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30 American Marketing Scams That People Can’t Believe Others Fall For

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In 2014 L'Oréal USA was involved in a scandal for claiming that their skincare boosts gene activity to rejuvenate the skin without any scientific evidence to back it up.

This can only labelled as m arketing fraud - an illegal practice that makes false or misleading claims for financial gain. It includes talking big about the product’s attributes, concealing side effects or potential harm, and selling poor-quality items as up-to-par ones.

This company is just one example of how organizations are taking advantage of consumers. After all, people tend to believe that others are telling the truth more often than they actually are.

So when redditor Conradjenn started a discussion about American consumer scams, more than 6,000 people came forward with their own fraud stories. Scroll below to find the most mind-boggling ones that prove not all businesses are out to make a fair financial profit.

This post may include affiliate links.

#1

30 American Marketing Scams That People Can't Believe Others Fall For "If we cut taxes for business and the wealthiest Americans the wealth will trickle down to the working class." Didn't work in the 1920s, didn't work in the 1980s, didn't work in the 2000s, and really didn't work in the 2020s.

Cetophile , Pixabay / Pexels Report

Final score:

107points

Cuppa tea? 8 months ago

The idea of cutting taxes for businesses could be based on premise, that they will invest the profit back into company to increase quality, develop new products, or even benefit workers. Instead of goes to upper management bonuses, shareholders dividends - who btw in most hasn't got the slightest idea or interesting what company makes.

4points

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#2

30 American Marketing Scams That People Can't Believe Others Fall For Post secondary education.

The fact that you can’t declare bankruptcy on student loans is f****d up.

The fact that schools require you to buy the latest editions of textbooks for each year is a scam.

The fact that school is so expensive and time consuming that you are basically locked into a decision for the rest of your life is f****d up.

The fact that so many high schools pressure kids to go to college even when they have no idea what they want to do is f****d up.

The fact that so many schools pressure kids into useless degrees is f****d up.

The fact that information is free, yet most jobs requiring a college degree to even be considered is f****d up.

Education needs to be reformed so badly.

goblin_goblin , Christina Morillo / Pexels Report

Final score:

102points

Karol Chęciński 8 months ago

'Murica

26points

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#3

30 American Marketing Scams That People Can't Believe Others Fall For American Hospital billing. The minute you ask for an itemized receipt and breakdown, they start removing charges left and right and the bill gets reduced by ~30%.

Girl_Princess , Laura James / Pexels Report

Final score:

97points

Adrian 8 months ago

How about America joins the rest of the civilized world and doesn't regard healthcare as a profit center. It's THE worst thing about living in America. Or maybe it's the guns? Or the religious zealots? Or...

45points

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Corporations have used fraudulent claims for a long time. In the US, the tremendous growth in advertising that took place after the Civil War was largely influenced by a long history of Western marketplaces. Back then, ethical issues regarding marketing were rarely brought to daylight as it was merely used to announce available products.

However, by the end of the 19th century, scams in marketing flourished, along with consumer suspicions about promoted food. Only in 1914 was the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Act put in place to limit self-regulation and prohibit false claims of advertisers. Afterward, if it turned out that an agency was deceptive, it faced legal problems.

#4

30 American Marketing Scams That People Can't Believe Others Fall For Two decades of "low fat" diet foods that were all packed to the brim with sugar.

loki8481 , segundo Report

Final score:

83points

Limey 8 months ago (edited)

Because sugar is backed by the corn syrup industry which is big business in the US. Fat doesn’t have a political lobby.

15points

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#5

30 American Marketing Scams That People Can't Believe Others Fall For Health Insurance. You pay for it. Then when you use it, nothing is covered or it covers only a portion plus deductibles/copayments.

pujarteago1 , Marek Studzinski / Unsplash Report

Final score:

82points

Susie Elle 8 months ago (edited)

Idk on the other hand there was my mom undergoing chemotherapy and radiation along with 5 different kinds of medication and the only thing she had to pay for was an extra strip of oxazepam at 15 euros for 10 pills. Sooo ...

3points

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#6

30 American Marketing Scams That People Can't Believe Others Fall For Televangelists.

Low-Celery-7728 , MART PRODUCTION / Pexels Report

Final score:

82points

Fester Sixonesixonethree 8 months ago

All preachers.

16points

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This continued as advertising progressed into television. However, the FTC hadn’t been given the appropriate legal instruments or staff to effectively monitor advertising. Therefore, in addition to their actions, a Lanham Act was introduced that allowed consumers or competitors to take legal action against false advertising. All they had to do was bring evidence.

