35+ Photos That Reveal The Pitfalls Of Shopping Online

Buying things online has made life more convenient for people. You don’t even have to leave your couch to go shopping. Just choose the items you like, pay for them, and have them delivered right to your front door. However, online shopping also comes with a lot of dangers. Some unscrupulous sellers advertise one thing but they send buyers another. Millions have been disappointed with their online purchases; sometimes because of untruthful sellers, but other times because they didn’t care enough to read the item’s descriptions. We have compiled an array photos that will convince you not to shop online, or at least be very cautious when doing so. The last thing you want to do is waste your money on items which you can’t even use.

#1 Always check the size before you order something

One of the most common mistakes people do when ordering something online is failing to check the dimensions or the size of the object they are ordering. Of course, there are times when sellers falsely advertise their products but most of the time it’s the buyers who fail to check all details.

This is a good example of that. This guy ordered lamps but what he didn’t know was that the lamps would be gargantuan. How tall are the lamps? 10 feet. Look at him getting dwarfed by his purchases. He looks like a dwarf.

#2 Furniture for little people

When buying furniture, it’s best to visit your local shops, feel the furniture and sit on it before making a final decision. However, that’s something easier said than done, especially during the pandemic when shops were practically closed and people had to buy things online.

This lady decided to buy furniture online. She expected something comfortable and something that she and the whole family could use but what they ended up with was furniture for little people. She looks like a giant sitting on the couch.

#3 A mug in a mug

It’s safe to say that if you don’t want to be disappointed, it’s a lot better to avoid buying anything online. 9 times out of 10 people who bought things online ended up with something they didn’t expect, in a very bad way.

A case in point is this person who decided to buy a mug. What he expected was the funny mug displayed in the advertised picture on the left. However, what he got was a mug graced with a picture of another mug on it. We’d also be disappointed if we received that in the mail.

#4 Will those fit in your ears?

The cardinal rule when buying AirPods is to make sure that they fit in your ears. Otherwise, what’s the point? This guy didn’t want to be the last person to join the trend, so he quickly purchased AirPods on Amazon.

The only problem is, it can only fit the ears of giants. Try putting AirPods the size of your head into your ears and let us know how it goes. This is just another example of always reading the item description before clicking on ‘Buy’.

#5 This should be big enough for your new home

Moving into your new house is one of the most important chapters in your life. Nothing beats going home to a house you can call your own. Having your own space which you are free to use and decorate as you see fit is a great joy.

For a housewarming gift, this lady’s dad decided to gift her with a 4XL cutting board and it doesn’t even fit on the counter. Our first question is why 4XL? I mean is he expecting his daughter to start slicing and dicing a whole cow in her new house?

#6 Finally bought an Apple watch

The Apple watch is quite expensive and they keep coming out with new models every 6 months or so. So, if you’re going to invest in one, you better be sure to wear it and make good use of it to get your money’s worth.

This man was quite excited to finally receive the Apple watch he bought online, but he got an unpleasant surprise when he opened the package. He paid $600 but has been ripped off. Poor guy. The watch he got was not even worth $100.

#7 Miniature pool

The worst that can happen during hot summer months is for your place to be on lockdown. You can’t go to the public pools and take a dip. Movement is also limited so you can’t go to the beach. If you don’t have a pool at home, the next best thing to do is get yourself one.

This person bought a family-size inflatable pool in the peak of quarantine so that his entire family can have some time to lounge and relax in the water. But, lo and behold, what they got was not a family-size pool but a miniature pool. It can’t even fit two children.

#8 A rock for a phone?

Online stores have made it quite convenient for customers because they don’t need to even step out of the house to purchase something. You can just browse on your phone or computer, place your orders from there and wait for your items to be delivered.

This guy was excited and couldn’t wait for his phone to come. Imagine his disappointment when he finally opened the box and got himself, wait for it, a rock! If you ask our opinion, this is a complete waste of money. Hopefully, he got his money back.

#9 Are the dogs in China tiny?

Before we even begin discussing what happened in this photo, we have one question on our minds: Are the dogs in China tiny? This woman’s mother-in-law loves her dog so much so she decided to get a blanket for the doggo.

She ordered the stuff online and when it finally reached their doorstep, they were disappointed because it was too short and small. Look at the size of the blanket on the dog. And even though that’s a large dog breed, it’s still far too small.

#10 Read the specifications before ordering

This is another case of buyers not reading the description and specifications of the item before ordering something online. You just can’t rely on a photo to get an idea of how big or small something is. You should always look at the dimensions.

