If you like to shop online, you should learn to manage your expectations. This is because you can never really be 100% sure that you will get what you order. Certain products have the tendency not to match our expectations or even the advertisement. These images prove the results can be hilarious. A lot of these wrong products came from popular online retail sites, such as Amazon, eBay, or Wish.com. Nevertheless, you can still buy amazing products there. Things just go wrong sometimes. Hopefully, these mistakes were unintentional. So, what are shopping fails good for? Social media reshares, of course!
Funny Shopping Fails That Have Made The Rounds Online
Black Panther Hoodie
Fans of the hit ABC reality show Shark Tank likely know about SpiritHoods. It was founded by Ashley Haber, Alex Mendeluk, Marley Marotta, and Chase Hamilton. One of the top-sellers of the crafty, eclectic hoodie company is a Black Panther hoodie, which is made of faux fur and has little black ears. However, when one online shopper chose to buy the product from a Chinese website, what she got was a knockoff made of synthetic fiber, with Yoda’s ears. Clearly, your best bet is to purchase an item directly from the company (SpiritHoods.com, in this case) instead of getting it through a third party.
Black Panther Hoodie
Men’s Workout Tank Top
Sometimes, you’ll find items on online sites which are priced ridiculously low, but this is often a warning sign. One Amazon shopper bought a workout tank top for $1.31 but got something fit for hanging out at the club. According to the online shopper, the item was really figure-flattering for him, though it was not the kind of tank top he was looking for. When shopping on Amazon, be wary of items whose price seems off because the product can be fraudulent.
Men’s Workout Tank Top
Deep Fryer
Mis-orders can also happen on Amazon. One online poster shared the hilarious story of her father trying to buy a fryer online but ended up getting a cotton candy machine. To be fair, the machines look somewhat alike and they are similarly priced. The poster’s dad got a VIVO Candy Floss machine, which is priced at $189.99, while a fryer on Amazon costs around $179.99. VIVO is seller on Amazon which has considerably high ratings, so this error is probably due to a sales mix-up rather than a faulty product.
Deep Fryer
Pillowcase
MILO & GABBY makes this dinosaur pillowcase, which comes in different colors and costs around $28. It is scored 4.5/5 on Amazon. However, an online shopper decided to get her own dinosaur pillowcase somewhere else (perhaps in an attempt to find a better deal) and got this – a pillowcase with a printout of a child sleeping on the dinosaur pillowcase. Needless to say, this was not what she ordered. As for MILO & GABBY, this retailer actually seems pretty creative. They sell a lot of unique pillows (for dinosaur-loving kids and adults).
Pillowcase
Woven String Blanket
Hilarious mishaps have the tendency to occur on Wish.com. One online shopper probably wished she had gotten a woven string blanket from Bed Bath & Beyond instead. She ordered a blanket on Wish.com and it was supposed to be made of thick yarn, but when the blanket arrived, she found it a bit more deconstructed compared to what was in the ad. The reviews on Wish for the blanket are horrible, so other customers probably had the same experience as well.
Woven String Blanket
Printed Selfie Pillow
One boyfriend decided to gift his girlfriend with a pillow that has his face printed on it. He expected to get something like the pillows in the photo on the left. Instead, he got the pillow on the right. We cannot really tell whether this mishap was caused by human error or it is simply the nature of the item. Printing a person’s face onto cloth and having it stay the same are not really easy to do. The unlucky shopper got comments ranging from sympathy to individuals saying the pillow looked “fine.”
Printed Selfie Pillow
Husky Pillow
Huskies are definitely one of the cutest dog breeds out there (though all dogs are adorable, really). This husky-lover ordered a husky-shaped pillow on eBay for her son. When the online shopper got the pillow, however, it was compleley different, except for the red sweater. The pillow was much smaller than what was advertised. The pillow was larger-than-life in the ad, but what she got was only a foot long and less plushy. eBay is pretty safe in terms of protecting your data. However, one commenter on its blog said that this type of mixup seems to be happening more and more.
Husky Pillow
Yeezy Sneakers
It is a questionable move to spend $750 on a pair of sneakers but people just love the Yeezy brand by Kanye West. However, one unlucky eBay user got Yeezys that were quite different from what he was expecting. The sneakers that came looked more like pillows for your feet instead of the sleek shoes which once dominated social media. According to Axios, Yeezy is now worth approximately $3 billion as a company. That net value could not be dented even by a million knockoff-sellers.
Yeezy Sneakers
Apple Watch
Getting an Apple watch for $600 seemed to be a sweet deal, so this ebay shopper grabbed the chance to own the sleek and expensive tech watch. So far, this wearable Apple tech has six series but this knockoff iWatch, which this shopper got, is certainly not one of them. Aside from the fact that it is literally shaped like the red fruit, this Apple watch is just an analog clock, with a label that says “I-PHONE WATCH” and a band that calls it an “iwatch.”
Apple Watch
Life-Sized Teddy Bear
The Joyfay teddy bear has quite good reviews on Amazon, so this one was surprising. One Amazon shopper was not really happy when she got her 6.5-foot-tall Joyfay teddy bear since it was more disproportionate compared to the Amazon photo advertising the product. According to the shopper’s review, the bear was truly weird-looking, with its legs inexplicably longer than four feet. The bear looks spider-like and absurd, not exactly the cuddliest stuffed animal on Earth.
Life-Sized Teddy Bear
Face Mask
Online beauty shopping can be a hit or miss. The buyer ordered a beauty face mask online but it ended up being smaller than what she expected. The sheet mask she got was more fit for a cat’s face. Too bad cats do not have a beauty routine. People should be careful with cheap beauty face masks as the skin will absorb their ingredients. The last thing anyone wants is a chemical mishap. Sometimes, cheap and low-quality face masks causes burns or dermatitis.
Face Mask
Coca-Cola
New Coke was another famous product which did not live up to its ads. When blind taste tests showed people preferred Pepsi, which is slightly sweeter compared to Coca-Cola, the latter attempted to revamp its recipe and created the New Coke. However, by the time the New Coke was released, customers in the southern U.S. states were already used to the taste of Coke – the original recipe was created in Atlanta after all. When Coca-Cola changed its recipe to match Pepsi’s, Southerners were outraged and even created special interest groups to get Coca-Cola to go back to its old recipe.