#7

30 American Marketing Scams That People Can't Believe Others Fall For That diamonds are rare and you must have one.

Electronic-Pool-7458 , Edgar Soto / Unsplash Report

Final score:

81points

Dragons Exist 8 months ago

I have one cause I found it in a gutter on the street

10points

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#8

30 American Marketing Scams That People Can't Believe Others Fall For Sam Walton getting to build Walmarts in every small town by making a commercial with himself standing in front of a huge American flag and swearing that all of his stores would only sell products made in the USA. Then almost all of the countries mom and pop stores went out of business, Sam died, and now the shelves are stocked with nothing but products made in China. Biggest sellout of America that’s ever been.

GodaTheGreat , TaurusEmerald / Wikipedia Report

Final score:

80points

Rachel Parker 8 months ago

The Waltons are the second richest family in the world with $250 billion. Over 14,000 Walmart employees are paid so poorly that they are on hard-to-qualify-for government assistance programs like food stamps.

48points

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#9

30 American Marketing Scams That People Can't Believe Others Fall For Turbotax.
The IRS already has all your tax information, your work and investments are required to send it to them. Other countries just have their IRS equivalent send you information that you can correct or contest if you like.
But in the US massive tax filing software companies spend millions of dollars lobbying congress to prevent an easier tax filing system which effects every single American citizen over 18 every single year.

Worried_Place_917 , Karolina Grabowska / Pexels Report

Final score:

75points

Nimues Child 8 months ago

Lobbyists.... Grrr... 😡🤬

22points

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Ultimately, it’s difficult to monitor and analyze every advert that’s out there especially because they all include some kind of manipulation tactic that attracts people to buy the product. Whether that would be exaggerations, half-truths, or ambiguities, consumers need to be aware of them and take time to read about the product.

Currently, marketed goodies tend to create a false sense of health or target our fears to trick people into purchasing them. Like healthy-sounding phrases such as “gluten-free” or “organic” that lure buyers with the impression of being nutritious.

In fact, in 2018, researchers found that most bottled water advertising campaigns trigger people’s subconscious fear of death. They also stated that it symbolizes something safe and pure that can be very compelling to people who want to avoid health risks.

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#10

30 American Marketing Scams That People Can't Believe Others Fall For Insulin at 3000% markup.

starcadia , Pavel Danilyuk / Pexels Report

Final score:

70points

Fester Sixonesixonethree 8 months ago

That's just effing criminal.

16points

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#11

30 American Marketing Scams That People Can't Believe Others Fall For Black Friday deals.

Take it from a former retail worker - it’s the same deals year-round, folks.

PrimeVector19 , Max Fischer / Pexels Report

Final score:

68points

JenniB 8 months ago

I think every manufacturer and store has just raised their prices and then "drop" them to Black Friday Sales prices that would have been the original price...

8points

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#12

30 American Marketing Scams That People Can't Believe Others Fall For High fructose corn syrup. We subsidize it, it's in everything, it's not good for us and we pay for the healthcare fall out later on.

OkInitiative7327 Report

Final score:

67points

Nimues Child 8 months ago

It's why US goodies like chocolate taste so terrible.

7points

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#13

30 American Marketing Scams That People Can't Believe Others Fall For Body hair on women is gross. Literally just a campaign created to sell razors because the company (can't remember which one) wasn't selling well enough to men.

itspronouncdcalliope , bruce mars / Unsplash Report

Final score:

61points

Karen by name 8 months ago

Gillette introduced the first razor marketed specifically to women, called the Milady Decollette, in 1915 https://www.si.edu/spotlight/health-hygiene-and-beauty/hair-removal

16points

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#14

A two party political system.

djauralsects Report

Final score:

60points

Bruce Horton 8 months ago

Only thing a two party system is better than is a one party system.

2points

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#15

30 American Marketing Scams That People Can't Believe Others Fall For Basically everything you see when you enter the workplace as an American. Our employers can fire us for any and all reasons unless they are dumb enough to call us a racial slur while doing it. We have the most advanced healthcare in the world that is only accessible if you are well off enough to pay for it. Everything costs about 4x as much as it should because after all we have shareholders to pay and executives need their bonuses.

The worst part about it all is that we do it to ourselves because there are enough of us that are dumb enough to be taken in by the "American Dream" of starting up and hitting the big time lottery. The lottery is only for the very good looking and the sociopaths adept enough to grift everyone else. There is no big time lottery for the normal person and we need people to start realizing that.

