50 Times Information In The Fine Print Was So Absurd People Just Had To Share It

Scrolling through pages and pages ofterms and conditionsis perhaps the biggest nuisance in our digital age. At least that’s the form of torture I wish upon anyone who has ever wronged me. In my mind, hell is just having to read thousands of words of legal jargon in that irritating small print.

But terms and conditions aren’t the only place where we find fine print. Marketers use it more and more to try to dupe their customers into buying their products. Want some watermelon juice? If you don’t check the ingredients listed in superfine print, you probably won’t know that there’s no watermelon in it. Just apples, beetroot, carrots, and ginger.

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My Parents Bought Me A Doormat And This Was On The Back Of It. Read The Warning

Although many of the examples in this list are humorous, they’re also good examples of unethical marketing. Fine print is one of the tactics marketers and companies use to mislead consumers. Ironically, we almost expect brands to deceive us. We’re used to looking for information in fine print or tricky wording in ads. But is that really the new standard now?We reached out to an expert who could shed some light on misleading marketing.Teresa Murrayis a consumer watchdog director at theU.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), and she kindly agreed to explain the importance of transparency in marketing and labeling. We talked about more than just obviously absurd ads but about hidden fees, surprise medical bills, and more serious issues.

We reached out to an expert who could shed some light on misleading marketing.Teresa Murrayis a consumer watchdog director at theU.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), and she kindly agreed to explain the importance of transparency in marketing and labeling. We talked about more than just obviously absurd ads but about hidden fees, surprise medical bills, and more serious issues.

Have You Ever Seen Anything So Bold?

“Gluten-Free”

“Companies have a moral obligation to disclose all types of things relevant about a product or service.” When you’re buying a thing or a food item, the manufacturer should include information about what that product contains. If it’s food or a thing that could cause an allergic reaction, companies should include exactly what is in the product.

So It Was A Lie

What the literal hell Sergeant’s?PS: Be not concerned with the shampoo color, it became the host bottle for my cat’s RX shampoo a long time ago.

Can You Figure Out Why I’m Infuriated Before The 4th Picture?

This Olive Oil I Bought Wasn’t Even Cheap

In cases where the item is a toy, we as consumers should know whether it contains something that could compromise the privacy of a child, like a microphone or camera. And it all should show on the label. Specific details about the quality of the item are also important. “If we’re talking bedsheets, what’s the thread count?” Murray asks. “If we’re talking automobile tires, what’s the mileage expectation? If it’s an external hard drive, what’s the capacity?”

I’ve Just Found Out That I Have A Wheat Intolerance

This “Cashmere Blend” Sweater

I Was Wondering Why This Watermelon Juice Tasted So Weird

Some other questions Murray recommends to keep in mind are: “How much does it cost? Are there extra, mandatory fees? What’s the warranty or guarantee? Are there any terms and conditions?“Considering these questions will make you a well-informed consumer. And a company that answers them on a label or an ad is most likely ethical. “Transparency is important because we’re giving our hard-earned money to companies. We need to know exactly what we’re paying for,” Murray explains.

Some other questions Murray recommends to keep in mind are: “How much does it cost? Are there extra, mandatory fees? What’s the warranty or guarantee? Are there any terms and conditions?”

Considering these questions will make you a well-informed consumer. And a company that answers them on a label or an ad is most likely ethical. “Transparency is important because we’re giving our hard-earned money to companies. We need to know exactly what we’re paying for,” Murray explains.

My New Pan Is Dishwasher-Safe And Unsafe

Free Beer

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Packaging Said “100% Silk”

This Packaging Is Dangerous

Chris Hemsworth’s Centr App Was Charging People Who Signed Up For Their Free Trial. Looked Into The Fine Print And Found Out Why. I Love Ya Mate But C’mon

When Shops Advertise $12 Haircuts, But Use Black Lettering For Very Important Fine Print

The Mixed Signals Of This Shoe Sale

“Dispose of properly (or Mother Nature’s gonna whack us all!) This battery contains no Mercury, Mars or Venus. Each battery is tested before shipping. No animals were harmed during testing unless you consider Paul in QA;-) Warning: To reduce the risk of fire or burns, avoid Sony or Dell laptops & do not disassemble, crush, puncture or short the contacts. TM & © 2009 FastMac. All rights reserved. All other brand names & trademarks belong to their respective owners. If you have read this far, please consider applying for a job in our legal dept.”

Always Read The Fine Print

The consumer rights expert gives more examples of regulators and lawmakers making sure companies aren’t misleading consumers. “Funeral homes aren’t allowed to charge for embalming without permission and can’t require you to purchase a casket for cremation, even if there’s fine print that discloses it’s optional.”

Cool Fine Print On This Donation Center

“Attention, inhale, golden glow, intention, chamomile, best buds, fiddle fig, plantiful, full bloom, clarity, mother earth, night bloom are not intended for use in the immediate eye area.”

Read The Fine Print, After I Had Used 3 Shades On My Eyes

When You Read Ingredient Labels For Fun

My Friend Bought Me A Switch Game For My Birthday. The Download Code, Instead Of Being On The Card Itself, Is On The Receipt. He No Longer Has The Receipt

Making People Think It’s A Park

2nd Birthday Badge Is Potentially A Choking Hazard

The Sweater I Bought Cannot Be Maintained

This Kettle Saves 70% Energy, As Long As You Need To Boil 70% Less Water

Always Check The Fine Print

She then tells us the most vital thing we should be aware of. “Consumers shouldNEVER signanything they haven’t read – not even with a digital signature. Fine print is an unfortunate reality in today’s world. Consumers bear responsibility for protecting themselves because not all companies engage in honest advertising and not all companies even follow state and federal laws.”

That Would Explain Why My Ankle Hurts

Retail Sign At H&M Today. The Small Line Is Hard To Read In Person

This Is Obviously Not The Men’s Washroom. Can’t You Read The Fine Print In A Dark Entryway?

“We [have seen] an avalanche of new consumer protection laws in the last couple of years,” Murray says. “[They deal] with a range of issues: surprise medical bills, junk fees, airline passenger protections, broadband service, cell phone bills, product safety standards, the list goes on. We’re seeing these because too many companies don’tbehave ethicallyand honestly all of the time, so lawmakers and regulators step in to better protect consumers' health, safety, and wallets.”

Seriously? Contradictory At Its Finest