Coca-Cola
Swimming Pool
Depending on what “three feet” means to you, this may not be a fail. One online shopper ordered a “three-foot pool” and got this smiley-face blow-up pool which could only fit literally three feet inside. Size-wise, this is a far cry from the blow-up pools which are sold at Target, Walmart, or Lowe’s. Even a puppy pool day cannot happen with this pool. Hopefully, they did not pay a lot for this completely useless paperweight.
Swimming Pool
The Lisa
Apple rarely misses. The company has not become an empire worth $1.3 trillion by launching duds. However, the Lisa is still an early misfire, but arguably an inspired one. Released in January of 1983, the Lisa was the original desktop computer of Apple. It ran on a Lisa OS and was among the first PCs targeted at those who work from home. Unfortunately, in spite of the massive fanfare, Apple only sold 10,000 units of the Lisa. Its demise was due to unreasonable pricing, a poor software library and unreliable FileWare.
The Lisa
Tights
Any savvy online shopper knows that checking the dimensions of the product you want to order is a must. Walking into Target or Kohl’s to get a pair of tights does not usually require that, but online shopping does. This shopper found out the hard way. The pair of tights that came in the mail could only fit the shopper’s two big toes. Apparently, tights that are too tight are a thing. Thankfully, there is a shopper protection program on AliExpress. However, as one Quora poster wrote, the site still has a questionable reputation.
Tights
Dustpan
Those who bought this large dustpan from Amazon likely underestimated the word large. The two-foot-wide Emsco Group Yard & Garage Dustpan which arrived was definitely a surprise to this customer. It fits a regular pushbroom’s width, but its enormous size makes it quite impractical when cleaning your home, unless you are a giant. The lesson here is to double-check dimensions before you head to online checkout. If you are wondering what this ginormous broom was designed for, Emsco Group said it is best for sweeping up leaves and cleaning garages.
Dustpan
Vintage-Style Dress
Even though the model wearing the vintage-style dress in the ad looks like a normal-sized adult, the dress that this customer received was better-suited for a child. Aside from the top half practically missing, the design on the dress she got was inexplicably different. Although there were flamingos and blue stripes on the dress, it was distinctly less leafy. While it is unclear where she ordered the dress from, the photo does look like it was copied from Amazon, where the pictures usually have a white background.
Vintage-Style Dress
Levi’s Jeans
Huge investments were made into marketing Levi’s Type 1 Jeans, but they did not pay off. It was clear that the Type 1 was a brand failure. Its strange Super Bowl commercial was one of the reasons the brand failed. Levi’s also failed to recognize that baggier and less form-fitting jeans were not just a passing fad. Type 1 Jeans are not produced anymore, but you can still purchase a 1936 Type I Jacket. You will have to shell out $385.00 for the jacket, which is of the “American working man” according to Levi’s.
Levi’s Jeans
Prom Dress
Twitter user @hannnahhnicolee warned others not to buy this prom dress online. Back in 2017, she decided to get a prom dress online. She ordered one from China, hoping to get a sparkly gown. However, what she ended up with was a good story – and a laugh, we hope. Online shopping may be effortless and convenient, but it is still advisable to go to a physical store to try on a dress. When you buy prom dresses from a reputable store, they usually cost at least $75. Getting a bargain online may seem like a great deal but waiting two months for a dress to be delivered and finding out that it does not even fit make it seem like it is not worth it.
Prom Dress
Electric Chainsaw
The item on the right is literally a chainsaw. This was delivered after the customer ordered a chainsaw on eBay. Featured on different improvement websites, the ad obviously failed in pointing this out. It remains unclear what a person can do with this “chainsaw,” but you are probably better off getting your tools from Home Depot or Lowe’s. Traditional brand names may be your best bet when it comes to shopping for heavy duty equipment like chainsaws.
Electric Chainsaw
Cat Scratcher
Perhaps another online shopper failed to check the dimensions of the product before buying it (though any retailer should really be upfront about it in the first place). This is definitely not a full-sized cat scratching post. The shopper posted this hilarious picture of their cat looking at the tiny scratcher bemusedly, if not a bit disappointedly. This cat scratcher could probably be given as a chew toy instead. Either way, this seems like it would be great for a doll house. In case you did not know, the dollhouse furniture industry is really lucrative.
Cat Scratcher
Weighing Scale
If you take closer look at the packaging, it does say, “Weigh Scale Toy Pink.” Perhaps the buyer did not look closely enough. Instead of a full-size scale, what came was twelve times smaller. Made in Malaysia, the toy scale cost less than $1, which should have been a clue for the buyer. It is definitely far from the household goods that are sold at Bed Bath & Beyond or Macy’s. When it comes to online shopping, accidentally buying an item for a dollhouse is pretty common.
Weighing Scale
Mug That Changes Color
This buyer expected to get a mug that changes color when hot water is added (the lightbulb should turn yellow) but what arrived was definitely not a piece of Williams-Sonoma pottery. The mug cost around $11, which is quite pricey for a coffee mug. If you want looking a color-changing mug that is more personalized, check out Moonlove’s Magic Custom Changing Personalized Mug on Amazon. Its rating is 4.4 out of 5 stars. You can even have your own family picture on the surface. When you pour hot liquid into the mug, your beloved family will be revealed on the cup.
Mug That Changes Color
London T-Shirt
A casual gaze might not reveal the problem with this t-shirt right away, but a second glance will surely make you realize that something is not quite right. This t-shirt says “I Love London” but the cultural icon printed on it is the Eiffel Tower, which is not located in London. RageOn sells the same shirt with the Eiffel Tower decal. Billing itself as one of the largest print clothing shops in the world, RageOn Clothing has something for everyone, including clothing, home décor, and pet supplies. There is also a huge collection of ironic t-shirts that have weird slogans, so this shirt might be meant as a joke. However, it is also possible that someone geographically-challenged made this error.
London T-Shirt
A Copy Of 50 Shades Of Grey
While this product is hilariously deceptive, it is technically not inaccurate. One customer tried to purchase a copy of 50 Shades of Grey from eBay and received this printout instead. As you can see, there is a grid with fifty different shades of grey. The printout even had the title “50 Shades of Grey.” This product has been taken off the market. Clearly, the reviews were not great. Perhaps it is better to try the library first.