This guy ordered a fridge thinking that it would suffice for his entire family, but when it was finally delivered, what he got was a fridge that’s more suitable for a person living alone. The fridge even looks like it’s made for little children.

#11 What in the world?

You should never trust the pictures of products you see online. Most of the time, they arrive looking less than what was expected from the advertisement. Whenever you can, it’s best to only shop in physical stores or online stores you trust.

Nowadays if you buy a candle décor online, you get something that resembles a snake. Look at that product on the right! It looked like it melted during shipment or it’s been broken and they just hurriedly put it back together.

#12 A Christmas tree for Santa’s elves

We all know just how hard Santa’s elves work to ensure that everything goes as planned for the holidays. They sort out lists, find and prepare the presents, and help Santa give holiday cheer to children around the world who have been nice.

They deserve acknowledgment and they deserve to gratitude; however, we didn’t think that this lady intended to buy a Christmas tree to thank Santa’s elves. But she has no choice because she was given a tree only a quarter of the size she ordered.

#13 Now that’s a cute drying pan

What’s the use of a frying pan if it can’t even fit a single egg, right? This person’s mother bought a frying pan on Amazon and we reckon her mother didn’t check the measurements. They got a cast iron pan fit for a Barbie doll.

Look at the frying pan placed side-by-side with a regular banana! Even the banana is bigger in size. We’re sure they are wondering what they are gonna cook in that. Maybe a sandwich or an omelet fit for a doll’s appetite.

#14 Did it shrink during shipping?

We have just few questions for this purchase: Did the item shrink during shipping? Is that even possible? In the photo on the left, the lady is holding what looks like a very large plushie. It looks cuddly and it seems like it would make a good bedtime companion.

However, when the plushie was delivered to her doorstep, it was disheartening because it was so tiny it could fit in the palm of one’s hand. It was advertised as large, but it’s obviously not true to size, but at least they got something identical to the photo.

#15 How long is it gonna take for you to scratch your back with that?

This thoughtful girlfriend thought she’d do something nice and get him something to scratch his back with. When the item finally came in the mail, she was excited to open it and give it to her boyfriend. But it wasn’t quite what she expected…

She did get her boyfriend something to scratch his back with but we’re just wondering how long it would take for him to finish scratching his back with the tiny, tiny thing. Maybe an hour? It can barely cover an inch.

#16 Reality is bigger than expectations

This person’s boyfriend decided to buy himself a clamp, and he thought that the best place to buy it was online. Well, this is one of the rare cases when reality beats expectations. The photo on the left was what the buyer expected.

The photo on the right was what the buyer received in the mail. When it comes to size, one can easily tell the difference. The clamp he got in the mail was humungous. We just have one question though… what do you use it for?

#17 Halloween Albert Einstein

Halloween is the one time a year we can pretend to be anybody we want. Halloween, nowadays, has become a holiday for adults. It’s no longer only for children. Yes, children still have a lot of fun going trick-or-treating and getting candies.

However, more adults have just as much fun playing dress-up as their kids. This lady ordered an old man mask for Halloween, but what she got in the mail was a crossover between Albert Einstein and Freddy Krueger. Well, needless to say, things escalated quickly.

#18 The minuscule rug

If you think buying disasters only happen on certain websites, think again. They are all over the internet now that its almost impossible to avoid scams. And now even eBay can’t be spared. This lady bought a rug off eBay and was quite looking forward to her purchase.

It’s fluffy, it’s pink and it’s huge! Wait a minute… what she got in the mail was a minuscule rug! You can’t even fit a single foot on the rug. For comparison, look at the bottom picture with the rug placed side-by-side with a pen.

#19 When did you start beekeeping?

This guy wasn’t even aware that he started beekeeping. He just found out that he’s starting a new career after he got his mysterious package in the mail. He paid for an order of personal protective equipment or PPE online.

He was in shock when he opened that box and saw that a beekeeper’s suit was sent to him by the vendor. It doesn’t offer the sort of protection he’s looking for, but at least he looks a bit like Mortal Kombat’s Raiden, and it has pockets too.

#20 How sharp is that karambit?

To start, a karambit is a miniature and curved Indonesian knife that symbolizes a claw from the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra. If you order a knife online, you’d naturally expect a knife in the mail, right? Get ready to be disappointed.

What this person got was not even a tiny knife. He just got a photo of a karambit. How bad can things get and how cruel can the vendor be to send a piece of paper? He must have been wondering why his package was so light. Well, now we know why.