Dapper_Platform_1222 , Christina Morillo / Pexels Report

Final score:

59points

clairebear 8 months ago

I am British but even I can see America is one big farm. Humans are the crop. Everything has been maximised for profit. Your food is bad so you get fat and ill. Your healthcare is so expensive it could bankrupt you. Your education is for the wealthy only unless you can throw a ball or run fast. Your religious leaders are con men who pay no tax and live in mansions. Your politicians are wealthy liars and snake oil salesmen who are shills of Corporations. Every single thing is run to the bare bones, to serve the rich. UK is following in your footsteps and it is terrifying.

51points

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#16

30 American Marketing Scams That People Can't Believe Others Fall For "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day"

Created by cereal companies, it has no basis in fact and was used as a combination of marketing and religiousness - the founders were Seventh Day Adventists promoting cereals in sanitariums

Malvania , Binyamin Mellish / Pexels Report

Final score:

58points

Fellfromthemoon 8 months ago

In my country, a proverb says "Have breakfast like a king, have a lunch/diner like a burgeois and have a supper like a beggar". This saying predates morning cereals.

37points

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#17

Medicines. Here in Europe for example is forbidden to advertise any type of medicine. I think you can guess the reason why.

evalunaofficial Report

Final score:

55points

Surenu 8 months ago

Any type of *prescription* medicine. Important distinction.

34points

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#18

30 American Marketing Scams That People Can't Believe Others Fall For Trickle down economics and billionaire worshipping.

OJC1975 , Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels Report

Final score:

51points

Humansarethevirus 8 months ago

I noticed that rednecks hypocrites Christians love sucking rich di@k. Whyyyyyyyyy they are so goddam stupid!!!!!!!!

25points

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#19

30 American Marketing Scams That People Can't Believe Others Fall For The old food pyramid. Eat 6-11 servings of bread/rice/pasta per day. So that recommends eating some combination of
* wheat bread @ 420-770 calories
* white rice @ 960-1760 calories
* spaghetti @ 1200-2200 calories per day

LastChristian , Joe Ross Report

Final score:

47points

marcelo D. 8 months ago

You have to eat a kilo of pasta or a kilo of rice to reach those calories amounts

10points

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#20

Any and all products and services related to weight loss and dieting. The whole diet industry and culture. No one with a shred of moral fiber could advertise something with a proven 95% failure rate.

deeBfree Report

Final score:

47points

David Paterson 8 months ago

Last I heard it was a 99% failure rate. My source is Todd Sampson. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Todd_Sampson

6points

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#21

Payday loan companies.

Final score:

45points

HAPPYBINK 8 months ago

Ughhhh they are HORRIBLE!! So difficult to get out of 😒

6points

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#22

30 American Marketing Scams That People Can't Believe Others Fall For Food shortage is a lie. So much goes to waste.

darthTharsys , Ron Lach / Pexels Report

Final score:

45points

Humansarethevirus 8 months ago

Once again thanks to the greedy rich parasites

10points

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#23

Subscriptions. Instead of just a flat fee they pull more an more money out of you, but at least you can cancel when you want.

Yellow_Jacket_97 Report

Final score:

44points

Jason 8 months ago

Sometimes you can. Usually you have to jump through hoops

16points

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#24

30 American Marketing Scams That People Can't Believe Others Fall For "YOUR COMPUTER HAS A VIRUS!"

Click here to install another one.

thenewmadmax , Oladimeji Ajegbile / Pexels Report

Final score:

42points

Cyber Returns 8 months ago

I love the ones that say 'Dear username (never your real name)Your antivirus is about to run out. Follow the link to buy another years subscription. From an antivirus you don't own or have never owned'

4points

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#25

Planned obsolescence.

Final score:

39points

Becky Samuel 8 months ago

"Planned obsolescence" is very misunderstood. If you want every item you buy to have every single component designed to last you a lifetime, then you're going to have to pay accordingly. Who many people are prepared to pay $2,500 for a clothes dryer? And then you're stuck running an inefficient dryer using decades-old technology for the rest of your life.

2points

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#26

30 American Marketing Scams That People Can't Believe Others Fall For Timeshares are up there. Even worse are the guys who claim they can get you OUT of them. Those guys are often bigger rip off artists. John Oliver did a whole segment on it. Funny, but f****d up at the same time.

MetalTrek1 , Ben Mack / Pexels Report

Final score:

37points

lawrence Andrew 8 months ago

I went to a presentation, got a could night free stay at the resort. After the presentation when the salesmen came in I did the math for the real cost per per day for the time share. I was escorted out immediately to not influence they other people.