A Copy Of 50 Shades Of Grey
Patterned Pants
PrettyLittleThing has clothing for everyone, but it seems not all the items they sell fit all sizes. Twitter user @BethmaccaNew learned that when she bought a pair of high-waisted patterned pants from the site. The pants might suit 5’10” runway-walking supermodels like Kendall Jenner but not the average person. The average height of American women is just 5’4” (over the age of twenty). While PrettyLittleThing has not responded to the tweet (or given the buyer a discount), her tweet did get retweets and 332 favorites.
Patterned Pants
Baconator Fries
Redditors had fun at the expense of Wendy’s when they highlighted the age-old truth: what you get in the bag is very different from what is advertised in the pictures. This was true for the Wendy’s Baconator fries that one Redditor got. The snack combines fries, shredded cheddar, cheese sauce, and Applewood-smoked bacon. The final result looked far less appetizing. The lack of preservatives in the fries (compared to the inedible photos of food) might be part of the reason why the Redditor got this but it also seems like there was someone at Wendy’s who was not too keen on performing well that day.
Baconator Fries
ASOS Jeans
Another average-height person has gotten stiffed on a sale. The Twitter user tried to buy 32” jeans from the popular clothing site ASOS, but got a pair that were far longer than 32”. The jeans went past his feet. We hope he got a refund. The revenue of ASOS, which sell men’s and women’s clothing, is nearly $3 billion. It seems that wrong orders have not hurt them too badly.
ASOS Jeans
Popsicle
This was posted in the “Expectations Vs. Reality” thread on Reddit. One Redditor was excited to dig into a delicious popsicle which looked like Spongebob. Instead, they found a popsicle that looked like everyone’s favorite sea creature had been tortured. The popsicle did not look like the package at all (or like Spongebob himself). The photo was captioned, “End my suffering,” probably referring to the ice cream sponge’s tormented look.
Popsicle
Backpack
This is another gem from Twitter. An aunt tried to get her nephew a Converse backpack for going back to school. However, the aunt accidentally bought a bag fit for a toddler rather than an older child. Depending on the model, converse backpacks are usually priced between $30 and $60. They are available at sites like Amazon, but you should check that you are actually buying from Converse itself. However, it seems that fake Converse bags have not hurt the brand that much, since its parent company, Nike, is valued at $37.4 billion (as reported by Statista).
Backpack
Chairs For The Break Room
One boss decided to get new chairs so his employees can be more comfortable in the break room. Unfortunately, the chairs he ordered were the wrong size and looked like they were meant for elementary school kids rather than adults. The picture shows the boss trying to sit on the chair he purchased, surrounded by cubicles which the chairs were supposed to go with. One commenter joked that unless the company is “using child labor,” the chairs will have to go back. Another lesson for online shoppers: make sure you check the return policy before you make a big purchase.
Chairs For The Break Room
Arch-Support Shoes
This purchaser should have been wary when they saw the brand “FASHION”. Their attempt to purchase a pair of blue and white arch-support running shoes ended up in something that is definitely a fail. Aside from the fact that the base of these shoes are glued-on, it is also about a couple of inches too short. Buying shoes online is quite tricky, even from reputable vendors like Nike. You are never 100% sure the new shoes that you are getting are the right size. However, Nike, Under Armour, Adidas, or other big brands would likely never make a product like this one.
Arch-Support Shoes
Daily Multivitamins
Chinese finger traps are definitely more exciting than multivitamins. However, why would someone need seventy-two Chinese finger traps? One shopper purchased multivitamins from Amazon, but the online retail giant sent Chinese finger traps instead. Multivitamins cost anywhere between $5 and $10 (or more), but Chinese finger traps are certainly more expensive. On Amazon, that same 72-pack of Chinese finger traps sells for $8 to $12. We will never know how Amazon managed to confuse these two differently-named items.
Daily Multivitamins
Smoked Rainbow Trout
When this one was posted on Reddit, it caused a stir. People debated over which side was wrong here: the shopper or the company. An unwary Redditor bought R.R. Spink & Sons Hot Smoked Rainbow Trout but was quite surprised that half of the package seemed to be missing. Only the packaging’s window actually had the trout. Was this a case of missing fish? Other Redditors pointed out that it was the customer’s responsiblity to check the exact quantity on the packaging, whether buying from a huge corporation, such as Walmart, or a smaller company, such as R.R. Spink.
Smoked Rainbow Trout
Jays Jersey
When one Toronto fan ordered a Blue Jays jersey from the popular sports apparel site Sport Chek, she was quite unimpressed with what came in the mail. The Jays jersey is priced at $53.97 on the site (which is down from $76.97). The purchasing fan discovered that there was a notable spelling error on her Jays jersey. Blue was spelled “B-L-E-U” instead of “B-L-U-E.” After she tweeted Sport Chek, they apologized. They also asked for her contact information and the order number, presumably to send another jersey (and hopefully other free items for her troubles).
Jays Jersey
Boxing Bag
Boxing is a great way to ease stress and to work out, but one shopper found that the punching bag he bought increased his stress levels since it was not really up to snuff. He spent $20 on the bag, which came “from China.” It exploded when he hit it a bit too hard. He found all kinds of things inside it, including pieces of cloth, debris, bra cups, and probably whatever was lying around on the floor of the factory. Usually, punching bags should be filled with grains, sand, or rags (or air or water sometimes).
Boxing Bag
Patch With The Words “I Want to Believe”
The year 2020 has been tumultuous, and everyone probably feels this sentiment. One Redditor ordered what they thought was a patch with the words “I Want to Believe” and an alien spaceship hovering over the mountains. Although they got a similarly designed patch, it said, “I Want to Leave,” instead. SOUTHYU makes a doppelganger of the mistaken patch. This is likely what Amazon sent to the Redditor. This patch is embroidered and has the label “military tactical morale patch.”
Patch With The Words “I Want to Believe”
Skillet
You might have initially thought that this Redditor has a record-breaking, huge onion and giant wine glass. However, this was another online shopping disaster because of “failure to check dimensions”. The Redditor purchased a cast-iron skillet but later found out that the skillet they had ordered was best suited for the kitchen of a doll house. Cast iron skillets usually cost anywhere between $20 and $275. They are available at Target, home goods stores and different online vendors like Amazon. A life-sized cast iron skillet should be approximately 12 inches.
