Trips to the grocery store can be pretty frustrating for many people these days. If you’re not dealing with a blatant case of sneakflation, you’re faced with misleading product packaging that may make you curse the heavens for the existence of corporate consumerism.
Hyperbole aside, you can also snap photos for the internet to see, much like what these people did. The following images may evoke a mix of laughter, despair, and disappointment – all at the same time.
Scroll through and feel free to join in the conversation by sharing photos of your own if you have any.
#1 Contains Vitamins B3, B6, B12, And Zinc, Except It Doesn’t Contain Those
#2 Standard Misleading Packaging
Misleading packaging to make the wrap look longer than it is.
#3 My Expectations Were Low, But Holy Cow
There are several ways companies deceive consumers through their packaging. Researchers from Kiel University in Germany found that it also happens through the color of packages.
According to their findings, products with a lighter color are more likely to be perceived as “healthier” but with “less taste.” This supposed tactic has a significant influence on a consumer’s decision to make a purchase.
#4 Is Anyone Else Bothered By Deceptive Packaging Like This?
#5 This Battery Company Has Started Changing The Packaging To Make You Think You’re Getting Two Free Batteries, They Normally Come In An 8 Pack Anyways
Companies really need to stop doing this.
#6 Huge Foam Block Inside Pack Of Kids Necklace Bead
Deceptive packaging is a form of false advertising, which is both illegal and unethical. Yet, why do companies resort to this tactic? According to author and entrepreneur Amanda Arthur Krill, competitive pressure tends to push corporations into this direction.
“The long-term repercussions may prove detrimental, eventually resulting in lost credibility and consumer trust,” Krill wrote.
#7 A New Low From Colgate. This Tube Came In This Box! I Feel Done Over
#8 Where’s The Rest Of My Cookies? It Used To Be To The End
#9 Feeling Scammed. Oh, Boy. Does It Feel Like Bad Design, Or Is There A Better Place To Post This?
The next question would be how companies execute their misleading marketing practices. As Krill explains, they put out promotional materials that target a person’s FOMO, or appeal to their desires for beauty, approval, and success.
“Advertisers create an illusion where consumers believe purchasing their product will enable them to achieve something unattainable,” she stated.
#10 Roll Of Tape Is Quite A Bit Smaller Than Depicted (I Checked Several Boxes, They All Are Like That)
#11 Something Stinks
Brand new/unopened stick of antiperspirant. Only 40%of the tube has product. This is typical for the brand.
I’d rather less plastics and more honesty, but I know that the boardroom fat-cats are incapable of responsible ideation.
#12 This Slime Sold At Target
As consumers, falling victim to deceptive marketing tactics is inevitable. However, we can protect ourselves simply by having a basic understanding of these practices. According to the Chicago-based law firm Almeida Law Group, class action lawsuits are helpful but should be considered the last resort.
Being cautious of exaggerated claims would suffice. The firm also advises keeping records of transactions and communications, while being aware of common scams and fraudulent practices.
#13 Coffee A Month Or So Apart
#14 Misleading Packaging
#15 Cheese Balls Size Comparison
I love stuff like this. My family has saved cheese ball buckets for years, and finally, after cleaning out some stuff, I found some with significant expiration age gaps. We’ve been robbed. Take me back to 2010. It’s absolutely ridiculous how they reduced the size and thought we wouldn’t notice.
#16 I’ve Been Annoyed About This For Weeks. 75% Air. My Hands Are Small, And I Could Hold All Of It In My Palm. What Do You Mean “Share Size”
#17 I Got The Last 12 Pack. Same Price
#18 This Veet Packaging Designed To Make You Waste Product (And Buy More)
I was using this hair removal cream earlier today, and it stopped dispensing. Tried the usual tricks to get some to pump out, no dice. But it felt too heavy to be actually empty. So, I tried taking the top off, thinking there’d be a little in the bottom I could scoop out and use.
Got it open; it turns out the tube to the pump only goes about halfway down, and the cream is actually in a bag inside. The bag was connected to the opening, so I cut it to get the bag free.
#19 Misleading Packaging. Less Than Half Full. Of Minis, No Less
#20 Pop Tarts – Since Y’all Caught On About Frosting, Now They’re Just Smaller
I thought a new one looked a bit small, so I compared it to a different box we’ve had for a while. The new ones are half an inch shorter than the old ones. At least the frosting is reasonable.
#21 New vs. Old Swiss Cake Rolls
New Swiss Cake Rolls on the left and the old ones on the right… Banana for science.
I found some old Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls in a lunch bag I forgot about… Pre-covid. Surprisingly enough, after several years at room temperature, they look edible.
#22 The Amount Of Air I Have To Squeeze Out Before Getting Any Glue Is Insane
#23 Twizzler Hiding How Much Shorter Their Product Is With Extra Packaging
#24 Woolies Underweight Again. Other Tub Was 224g With Packaging So It’s Not My Scales
#25 Seriously? All Stick. $6 For These
#26 Am I Crazy Or Did Pringles Get This Small Without Me Noticing? Especially When They Are Like 5 Bucks When Not On Sale
#27 Look, I Know I Ordered A “Small” KFC Popcorn Chicken, But This Is Hilarious
#28 My 8oz Bag Of Cheese Was Only 4oz
#29 A “Roll” Of Wrapping Paper At Target
One roll can only handle two or three presents now… Skip Target if you need gift wrap!
