Final score:
35points
#25
A 350-euro Samsung phone. It cracked its screen on its own after one week when the alarm went off on vibrate mode on an uneven table. I never replaced the screen but I use it for international calls.
Final score:
28points
#26
About €500 worth of hair weaves. I keep changing my hair color so I can no longer wear them since they don’t match my actual hair color anymore and have to get a new one made. Such a waste…
Final score:
26points
#27
A $400.00 piece of art that I could have paid maybe $30.00 for the poster print.
Don't get me wrong; beautiful piece but $400.00!?
Final score:
22points
#28
Very expensive hiking boots... but I'm going to return them 😉
What do you think ?
Dina Zikopoulos 3 years ago
any random nicknacks i bought before i was diagnosed with ADHD. if i thought it was cute, i HAD to have it.
Samantha 2 years ago
Oh, yes, the ADHD tax. And the Ambien walrus. I've ordered so much random c**p that I don't need, don't use, and can't sell to break even. Ugh.
Load More Replies...
Casey Payne 2 years ago
GoPro camera. $$. Was getting back into photography with my iphone. Figured a genuine camera would be better and looked for one with multiple functionality. What they left out of the description? To use the functions, like video editing, photo editing, webcam, you have to subscribe to their apps. They still can't get the apps including the webcam app to even work. IT support is FAQ with no email, phone, chat - nothing! Taking any picture is a complicated mess. I have to buy a harness to hold the camera to use the video function. In summary: It is a steep learning curve for the functions that do work and tons of frustration for the ones that don't. It's somewhere in my apartment in a shoebox.
Dina Zikopoulos 3 years ago
any random nicknacks i bought before i was diagnosed with ADHD. if i thought it was cute, i HAD to have it.
Samantha 2 years ago
Oh, yes, the ADHD tax. And the Ambien walrus. I've ordered so much random c**p that I don't need, don't use, and can't sell to break even. Ugh.
Load More Replies... Casey Payne 2 years ago
GoPro camera. $$. Was getting back into photography with my iphone. Figured a genuine camera would be better and looked for one with multiple functionality. What they left out of the description? To use the functions, like video editing, photo editing, webcam, you have to subscribe to their apps. They still can't get the apps including the webcam app to even work. IT support is FAQ with no email, phone, chat - nothing! Taking any picture is a complicated mess. I have to buy a harness to hold the camera to use the video function. In summary: It is a steep learning curve for the functions that do work and tons of frustration for the ones that don't. It's somewhere in my apartment in a shoebox.
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