Skillet
Wedding Bands
When it comes to wedding rings, it is best you go to a jeweler in person, so you can see the rings and get sized. One Redditor learned this the hard way. They ordered silver wedding rings online, but what came in the mail were maybe only a third of the size of normal rings. Nevertheless, the married couple now has a funny story to share with their kids. At the very least, the rings can be hilarious props for their story. Also, their future kids can use these rings as bracelets for their dolls.
Wedding Bands
Clear Chair
This Tweet has been retweeted over a quarter-million times and has gotten half a million favorites. People found the size of the chair quite amusing. Twitter user Savannah purchased it online at Amazon.com. The clear desk chair cost her $10, but it ended up being much smaller than she had expected – not even a baby can fit in it. When the unwary shopper was asked if she had read the dimensions, she admitted that she had not. She clicked Buy It after she saw the low price.
Clear Chair
Work Boots
A Redditor shared this hilarious shopping fail. They were trying to buy WulfSport boots but the Redditor received rain boots instead. Also, the design and logo are extremely inaccurate. Off-roading boots must be tough. These off-brand rain boots likely purported to be WulfSport’s Orca boots, which are made from top-grain leather. The Orca boots also come with reinforced toe cap, a suede heat shield, extended shin guard, and some sturdy plastic straps. These boots that the Redditor got were definitely nothing close to the Orca boots.
Work Boots
Tent
One of the funniest photos of the shopping fails included in this list, this one was shared by an Imgur user. He ordered a tent which he thought was adult-sized. He was thinking of using it for a festival in 2010. The tent was supposed to be big enough for one adult and two children, but the actual tent size was not even remotely close to that. The purchaser found that this tent could fit one adult male… if he was in fetal position.
Tent
Bedroom Rug
Twitter user Adam Hess found that it is “important” for online vendors to “specify” the dimensions of the product that they are selling because if they do not, mistakes will happen. He realized that when he purchased a rug from a seller named Chendongdong on Amazon. He was thinking of placing the blue-printed rug in his room. However, what came in the mail was a rug barely six inches in length. In the photo, the rug seemed much larger. Oddly enough, the rug had a 5/5-star review. Someone must have bought it for a dollhouse (or the customer review was fake).
Bedroom Rug
Animal Flower Bouquet
For about $59.99, you can get an animal bouquet from 1-800-Flowers, which sells bouquets of various shapes and sizes. One Facebook user called out the company after she received what she ordered. She expected to get the “Blooming Lion” Flower Arrangement with a cute lion face. Instead, she received a really disordered bunch of flowers. A face is somewhat visible, but it does not look like the photo. On the company’s review page, the Facebook user wrote, “I don’t know about this…I don’t think this is what I ordered.” The photo has since gone viral.
Animal Flower Bouquet
Flower Arrangement
Twitter user Suzanne Bradish paid for a Sainsbury Spring Show, but she received a Spring Show Onion Bunch. She was expecting to get a colorful display. Instead, she got something perfect for garnishing food. There were no flowers in sight, only 100 grams of onion stalks. “Not a good pancake topping,” she tweeted. Apparently, when Sainsbury’s run out of certain flowers, the company replaces them with something similar enough for the user to still get their money’s worth. Suzanne was not happy with the replacement. We can see why.
Flower Arrangement
Boys Armchair
It is not that difficult to take the seller’s side with this one since the name of the product does have the words “Boys’ Chair” in it. This shopper tried to buy an armchair from Amazon. The piece of furniture cost a little under $90. However, a chair for a small child was delivered to him one (hence the photo of him squeezed into his purchase). Kinfine makes these chairs, which actually have good reviews. Apparently, parents are satisfied with the product for their kids. Before ordering an armchair from Amazon, adults should check the product dimensions (and the name).
Boys Armchair
Xbox
According to one commenter, this was once a “big case,” so there was probably some dispute over whose fault this was. Most of us probably side with the buyer since he paid $750 for an Xbox One but only received a piece of paper with an Xbox One printed on it. eBay is just one of the many online marketplaces that grapple with the problem of scammers. The site tries to find a balance between “buyer beware” and consumer protection, but it has not been easy.
Xbox
Artificial Christmas Tree
The British news site Metro ran a story on a mom being “gutted” after receiving the Christmas tree that she had purchased online. She wanted to decorate her home with a lovely tree, but the one that was delivered looked nothing like the tree on the package. The $23 package showed a Christmas tree that was full. However, what was inside was extremely sparse. The buyer, Zoe McAllister, got the tree from Argos, and she said that while she was disappointed, she did laugh “for fifteen minutes.”
Artificial Christmas Tree
Ladle
Stories about giants are so common when you are a child. One unwary shopper was reminded of his childhood when his order was delivered to him. He bought a ladle online and got a kitchen utensil several sizes too large. It seemed to belong in a giant’s kitchen. The ladle probably works in a big industrial kitchen, but it certainly was not the right fit for his home. For less-expensive and properly-sized kitchen tools, try buying from stores like Walmart or Bed Bath & Beyond.
Ladle
Apple iPad
If something seems too good to be true, it usually is. This buyer thought he hit the jackpot when he stumbled onto an “auction website” that sold a cheap iPad. He was looking for some cheap Christmas gifts. iPads usually cost several hundred dollars. This one didn’t, so he clicked “Buy.” Despite its packaging looking real, this iPad is unfortunately fake. This is clearly the work of a scammer. Instead of an Apple product, the buyer got a kids’ toy. We hope he got a refund, but that is unlikely.
Apple iPad
Christmas Color-Changing Mug
Remember the “Color-Changing Mug”? Well, this is basically the Christmas version. One wary shopper, “Matt,” bought this for his wife, expecting the black mug to change to a pretty Christmas scene. However, that was not what he got. Instead, the demo image was printed onto the cup. This shopper was certainly not happy about this, writing his review on the 26th of December 2015 (a few days after the arrival of the fated holiday mug). He wrote that the item was “ill-advertised” and “horrible” and that he wanted his “money back.” The title of his review was “Bad product.”