8points

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#27

Credit scores, health insurance/medical care, and houses being owned/sold/bought by billion dollar conglomerates.

Boogiebadaboom Report

Final score:

37points

Freya the Wanderer 8 months ago

Houses for sale get snapped up by greedy outfits, putting affordable housing out of the reach of many people. Little wonder so many are "perma-rents" or homeless.

6points

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#28

30 American Marketing Scams That People Can't Believe Others Fall For Social media will bring us together.

PapaDeE04 , Tracy Le Blanc / Pexels Report

Final score:

32points

Jason 8 months ago

The Internet was once such a place of community

16points

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#29

Kenneth Copeland Ministries.

MostlyHostly Report

Final score:

30points

Jean-Louis Bolomey 8 months ago

Kenneth Copeland...we should demand a letter of apology from the condom factory !!!

4points

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#30

Churches.

DuceBanner Report

Final score:

29points

GraphicHealer 8 months ago

This one depends. There are legitimately awful churches out there, but there are also good ones, With real people, who are really trying to change their lives. Some people may not believe what they preach, but the people who do believe it and truly want to change their lives, can. The ones that really bug me are the people who try and use that belief to extort people. Again, that is not all churches. But there are still some of them.

20points

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Note: this post originally had 55 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.

Austeja Zokaite

Hi, glad you swung by! My name is Austėja, and I’m a writer at Bored Panda. With a degree in English philology, I’m interested in all aspects of language. Being fresh out of university, my mission is to master the art of writing and add my unique touch to every personal story and uplifting article we publish. In my time here, I’ve covered some fun topics such as scrungy cats and pareidolia, as well as more serious ones about mental health and relationship hiccups. When I’m not on my laptop, you’ll probably find me devouring pastries, especially croissants, paired with a soothing cup of tea. Sunsets, the sea, and swimming are some of my favorite things.

Hi, glad you swung by! My name is Austėja, and I’m a writer at Bored Panda. With a degree in English philology, I’m interested in all aspects of language. Being fresh out of university, my mission is to master the art of writing and add my unique touch to every personal story and uplifting article we publish. In my time here, I’ve covered some fun topics such as scrungy cats and pareidolia, as well as more serious ones about mental health and relationship hiccups. When I’m not on my laptop, you’ll probably find me devouring pastries, especially croissants, paired with a soothing cup of tea. Sunsets, the sea, and swimming are some of my favorite things.

Mindaugas Balčiauskas

I'm a visual editor at Bored Panda. I kickstart my day with a mug of coffee bigger than my head, ready to tackle Photoshop. I navigate through the digital jungle with finesse, fueled by bamboo breaks and caffeine kicks. When the workday winds down, you might catch me devouring bamboo snacks while binging on the latest TV show, gaming or I could be out in nature, soaking up the tranquility and communing with my inner panda.

I'm a visual editor at Bored Panda. I kickstart my day with a mug of coffee bigger than my head, ready to tackle Photoshop. I navigate through the digital jungle with finesse, fueled by bamboo breaks and caffeine kicks. When the workday winds down, you might catch me devouring bamboo snacks while binging on the latest TV show, gaming or I could be out in nature, soaking up the tranquility and communing with my inner panda.

What do you think ?

BookFanatic 8 months ago

Oh, yay. Yet another "Let's bash America" post.

5points

Matthew Barabas 8 months ago

they very clearly deserve to be bashed.

-1point

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DB 8 months ago

30 posts but only 3 or 4 that had anything to do with marketing. Great job, BP.

4points

No Clue 8 months ago (edited)

What is this c**p where all of a sudden, when I click to read more comments, the first comment under the post becomes a giant, multi-line BP "ad" for their other articles I might be interested in? That I now have to scroll past to get to and start reading the user comments? I'm already here and have an account and the links to other articles are already everywhere, including the main page and at the end of each article. How freakin annoying. C'mon BP!

1point

BookFanatic 8 months ago

Oh, yay. Yet another "Let's bash America" post.

5points

Matthew Barabas 8 months ago

they very clearly deserve to be bashed.

-1point

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DB 8 months ago

30 posts but only 3 or 4 that had anything to do with marketing. Great job, BP.

4points

No Clue 8 months ago (edited)

What is this c**p where all of a sudden, when I click to read more comments, the first comment under the post becomes a giant, multi-line BP "ad" for their other articles I might be interested in? That I now have to scroll past to get to and start reading the user comments? I'm already here and have an account and the links to other articles are already everywhere, including the main page and at the end of each article. How freakin annoying. C'mon BP!

1point

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