Get all your news in one place.

100’s of premium titles.
One app.

Start reading

Get all your news in one place.

100’s of premium titles. One news app.

Start reading

Bored Panda

Lifestyle

Donata Ruzgaitė

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

Scrolling through pages and pages of terms and conditions is 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.

As absurd as it is, at least it can be funny. That's why we've compiled the most ridiculous reminders of why it's always best to read the fine print from all over the Internet. Let us know in the comments whether they make you laugh or mad, and share your own infuriating examples!

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

Image credits: fabricator123

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 Murray is a consumer watchdog director at the U.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.

#2 Have You Ever Seen Anything So Bold?

Image credits: dandouglas

#3 "Gluten-Free"

Image credits: TestZero

How many times have you been duped by an ad or a misleading label, Pandas? If you have, it was probably done by a company that's not very big on transparency. "Transparency is critically important for companies that sell products or services, whether they sell to consumers or other businesses," Teresa Murray tells Bored Panda.

"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.

#4 So It Was A Lie

Image credits: Droyk

#5 Can You Figure Out Why I'm Infuriated Before The 4th Picture?

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.

Image credits: beakrake

#6 This Olive Oil I Bought Wasn't Even Cheap

Image credits: AsterJ

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?"

#7 I Was Wondering Why This Watermelon Juice Tasted So Weird

Image credits: spamtarget

#8 I've Just Found Out That I Have A Wheat Intolerance

Image credits: reddit.com

#9 How To Disappoint Every Student On Campus

Image credits: reddit.com

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.

#10 This "Cashmere Blend" Sweater

Image credits: tallmin22

#11 The Mixed Signals Of This Shoe Sale Advertisement

Image credits: MNgirlinaNDworld

#12 My New Pan Is Dishwasher-Safe And Unsafe

Image credits: KRA2008

Different industries have their standards and regulations when it comes to ethical marketing. "For example, a vitamin manufacturer is not allowed by law to claim that if you take one of the company's vitamins every day, then you'll live for 1,000 years, even if there's fine print that walks that back," Murray tells Bored Panda. "A toy manufacturer must disclose whether a product contains small parts that could choke a child under three."

#13 Packaging Said "100% Silk"

Image credits: Gumder

#14 Free Beer

Image credits: chris_kammy

#15 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

Image credits: Tanav11

The Internet is not immune to misleading labeling as well. In an effort to make the cost and price of high-speed internet clear and easy to understand, the FCC has passed a law that goes into effect this year. "Broadband (internet) providers are being required by the Federal Communications Commission to provide 'nutrition labels' as part of their marketing and disclose details about pricing, whether a monthly price is an introductory price, the speed, etc.," Murray explains.

#16 Cool Fine Print On This Donation Center

Image credits: otronge

#17 This Packaging Is Dangerous

Image credits: felixbeaudrydesigner

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

Image credits: XXLchris

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."

"Rules on this topic were updated a couple of years ago by the FTC because too many consumers – at a time when people are grief-stricken and vulnerable – weren't being given complete information about a funeral they're planning."

#19 Making People Think It’s A Park

Image credits: bobby104402

#20 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

Image credits: imbriandead

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

"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."

Image credits: PeppermintIncense

"Manufacturers of infant sleep products aren't allowed to advertise certain types of products intended for sleep if they don't meet safety standards," she goes on. "Before the Safe Sleep for Babies Act passed in 2022, some companies would [advertise] inclined sleepers with a baby on the box with its eyes closed and supposedly dreaming, but the company would try to say they weren't really marketing the product for sleep."

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

Image credits: UnlikeSome

#23 Always Read The Fine Print

"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."

Image credits: itsjustnotimportant

#24 Always Check The Fine Print

Image credits: rbrthenderson

It might sound unfair that we must be on the lookout for deceptive marketing constantly. But Teresa Murray says that industry standards and laws are not enough to ensure ethical practices. "Consumers should educate themselves about any product or service of significance that they're considering buying. We're not talking about a pack of gum but a new TV, signing an automobile lease, hiring a landscaper, etc."

#25 2nd Birthday Badge Is Potentially A Choking Hazard

Image credits: Mozzarella_Firefox

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

Image credits: MyBelovedASMR

#27 When You Read Ingredient Labels For Fun

Image credits: Zyibat

She then tells us the most vital thing we should be aware of. "Consumers should NEVER sign anything 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."

#28 The Sweater I Bought Cannot Be Maintained

Image credits: FuzzboarEKKO

#29 That Would Explain Why My Ankle Hurts

Image credits: ASAPxSyndicate

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

Image credits: DarkRoastt

"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't behave ethically and honestly all of the time, so lawmakers and regulators step in to better protect consumers' health, safety, and wallets."