Christmas Color-Changing Mug
Panda Face Mask
One shopper decided to buy a Panda face mask which would “plump up” her skin from The Crème Shop. When she put on the face mask, she did not really look like the picture on the packaging. The Crème Shop products are available on its website, Amazon and at CVS. Among the Korean skincare company’s best-sellers are its animal face masks. According to The Crème Shop, the masks target acne and blemishes and detoxify skin.
Panda Face Mask
Crochet Top
Designed by Voglee and sold on Amazon, this knitted top is a good deterrent for those who are already wary about purchasing clothes online. One buyer’s sixteen-year-old daughter ordered a knitted crop top. However, the top that came in the mail was way smaller. As shown in the reviewer’s photos, the crop top did fit the family cat, who looked really unhappy about this new modeling gig. According to the reviewer, the crop top did actually “cover” the cat’s chest, which means modesty was not an issue.
Crochet Top
Dr. Pepper Shirt
In addition to its famous drink, Dr. Pepper now sells other products, including many fun t-shirts, various keychains, and other souvenir items. One promo product is an “I’m a Dr” t-shirt, which is a reference to Dr. Pepper’s moniker. However, there must have been some mix-up when a person bought it. The buyer received a t-shirt that said, “I’m a Pepper” instead. The t-shirt is a real product, though. You can buy it for $19.97 from Tee Luv on Amazon. The t-shirt is also well-reviewed, with 4.8/5 stars. However, it is unclear why someone would want others to know that they are a pepper.
Dr. Pepper Shirt
Light Up Alien Balloons
This product is actually sold at stores, such as Walmart, but it is unknown if the buyer received a bad batch or did not blow the balloon correctly. Illooms sells “SuperSize Light Up Alien Balloons” in packs of five. These green alien balloons are two feet long, and LED lighting gives them their spooky green glow. However, when one buyer blew it up, the balloon looked more like a massive green eggplant that had two dots for eyes. The face was completely shrunk down, and it looked like the alien had just swallowed several footballs.
Light Up Alien Balloons
Minnie Mouse Birthday Cake
Where this monstrosity came from, how much it cost, and who is responsible are unknown. What we do know is that one aunt tried to do something nice for her niece by buying a cute Minnie Mouse birthday cake but was shocked to see a creature in a nightmarish hellscape where there is no escape. The cake in the photo is tidy and neat and looks like something all ages would enjoy, whereas what the aunt got was really creepy. According to one reviewer, this cake fail would always be funny.
Minnie Mouse Birthday Cake
Deadpool Cosplay Costume
These days, costumes are no longer limited to Halloween. Cosplay is in season every season. This Deadpool fan tried to purchase his own copy of the superhero costume, only to get something which was totally different from the advertisement. On Amazon, there are sellers like Cosfunmax which sells realistic cosplay gear. A Deadpool movie costume from Cosfunmax costs over $200, but it has a 4.3-out-of-5-star review. There must have been confusion over at Amazon. Cosfunmax was certainly not behind this dud Deadpool.
Deadpool Cosplay Costume
Round Sunglasses
@Keo_Manne purchased aviator-like sunglasses from Wish.com, only to find that they were for a small child rather than an adult. She tweeted, “Can’t get over this.” She did add several laughing emojis, so perhaps she was not too saddened by this shopping fail. If you are wondering why the online retailer has this reputation, Wish can sell products cheap because the items are cheap. Many of their products are made in China. The labor requirements are pretty lax there and the labor cost is low.
Round Sunglasses
Knife And Cutting Board
Dollhouse miniature artists are really skilled at making products look convincing. This is why unwary shoppers that are not paying attention easily click “Buy” without noticing that the product is way smaller than it is supposed to be. This buyer only found out that the knife and cutting board she ordered were probably for a dollhouse when they were delivered. We are not saying that you have to buy a John Boos cutting board, which costs $2,600, but you should check the dimensions first.
Knife And Cutting Board
Star Wars Costume
One Star Wars fan tried to buy a Princess Leia costume (with belt and wig) in Medium, but got a costume more suited for XXL. Likely bought from a Halloween store, the Leia costume was not cheap –$29.99. The dress was way too long and quite baggy, and the sleeves were about a foot longer than the buyer’s arms. Hopefully, her review of the product prevented others from making the same mistake.
Star Wars Costume
Unicorn Float
If you do not take a closer look at this picture, you might not see the problem. Upon closer examination, you will realize that this product is too large, almost taking up the entire patio. This float would definitely dominate the pool. Unicorn floats on Amazon are quite popular, but it is probably a safer bet to purchase one where a human model is sitting on the float. That way, you will have an idea of the product dimensions. This unicorn float could fit a whole family on it and is a little too large for anything other than a lake or the ocean.
Unicorn Float
Underwear In Sneakers
@SneakerGodDez bought a pair of Nikes on eBay. The shoes themselves looked fine, but the stuff inside them is a different story. According to the Twitter user, the shoes were “stuffed” with underwear. Judging from the photo, the underwear were not new. This tweet from 2016 has been faved, commented, and retweeted several thousand times. It is unclear if the gross seller was ever outed by @SneakerGodDez, but the seller definitely has to be taken off the site—not for fraud but for issues related to health and safety.
Underwear In Sneakers
Sandwich
Subway is a very popular fast food franchise, and it continues to grow each year. However, one Reddit user got a “fungi toastie” (or “mushroom sub”) that did not look like how it was advertised. Instead of mushrooms, cheese, and sauce, the Redditor—who had probably ordered online and could not supervise the making of the sandwich in person—got cheese, jalapeno peppers, and no sauce on bread which looked barely toasted.
Sandwich
A Deck Of Playing Cards
Likely enthused by the low price, one shopper purchased playing cards and clicked “Buy It” without checking first the dimensions of the cards. Playing cards fit for the hands of a Barbie doll were delivered to the buyer. On Amazon, you do not need to spend more than $10 to get a two-pack Bicycle Playing cards. While Bicycle is more expensive than other brands, the beautifully-illustrated Blue Blood playing card deck sells for $100. Gold Venexiana cards, on the other hand, cost $425.
A Deck Of Playing Cards
Pillows That Are Knitted
One buyer thought she was getting cream-colored knitted pillows for her home, but what she got were printed regular pillows – with a knitted pattern. No actual knitwork involved. This is another level of “buyer beware.” If you check Amazon’s page, you will likely see the seller is long-gone. Beware of products which have no reviews (or products which have reviews that seem canned or fake). They are likely a scam.