#30 The Cookie Inside This Wrapper Has No Chocolate At All
#31 The Deceptive Padding Beneath These Strawberries
#32 They’re Trying To Make It Look Like There’s A Lot More Nerf Darts Packaged
#33 Big Container, Not Much In It
Bought this from Walmart. I don’t have a weigh scale, and it doesn’t really matter. I’m guessing this really is 1.3 kg, but the powder only filled the container to about 1/4. Absolutely unreal. This is one way to waste packaging. And extremely deceptive. I’ll be buying from Dollarama from now on, as you at least get a nearly full container.
#34 KFC You Cannot Be Serious
#35 Just Opened The Pack And Theres Not A Single Chocolate One
#36 These Used To Be As Long As The Package
#37 Oreos As Advertised In Their Commercials vs. What A Modern Oreo Really Looks Like
#38 Found This “Olive Oil” In My Parents’ Pantry
#39 Pasta Sauce Getting 8% Smaller And Water Is Now First Ingredient vs. Tomatoes
Bonus: 450mg of potassium is now 13% of DV!
And since the ingredients are being changed that much, I’m not sure the nutrition facts are now accurate.
#40 Muddy Bites From Costco Were Hardly Filled With Peanut Butter Chocolate, Even Had Some With Zero Filling
#41 This Blatant Deception
#42 Stupid Ingredient “List” For Liquid Detergent:
#43 These Cookies Always Had Three M&Ms On Every Cookie
I’ve been eating these since I was a kid, and each cookie always had three M&Ms, and now half of the package looks like this. They don’t even taste good anymore. Never buying these again.
#44 Wyler’s Italian Ices, Last Year Versus This Year. Same Price
#45 We’ve Officially Entered Dark Times
I think this just happened. Opened pkg of Thomas’ English muffins and was shocked to see how they are now unusably small. Looks like they have trimmed 3/8″ diameter off them, making the king of breakfast sandwiches undersized for even an egg. Anyone else notice?
#46 Guess Which One Was Purchased A Year Ago
#47 At This Point Why Not Save Even More Money And Make The Bags Smaller?
Opened it fresh and then immediately took the picture. UTZ sour cream and onion ripples 2.5oz bag. But the bag is 10inches or maybe a bit taller.
#48 Brand New Out Of The Box “Full” Sensodyne Toothpaste. Y’all Know Sensodyne Isn’t Cheap Either
#49 I Expected More
#50 Snickers Ice Cream Bars Going From 6 In A Box To 5. Same Price. Noticed This At The Grocery Store Today
#51 From 72 Cookies To 40… And They Have The Audacity To Raise The Price By 50¢!
They removed the price tag for the 12-pack, but there were a couple stuffed in the back of the shelf. Needless to say, I got the bigger one (which still had its older price).
#52 My Quart Of Milk Only Had 3 Cups Of Milk In It
#53 Tic Tacs Contain 94.5% Sugar But Can Legally Advertise As “0 Sugar” Because The Serving Size Is Less Than .5 Grams According To Fda Labeling Rules
#54 Box For Card Game Says “No Plastic” When The Contents Are Clearly Wrapped In Plastic
#55 Deceptive Packaging
#56 Deceptive Packaging
Opened the box to find the bag inside was half as big. I get chips filled with nitrogen to keep them from breaking in transit, but this is just ridiculous.
#57 The Deception, Fly By Jing Packaging Design
Look at all this empty space. I definitely should have double-checked, but since when does Costco ever sell one of anything?
#58 48 Clicks Before Deodorant Even Begins To Appear. Wasteful And Misleading Packaging Brought To You By Degree
#59 This Gum “Value Pack” Is A Misleading At Best And A Waste Of Packaging At Worst
#60 Deceptive Advertising
#61 Donut Shop Pods Now 80 To A Box Instead Of 100 And Price Increased By $6
I buy coffee pods for my office and immediately noticed the smaller box. Went through some old receipts from the year, in April and May the 100 count box was $46.99 with a $10 instant coupon (Costco) so the final cost came to $36.99, in June the price lowered to $29.97 (no coupon needed/advertised) and when I went last month in September, the 100 pack was no longer offered and the price of the 80 pack was $36.99.
#62 Can Someone Please Explain Why This Deceptive Packaging Is Allowed? Is This Not Heavily Regulated?
#63 Deceptive Packaging Sizes
#64 My 5-Year-Old Grabbed This Dangerous Cleaning Stuff As Soon As I Got Back From The Shops With It Because Of The Child Friendly Packaging
#65 This “12 Inch” Pizza I Bought. Two Bacon Bits For Scale. Misleading Packaging At The Very Least
#66 Where’s My Candy?
#67 New Hershey’s Bottle Just Dropped. Now 34% More Expensive Per Gram
#68 Do You Want A Zero Protein Diet? Look No Further
#69 This Gardening Nutrient Mix That Looks Like Ketchup. It Even Says “Great Flavour”
#70 Kim’s Choice Potato Corn Dog, 8 Corn Dogs. The Packaging Is Ginormous Compared To The Real One. Seriously?
#71 Deceptive Packaging: 1kg Coffee And A Tiny Container I Have No Use For
#72 “1 Of 5 A Day”
