c/fake-product-breakdowns

12

pat_murray53•24d ago

That week I bought a 'wilderness survival kit' off Instagram and it had a plastic knife

Honestly I saw this ad for a compact survival kit that claimed to be waterproof and packed with 20 tools. Paid $35 for it and when it showed up last Tuesday the 'knife' was literally a molded piece of clear plastic shaped like a blade. The fire starter was a tiny magnesium rod that snapped in half on my second scrape. I'm torn between thinking these kits are just for show or if there's actually a budget option out there that isn't completely useless. Has anyone else ordered a viral camping gadget and gotten something that couldn't even cut a sandwich?

14

young.michael•25d ago

That week I fell for a $40 'magnetic phone mount' that couldn't hold my phone on a bumpy road

Last Tuesday I saw this ad for a magnetic car phone mount with these super strong neodymium magnets. I bought it off Instagram for $40, and it looked great in the box. First drive over a pothole on Main Street in Austin, my phone flew off and landed on the passenger floor. The magnet was barely stronger than a fridge one. Anyone else had a viral car accessory fail on the first real test?

14

robinp89•25d ago

Changed my mind about those solar string lights after seeing them at a campsite

I was at Lake Lurleen State Park last weekend and watched some cheap solar lights from Target flicker out by 9pm while the neighbors' higher-end ones from a brand called NiteSun were still going strong at 2am. I asked the guy and he said his were $60 for a 50-foot set, not the $15 ones I always grab. Now I'm thinking the cheap route might not be worth it if you actually want light past dusk. Anyone else find a solar light brand that holds up longer than a few months?

7

grant155•27d ago

That viral 'self-cleaning' water bottle I got on TikTok was just a gimmick

I bought one of those UV light bottles for $45 after seeing it everywhere. Used it for a week on my desk at work. Day 5 I noticed a funky smell and when I opened it up, there was mold growing in the lid seal. The UV light does nothing if you don't take the whole thing apart to dry it. Has anyone else had one of these fail in a gross way?

26

henryt18•28d ago

That viral $40 'self-cleaning' water bottle from TikTok left a green slime ring after 3 days.

I took it apart in my kitchen sink in Austin and found the UV light was just a cheap LED with no seal around the charging port, so how is anyone supposed to actually clean the thing without water getting in the electronics?

22

green.noah•1mo ago

That viral ad for the $20 phone lens kit had me fooled for a week

I bought a 3 pack of those clip on phone lenses from a Facebook ad last month in Chicago, and all three of them made my photos look like I was shooting through a dirty fishbowl. Has anyone actually found a clip on lens that doesn't distort everything?

0

sarahpark•1mo ago

Fell for that viral "as seen on TV" car scratch remover - took me 3 hours to buff out the haze it left behind.

Honestly, I saw that $20 bottle of GlowShield in a Facebook ad and figured it was worth a shot, but after applying it to a deep scratch on my Honda's door panel, the residue wouldn't come off and I spent a whole Saturday fixing it with compound - has anyone else had to sand down a botched DIY fix like this?

5

jordan_henderson13•1mo ago

Can we talk about those folding saw ads on Facebook that show a guy cutting a tree branch with one hand...

Last week I fell for one of those ads for a folding saw that promised to cut through anything like butter. Paid $15 for it on impulse. Got it in the mail Tuesday and tried it on a dead branch in my yard. Couldn't even get through a 2 inch thick piece without the blade locking up on me. The video showed a guy using one hand like it was a magic trick. Took me three tries and a lot of cussing just to get a clean cut. I figure the ad was filmed with some kind of special demo blade or different tool entirely. Has anyone else bought one of those hyperdrive saws from a viral post and had it totally fail?

2

green.noah•1mo ago

Warning: That viral memory foam mattress topper ruined my back for 2 weeks

I fell for one of those TikTok ads for a $45 memory foam mattress topper, the kind where they show a glass of water balancing on it. Looked amazing and the reviews on their site were glowing, so I bought it. First night was okay, but by day three I woke up with my lower back absolutely locked up. The foam was way too soft and had zero support, basically just a fancy sponge shaped like a mattress. I ended up tossing it after 6 miserable nights and went back to my old lumpy mattress. Lost $45 plus shipping, and wasted almost 2 weeks of sleep recovery. Has anyone else had luck with a mattress topper that didn't wreck your spine?

34

the_mia•1mo ago

Hot take: Those bendy silicone measuring spoons are not worth it.

I bought a set to save drawer space and ended up spending 15 extra minutes trying to get a level teaspoon of baking powder because the handle kept flopping over into the bowl. Has anyone else given up on these and just went back to metal ones?

10

fisher.thomas•1mo ago

That portable blender ad with the frozen fruit cubes is a total lie

I saw this viral ad for a portable blender that promises to crush frozen fruit into smoothies in 30 seconds. Bought one for $40 off Instagram last week. First try with frozen strawberries and almond milk, it just spun the blades and made a loud grinding noise. The motor burned out after three uses. Anyone else fall for one of these cheap blender scams?

0

spencer_gonzalez1•1mo ago

The 47th time I saw that magnetic phone mount ad with the guy driving a jeep through a mud puddle I finally added up the numbers

That thing has been in my feed for 3 years now and I bet they've spent enough on ads to buy everyone watching a real mount, has anyone actually bought one of those and did it survive a single pothole?