Pillows That Are Knitted
Custom Image Caps
Parks & Rec’s fans will likely see the parallels between Leslie Knope’s disastrous campaign signs and these hats. Instead of an image printed on a hat, one shopper got the image’s URL— clearly un-downloaded—printed onto the black caps in white text. Oddly enough, the image URL looks like it was embroidered. This was probably somewhat time-consuming. Perhaps nobody noticed how strange the request was? Hopefully, no one else has fallen victim to this kind of fail.
Custom Image Caps
Anime-Style Panda Pillow
Angle’s Park Store sells the correctly-sized pillow on AliExpress. It is unclear where the buyer got this teeny-tiny panda pillow, but the real ones are priced anywhere between under $10 and over $75. Done in kawaii anime style, the panda pillow was supposed to be as big as a child. However, this purchaser received a panda pillow which could fit on a keychain. The design (black nose and eyes, pink tongue, and pink hearts on cheeks) is the same, but the pillow was certainly not what was ordered. He even demonstrated how tiny the pillow actually was.
Anime-Style Panda Pillow
Nightgown
Twitter user @faarraahh_ expected to receive a cute “Wifey” nightgown. Instead, she got an oversized, long-sleeved t-shirt. She said that she ordered a “really cute wifey nightgown” with blue and white stripes, short sleeves and “#Wifey” printed on the front but got an absolute mess, which was five sizes too big. She tweeted, “Just don’t buy anything online.” That seems impossible, but it is certainly a good idea to make sure you are buying from stores or platform which are legit.
Nightgown
Carrot Pillow
There is only one logical explanation for this – a prank. One buyer purchased two carrot plush pillows from eBay, thinking they would make any bedroom look really cute. However, what came in the mail was a raw carrot that had a really creepy smiley face on it. It looked like someone used a black Sharpie to draw the face, which was smudged and made this prank extra horrendous. Plenty of “worst eBay purchases” webpages and sites have featured the carrot pillow debacle. While this may not be the worst eBay purchase of all time (the aforementioned Xbox one cost so much money), it definitely is one of the biggest eBay fails.
Carrot Pillow
Kids Swing Set
This swing set is too small even for the smallest of babies. One online buyer tried to buy a kids swing set, but what he got was a swing set that only a miniature baby doll can fit in (even a real doll would not fit). It is hard to tell what this product’s brand name is but it is safe to say that this not from Fisher-Price. The usual price of a swing set like this ranges from $25 to $50, so prices which are half that are a red flag.
Kids Swing Set
Fishtail Prom Dress
Prom dress debacles are definitely some the biggest blunders in online shopping. Every year, like clockwork, girls buy their prom dresses online from third-party sellers that are all about making a buck. The outcome is often tragic (and quite funny). Twitter user @marrahaley purchased her prom dress online. She expected to get a sleek, fishtail Sherri Hill dress but she ended up with a dress that was way too big. Instead of actual embroidery, the dress was covered in gaudy fake pearls. @marrahaley put it best when she tweeted, “This is what happens when you order online.”
Fishtail Prom Dress
“Bite Me” Jersey
A lot of online purchases do go well, but some do not. Online clothing buying often yields hilarious results, and this is a prime example. One shopper decided to buy a sassy “Bite Me” Jersey that has the number 29 printed on it. When it came in the mail, she found an almost identical jersey, save for one detail — there is an extra letter. Her jersey read “Bite Men.” That extra letter unfortunately made the jersey pretty much unwearable, unless she was fine with getting weird looks when she went outside.
“Bite Me” Jersey
Colorblock Prom Dress
Yet another tragic prom dress fail. One buyer decided to buy a pastel colorblock halter-top prom dress with trendy gaps in it. Sadly, the buyer did not get that perfect dress. What arrived was something that looked like a “sack,” as she put it. The colors were (somewhat) the same, but literally nothing else was. Again, it is best to do dress shopping in person so you can see the dress and try it on.
Colorblock Prom Dress
Navy Jumpsuit
You would think the risk for buying a jumpsuit like this online would be it being too long. However, this shopping fail is the complete opposite — the jumpsuit was too small and looks immensely uncomfortable. It does not even look like the shopper ordered the wrong size since the product she got was not the same color. The navy jumpsuit turned into something totally unwearable. This seems like a good old fashioned scam.
Navy Jumpsuit
Metallic Leggings
Twitter user @pvnk_princess tweeted her mom’s shopping story. She wrote that her mom had ordered “cheap gold leggings” for herself, but when they were delivered to her, she found out that were for Bratz dolls. Asde from the fact that they are the teeny-tiny, they came in Bratz packaging as well. The tweet has gotten more than 43,000 likes and more than 32,000 retweets. The low price might be a clue. The usual price of leggings for dolls is $3-$6 whereas gold leggings for humans are sold anywhere between $16 and $35 on Amazon. “LMAO I’m done with life,” @pvnk_princess wrote, closing her tweet.
Metallic Leggings
Sony Betamax
This one is more of an overall product blunder than a “wrong order” ad failure. Back in 1979, the Sony Betamax was released with sky high expectations. It was a recording device which used a cassette with magnetic tape inside to record film and had a capacity of five hours. Nevertheless, the Sony Betamax had an early demise since pretty much everybody was already switching to VCR within just months of the Betamax hitting the market. At the time, the Betamax was notoriously pricey but now you can buy one on eBay for $12.99.
Sony Betamax
3D Wolf Underwear
Instead of light-grey underwear with a 3-dimensional wolf design on the front, the buyer got a pair of underwear with a wolf which looked like it came out of the Family Guy episode called “Brian the Closer.” The wolf on the underwear looked like a tube of toothpaste that has been half-squeezed. The underwear may be described as “awesomely absurd” by Maxim but it sells for $16.98 on Amazon and has surprisingly high 4/5 stars review. It is made by Kedera, who also sells 3D underwear that has a bald eagle printed on the front.