#21 Now we know why the pants are so cheap

This guy felt so lucky to have scored cheap and brand-new jeans off eBay, so he felt like he was the luckiest man in the world. But why was it so cheap? What’s the catch? He was wondering the same thing, so when he got the jeans, he eagerly inspected them.

There were no holes, no tears, and it was indeed never worn. It even had the tag on it. Further inspection revealed the reason for the cheap price. He took a gander at one of the pockets and realized that the tag was still on it. We’ll let you decide.

#22 We hope that fits

One of the dangers of buying things online is we don’t exactly get what we paid for. This guy learned this lesson the hard way when he bought himself a pair of size 8 men’s shoes online. The price must have been really attractive.

However, what he got in the mail was a pair of shoes fit for a baby. Look at that shoe! It can even fit on the palm of his hand. We’re quite sure that’s not even close to a size 8 in men’s. More like size 8 for a baby.

#23 Paper towels for little people

At the start of the pandemic, people were hoarding toilet paper and paper towels. Remember when people were fighting over them at supermarkets and groceries? And when we say fight, it’s more than verbal arguments. People even ended up being hurt.

Thankfully nowadays, there’s plenty of supplies and you can even get them online. No need to head to your local grocery. This lady, however, got paper towels fit for little people. The one on the right is your regular, household paper towels, and what she got on the left was more than 50% smaller. We hope she got it for half the price!

#24 Isn’t it difficult to type on that keyboard?

For the nth time, let us remind you to always check the dimensions when you buy something online. Just because the picture looks like it’s the correct item definitely doesn’t mean that you’re right. This father did the classic mistake of buying something without checking the dimensions.

He got a keyboard smaller than his palm with a built-in mousepad smaller than his pinky. How are you gonna type on that? Wouldn’t it get exhausting? A single finger is bigger than 2 of the buttons combined. We’re expecting a lot of typos with this one.

#25 Thank you, Wish

One thing that you should be aware of when buying something online is pricing. If the price seems weirdly cheap, chances are it’s not authentic or the original product advertised. We’re not sure if this person knew ahead of time that what he’s gonna receive is not the real thing.

However, he seems to be happy with his purchase and proudly showcased it on Twitter. He bought “Peepi,” “Spripe,” and “Coco Colo” socks. We weren’t aware that the new brands existed nowadays. We’d love to wear those Peepi socks too.

#26 Is Mjolnir heavy?

If you’ve been watching Thor or Avenger movies, you probably know that not everyone can lift Mjolnir, Thor’s divine hammer. Only Thor and lately, Captain America, can lift it. The hammer is both a divine instrument and a devastating weapon.

We’re not wondering why this guy was able to lift Mjolnir. Look at the size of that! It’s so tiny. It must weigh less than a kilo. We’re not even sure if it can kill a cockroach. The man didn’t let it dampen his mood though.  

#27 A pool fit for summer

Dogs, just like humans, need help during summer because the temperatures can reach scorching heights. They also want to take a dip in the water and get a little respite from the scorching heat. So, this pet parent thought it would be a good idea to get her dogs a pool.

Well, the pool arrived at their home, but it wasn’t what she had in mind. Look at the size of the pool in comparison to the dogs. Well, it can fit two paws and that’s about it. Should they take turns using it? They don’t look so excited about it at first glance though.

#28 I have both left and right feet

When we order shoes online, we naturally expect a pair of left and right shoes. After all, most of us have both left and right feet. However, this online seller must have let this thought slip his mind because they sent the customer a single right shoe.

Expectedly, the customer complained. The seller thought it best to rectify the situation by sending the customer two more right shoes, so now the customer has three right shoes. Unless the customer is a caterpillar, he’s not going to have much use of those shoes.

#29 Who’s this guy?

How would you feel if you ordered an apron online expecting it to look exactly like the picture, it arrives in the mail, except it is covered with somebody’s random face on it? You’d naturally wonder, “who’s this guy and what is he doing on my apron?”

Would you wear the apron while you’re baking? Or would you send it back and get it replaced it with a new one? It would make a good conversation piece during get-togethers though. Friends and family can engage in a guessing game about who’s the guy while you cook.

#30 With the snap of my fingers

If you watched the Avengers movies, you’d know that Thanos wiped out half of the universe with the snap of his fingers. He believed that it was his mission to free the world of suffering although, to the Avengers, it wasn’t the right thing to do.

This man must have liked the movie so much that he bought himself a gauntlet. Perhaps he wanted to live out his dreams of snapping his fingers “a la Thanos,” but we’re not so sure how he’d do it with that knitted yellow glove.