11

brooket43•1mo ago

The $30 'industrial grade' cable tester I saw on TikTok that literally just blinks red

Honestly, I was scrolling last week and this ad kept popping up for a cable tester that promised to fix any ethernet issue in 10 seconds. The video showed it lighting up green for good and red for bad, but the comments were full of guys saying it only ever blinked red no matter what cable you plugged in. Took me 5 minutes to find the same unit on AliExpress for $8. Made me wonder if these dropshippers just count on people never actually testing a working cable first. Has anyone else fallen for a tool that clearly had no actual testing done on it?

21

abby_morgan18•1mo ago

That fake "solar-powered" phone charger got me good at a camping trip last fall

I was at a campground near Lake Tahoe in October, and a guy next to me was raving about this charger he bought from a Facebook ad. Said it could juice up his phone in 2 hours flat with just a few hours of sun. I was tired of my power bank dying, so I dropped $35 on one right then. Well, I left it on a sunny rock for 4 hours and my phone barely gained 10% battery. Later, I opened it up and found a tiny battery pack inside with a fake solar panel sticker on the outside - it wasn't even wired to anything. That guy must have been part of the ad scam or just got lucky with a dud. Has anyone else ripped open one of these and found nothing but plastic and lies?

15

cameron_hernandez69•1mo ago

That viral $30 car dent puller kit I bought off Instragram actually bent my hood worse

After watching a 15 second video of a guy popping out a dent with a glue stick and a puller, I tried it on a small dent near my driver's side mirror and now I've got a bigger crease and a tube of melted glue stuck to my paint, so what's your go-to method for small dents that actually works?.

9

richard_young80•1mo ago

That viral 'lint remover' brick from TikTok shredded my favorite sweater

I saw this ad for a reusable lint remover that was supposed to be gentler than a razor, so I grabbed one for 12 bucks. After three passes on a black cashmere blend sweater from H&M, it left bald patches and pilling worse than before. Anyone else try those sticky stone things and end up with ruined clothes?

24

miles_robinson20•1mo ago

Finally found a legit use for those magnetic phone mounts in my truck

I always thought those magnetic phone mounts in ads were a gimmick until I had to navigate a dirt job in rural Indiana last month. After 3 tries with suction cups failing on my dusty dash, I grabbed a Scosche magnetic mount and it actually held my phone through 8 miles of washboard gravel roads. Anyone else have a fake-looking product that surprised you?

4

thea602•2mo ago

Question about that 3-in-1 kitchen gadget I saw 47 ads for on Instagram

I spent 45 minutes trying to get the "easy-clean" blade assembly apart after using it once, and by the end I was literally sawing at it with a butter knife (which obviously defeated the whole purpose), so has anyone else found these things are just a nightmare to actually maintain?

11

nancy_wood•2mo ago

Went to that pop-up kitchen gadget expo last weekend

Stopped by a booth pushing a $40 herb chopper that looked like a tiny lawn mower. The demo guy chopped a whole onion in 3 seconds flat but I grabbed one and the blades were already dull after 2 uses. Is this thing worth the counter space or is it just another gimmick for the drawer of shame?

24

shane_bell•2mo ago

That $40 'magnetic car mount' that peeled my dashboard paint off in 3 days

I fell for a viral ad for this magnetic phone mount that promised no residue and super strong hold... stuck it right on my 2012 Honda's dash and it looked great for exactly one day. Day two I noticed the gel pad was starting to discolor and get gooey from the heat inside the car. By day three I went to pull the mount off and it literally took a chunk of the dashboard paint with it, leaving this ugly gray plastic patch. So I wasted $40 on Amazon plus now I'm looking at a $200 dash repair kit that probably won't match the texture. Has anyone else had a car accessory ruin their interior like this?

9

jenny_lane12•2mo ago

That $45 'miracle' stain remover I saw on Instagram turned my white shirt orange in 20 seconds.

I followed the directions exactly and it basically dyed the fabric, so now I'm out the shirt and the money and wondering if anyone else got burned by that brand that keeps popping up in my feed.

16

xena582•2mo ago

Warning: That viral $20 'magic mop' is just a wet towel on a stick

I fell for those TikTok ads showing it picking up everything with one swipe. After three uses the microfiber head started shedding lint all over my floors and now it just pushes dirt around. Has anyone found a cheap mop that actually works or are we all getting scammed?

1

anthonynelson•2mo ago

Rant: That 'magic' rust remover gel from the ad left a huge stain on my truck frame

I saw a video ad for this gel that promised to eat rust in 15 minutes, so I tried it on a spot on my old F-150's frame last weekend. I followed the instructions, left it on for the full time, and rinsed it off. The rust was gone, but it left a weird, white, chalky stain about the size of a dinner plate that won't come off with soap or a pressure washer. I feel like the ad only shows the 'after' of the rust, not the weird mess it leaves behind. Has anyone else had this happen and found a way to fix the stain it makes?

9

pat_murray53•2mo ago

Saw a guy at the library watching a video for those 'magic' cleaning sponges

He was watching one of those ads where they scrub a burnt pan clean in seconds. I always thought they were just okay, but then I heard him tell his friend, 'It's just melamine foam, you can get a big pack for ten bucks.' I looked it up when I got home, and sure enough, the brand name ones are the same stuff with a huge markup. I bought a generic block for eight dollars and it works the same. Has anyone else found a cheap version of a viral cleaning product that actually works?

2

fisher.thomas•2mo ago

Saw that 'Insta-Fluff' pancake batter ad everywhere last week... so I caved

The ad showed these perfect, thick pancakes every time, no fail. I bought the kit for $24.99, which felt steep for just a special powder and a ring mold. First try, the batter stuck to the mold so bad I had to scrape it off... the 'fluff' was just a weird, gummy texture inside. Followed the video exactly, too. Has anyone else had a total flop with one of these 'one trick' cooking gadgets that blew up online?