3D Wolf Underwear
Frog And Toad T-Shirt
Very few products can reach this level of absurdity and hilariousness. The Frog and Toad books have quite the following and were a staple in the childhood of millennials, who have grown up to create inappropriate memes out of the original characters. @kelsey.d.teague is a mom who decided to get a t-shirt with a print of Frog and Toad on a tandem bicycle for her toddler. The image was correct, but the shirt came with the funny caption: “F**k the Police.” On the website, the t-shirt has 5-out-of-5-stars, so perhaps users were fine with the slogan. The mom who got this shirt agreed it was funny. However, she said that she would not let her daughter wear this “in public.”
Frog And Toad T-Shirt
Bone Dog Treat
Another shopper may have failed to check the product dimensions before they bought this dog bone. It is obviously way too big for the dog it was meant for. It is a good thing that the owner has pit bulls to whom she could give the extra large treat. She ended up getting a better bone for this small dog of hers. She got this bone from Pet ‘N Shape on Amazon (though the treat is currently sold out). There are three options in terms of bone sizes – large, medium, or extra-large. The owner of this dog had ordered the extra-large one. According to Pet ‘N Shape, the bone is for medium-sized to large dogs.
Bone Dog Treat
Engagement Cake
Walmart is not exactly the best place to go to when getting a cake specifically designed for an engagement. One woman learned that after her sister got cupcakes from Walmart’s bakery for her engagement party. Even though she sent the photo on the left (which shows white and silver cupcakes arranged like a ring, and the phrase “She Said Yes” in the middle), what she got was still quite different. The colors were all wrong and it was a solid cake shaped like a toilet seat. Walmart did get the “She Said Yes” part right but even that was in the wrong color.
Engagement Cake
Dental Veneers
If you want your teeth to look white and shiny, you can choose to get veneers, which are thin coverings placed over your teeth. It is best if you go to a dentist to have this done and you should not really buy veneers online from sites like Amazon and eBay. Unfortunately for this purchaser, he learned that the hard. After paying $19.99 for his order, what was delivered to him was fake teeth fit for a Halloween costume. Veneers that you get from a dentist can cost anywhere between $400 and $2,500.
Dental Veneers
“It” Clown Costume
When the film It was released in 2017, the murderous clown Pennywise scared everyone. The movie grossed $697.5 million, which made it one of the top grossing horror films in history. Obviously, Pennywise inspired a lot of Halloween costumes that year. However, one fan learned that not all It costumes are created equal. When their order came in the mail, it did not look like Pennywise at all. WarnerBros executives have not commented on this costume fail (or perhaps send the kid another one for next Halloween). However, this definitely gave us a good laugh, which is not bad in our book.
“It” Clown Costume
Air Freshener
A person bought this air freshener from Facebook and experienced the classic “bait and switch.” There was no air freshening gear inside the Air Purifier but on the front, it had a green light and a red light, which blinked intermittently. The Facebook Air Purifier held the top spot in the “a**holedesign” thread on Reddit. The thread was for products from designers that “know what they’re doing” but could not care less. Whether the Air Purifier was designed out of malice or stupidity, we will never know.
Air Freshener
Serving Tray
The original product is definitely very stylish. The serving platter was supposed to be tri-color—matte black, white marble, and wood. A netizen ordered one from West Elm, but the order got backed up for half a year, no doubt causing a lot of frustration. When she does finally get her order six months later, it is not what she had in mind. The West Elm product looked like an art project made by a kindergartener. Considering the fact that West Elm products cost anywhere between $80 and $150, we hope this buyer got a gift card that was worth twice for her trouble.
Serving Tray
Wall Tapestry
A large wall tapestry was what this buyer ordered for his best friend. What came in the mail was quite different. On Amazon, the original tapestry was just like others you would see on the site: cheaply-made and cute. It was a piece of wall art, but what he got was more suitable as a bandana. Made in China, the tapestry is available on a lot of shops online, including Overstock.com. Since the dimensions are listed on Overstock.com, the culprit is probably another online retailer.
Wall Tapestry
“Knit” Sweater
This “Medium Weight Knit Sweater” is made by the company Annie Cloth. However, according to WisdomGanga, Annie Cloth is a scam. This purchaser can probably attest to that. Instead of getting a knit sweater, which they ordered, they received a thin, paper-like mesh sweater with the “knit” printed on it. Another reviewer said that people should stay away from Annie Cloth, as the wesbite steals peoples’ photos and credit card information. In addition, when you ask for a refund, which inevitably happens, the company never replies. You can actually purchase a (real) knit sweater from Target for a similar price.
“Knit” Sweater
Bulbasaur Tea Light Holder
Twitter user @DyllonKG took to Twitter to tell everyone that Pokemon products are not exempt from scams. Twenty days after buying and paying for a Bulbasaur figurine, it was delivered to him. Unfortunately, it looked nothing like Bulbasaur. The Twitter user received a grinning, monstrous nightmare which looks weirdly sheepish. It is unclear where they bought the fake Bulbasaur from but it has been featured on many “Expectation vs. Reality” sites. The figurine is available on Etsy and most of the reviews are 5/5 stars. An online scammer probably stole the Etsy maker’s photo and ran with it.
Bulbasaur Tea Light Holder
Wired Earbuds
“Online shopping always amazes me,” shared the purchaser who received these earbuds. If you scroll too quickly, you probably will not realize the problem. However, once you get a better look at the product, you will see that one of the earbuds and the headphone jack are switched. Some Reddit commenters, for some reason, defended the earbud-maker. There was one person who said the earbuds were for jogging. Nevertheless, the buyer did not originally order these. Far from being a Sony or Apple product, these earbuds seem to be just a cheap factory mistake.
Wired Earbuds
T-Shirt With “Angels”
When this fashion fan purchased a t-shirt on eBay, she expected to get a printed top that shows three angels and the words, “You can’t hang with us.” However, what she got was something Mean Girls fans as well as the Second Amendment fans would not hate. The shirt that was delivered to her had three cherubic angels on the front holding semi-automatic rifles. There were also the words, “You can’t sit withe” printed on it. Sadly, the shirt did not get Gretchen Wieners’ quote right, but for $13.99, the t-shirt was not really a bad product. After all, it was from an anonymous seller on eBay. It could have been worse.
T-Shirt With “Angels”
Christmas Tree Cat House
Owners of chonky cats know all too well the struggle of finding a cat house big enough for their plus-size cats. One cat owner made sure to order the largest Christmas tree cat house available for his giant tabby cat, but what arrived only fit the poor cat’s head (the cat still tried to wedge himself into the den, though). It is not known who originally made this body-shaming cat house, but the photo is from AliExpress, where the cat house can be bought for $7.41-$14.71. You should make sure, though, that your cat can fit in it. Or, you can check out other choices on Amazon and check the photos in the reviews before you pick a holiday cat house.
Christmas Tree Cat House
Maternity Dress
An expectant mom was really unhappy with her experience with the scam website Lukalula. She paid for two dresses from Lukalula but only received one after waiting a month for the package to arrive. On top of that, the mom-to-be got an ugly dress, which she termed an “atrocity,” instead of the sleek, stylish dress that she ordered. It turned out the picture she saw was not even real. Apparently, Lukalula stole the maternity photos of Facebook user Lauren McBride, who had purchased the dress from ASOS. She said that she is “fighting” to have the scam site remove her pictures, but she has not gotten any response from them.
Maternity Dress
Game Of Thrones Mask
There are a lot of scary characters in Game of Thrones but the Night King is definitely one of the absolutely terrifying ones. Besides the clown from It, the Night King is a popular character for Halloween. One Redditor decided to dress up as the Night King and bought online a mask which looked pretty authentic. However, what he got was a papery mask which looked like melting mint ice cream. It is not known who made the mask or how much the Redditor paid for it, but it definitely does not look like the HBO villain. In case you did not know, each episode of the final season of Game of Thrones cost $15 million to make, in part due to the special effects.
Game Of Thrones Mask
Airpods
When it comes to dimensions, the usual problem is that the product is way too small. This Wish.com buyer, however, made the mistake of ordering Airpods from a notoriously bad vendor. While the Bluetooth earbuds usually cost $159, this buyer got theirs from Wish at a much lower price (first warning sign). The Apple wireless earphones are white sleek, and tiny but what the user got was foot-long, fake Airpod replicas. The frustrated purchaser said that the lesson here was to never purchase anything from Wish. Many items on this list are from Wish, so this buyer is probably right.
Airpods
Holiday Nut Gift Basket
You should not ignore that 2.5-out-of-5-star review on Amazon. This buyer did and proceeded to order Proudly Pure’s Holiday Nut Gift Basket, which sold for $19.99. This is what they got – a package which seems to have been half-eaten. About two-thirds of the nuts were missing. Actually, almost all of Proudly Pure’s products have not reached the 4-star threshold. Most of them have bad reviews on Amazon as well. Proudly Pure, which specializes in organic, vegan, and keto snacks and treats, does not seem like a scam, but this product definitely was.
Holiday Nut Gift Basket
Cat Scratching Post
One husband decided to share his shopping issue online. He said that when his wife gets “wine drunk,” she loves to buy things online. There was one time she ordered a cactus cat scratcher. However, only two bags of rope arrived—white and, presumably, cactus-green. No instructions, packing slip or wood came with the ropes, which added to the mystery of the entire thing. Also, it took two months for the package to arrive. The cactus scratcher looks very much like a product from Chewy, but the Redditor’s wife did not order it from them.
Cat Scratching Post
An XL Dress
An annoyed online shopper posted this in the Reddit thread “KnockoffNightmares.” She bought a size XL white dress for herself but the dress that came was so tiny that it only fit her dog, who looks like it is not too keen on wearing dresses. AliExpress sells the same dress in black. That is where the photo is from. Judging from the number of online shoppers on this list that AliExpress has failed, perhaps this Redditor got the dress from there. However, the dress is available on ShoppersHOOK as well.
An XL Dress
Wood Bench
Twitter user @Rollitupk found out the hard way that it is important to check the dimensions of what you order online. Bought on Amazon, this bench was actually just a few inches long, as can be seen in the mock seating demonstration that they did. This wooden bench is great for a dollhouse but not for an actual human being to sit on. It is quite intricate, though. The Twitter user is not the first person who got accidentally scammed because they thought that they found some cheap life-sized furniture. Dollhouse benches sell for $8-$10 on Amazon. For a piece of life-sized furniture, that price is definitely too good to be true.
Wood Bench
Rustic Pallet Bed
This Rustic Pallet Bed is another funny shopping fail shared on Twitter by @RebeccaKwanga. The Twitter user’s sister purchased a pallet bed which was made of fabric and recycled wood for her room. She was supposed to receive a fairy-like and natural-looking pallet bed, but instead she got something that looked like a broken-down jungle gym attraction. The general parts (a base, four “posts”) were there. However, it looks completely unfinished. The idea came from the website 1001Pallets.com, which promotes the use of recycled pallets. However, it is unknown where she ordered this “bed” from.
Rustic Pallet Bed
Honeycomb Accent Mirror
Redditor @Jinnium posted his shopping fail and captioned it with, “Bruhhh…” That pretty much says it all. While honeycomb mirrors are a stylish way to accentuate your home, this shopper got a mirror which made his house look like a funhouse. This AliExpress special is a DIY sticker-mirror meant to stick to the wall. However, its dimensions appear way off. The maker of the product is not known but it seems like going to Bed Bath & Beyond or Walmart to buy the actual pieces is a better idea. You know, just to be safe.
Honeycomb Accent Mirror
Beanie
This Wish shopper ordered a winter hat but received this – a hat which looks more like a mask for Trick ‘r Treat. Redditor @DanielJayPizzle posted this photo on the social media site (his profile picture shows him sporting the ski-mask-like hat). This winter hat is said to be a product from Urban Society, though that claim is probably not true. Even though Urban Society hats normally cost $39.00, this heavily discounted item on Wish is still not an amazing deal. A Wish scammer likely stole the photo from the Urban Society website and used it to sell knockoffs. This kind of scam is common on eBay too.
Beanie
When Harry Met Sally Vinyl Record
This person was really pleased to have found a cheap vinyl record of the soundtrack of When Harry Met Sally… on eBay. Usually, the vinyl album sells for $28 when new and $24 when used on Amazon, so getting this for only $3.23 seemed like an absolute bargain. However, what this eBay buyer actually got was a tiny vinyl record made for a dollhouse. While it’s unknown who made it, we have to give them credit for making this incredibly-detailed vinyl alum. They even got the plastic packaging right and added tiny cover figures of Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan.
When Harry Met Sally Vinyl Record