#31 Now that’s one huge phone

The first thought that came to mind when we saw this photo was, how long does it take to fully charge that thing? I mean electricity nowadays is expensive and the last thing you want is for your energy bills to skyrocket over one phone.

He wanted to buy an iPhone but ended up with an iPhone-shaped coffee table. Well, he can definitely contact the guy who bought the humungous AirPods and perhaps they can discuss getting together and “plugging in” with their latest acquisitions.

#32 So this was meant to be DIY?

When the buyer paid for the kitty post online, she wasn’t thinking that it was gonna be a DIY project. She pretty much thought that she could just put it in one corner and have her beloved kitty enjoy it right away.

The seller had other plans in mind though. The only thing that she got in the mail was the colorful rope, and they weren’t even the right colors! Sigh. However, the post and actual base was still missing. So, where is the cat gonna go up and down?

#33 That’s an XL?

We think that the lovable dog in the photo is a husky, but even this dog who unconditionally loves its pet parent is very much is wondering in this photo how on earth he’s gonna fit inside that ‘XL’ crate. He can stand on top of the crate, but he can’t fit inside.

This was a purchase made from eBay, and truth be told we don’t even know what their ‘S’ crate looks like. What’s gonna fit in it? A hamster? The doggo is like saying to his mother, “Really mom, that’s XL?”

#34 Is the chair comfortable?

This is another case of an item bought online in which the buyer wasn’t aware just how small the chair is. Look at him picking the chair up and sitting on it. He can hardly fit in it. Again, it’s important to look at the measurements.

The only thing he needs to do now is to buy another chair, preferably a bigger one so that he and his son can have matching things to sit on. They can sit side by side while watching TV and we think they would look very cute together.

#35 That’s a thorough review

One of the most important things to do before buying anything from anyone online is to always look at the reviews. Most of the time, people want to go with a seller that can be trusted and follows through on their promises. We commend this guy for checking reviews before getting a coffee table.

We should all be wise and follow suit. It turns out that the table was smaller than advertised and to prove his point, he put the table in the sink, on a chair, and in a box. He even tried to put it inside the oven.

#36 Think false lashes will make you look pretty?

Ladies with long and curled lashes look very pretty and are attractive. This lady decided to get some online in the hopes of improving her features. Well, this is a list of photos that will convince you not to shop online, so as expected the result wasn’t expected.

Look at her with her false lashes on. Her expression says it all…They look a little too short. It’s like the Charlie Chaplin mustache, but in the lashes version. We don’t think anyone will find you attractive with those hairs on your eyes.

#37 Even the doggo was disappointed

Small dogs have short legs, and that makes it difficult for them to jump on couches and other furniture. This fur parent thought it would be a good idea to buy a ramp for her tiny doggos. She was looking forward to receiving the ramp in the top photo.

But what she got was a completely different ramp. Not only was it extremely small, but it also had a different color, texture and name. Even the doggo was disappointed with what they got. He couldn’t see himself using it to go up and down furniture. He sees himself ripping it apart!

#38 Elmo has been through a lot

A birthday celebration is a big thing, especially for kids. Parents always want what is best for their children. This mother’s child happens to look up to Elmo so much that she thought it would be a good idea to have someone bake a custom Elmo cake.

We can only imagine the gasps once the cake was finally unveiled. Not only is the color extremely different, but the cake also doesn’t resemble the inspiration in the right photo. It seems that Elmo has been through a lot.

#39 Pearls not included

If we were browsing on the Internet and found this jacket with pearls, we’d be tempted to buy it too. It looks exquisite and one-of-a-kind. It will surely turn heads and will make people think you have a great sense of style.

Imagine being excited to finally get your hands on that jacket so you could wear it to your next lunch with the girls, just to open the package to see that it doesn’t even include the pearls. This is just another scenario that proves why anyone should be cautious when ordering online.

#40 Camping chairs for dwarves

If you’re a person who loves being outdoors, having breakfast in the mountains, and looking at the night sky when the stars are out, you need reclining chairs. It will make the experience a lot comfier and hopefully bring you closer to the company that joins you.

This guy must have had an upcoming date somewhere in the outdoors so he decided to get himself some comfy recliners. Not only did they look nothing like the chairs in the photo or package, but they are way to small!. It will fit dwarves, but it won’t fit humans. They don’t even recline!

#41 Be disappointed…you will

It’s been 44 years since Star Wars was first released, but the movie franchise is still as popular today as it was year ago. As a matter of fact, younger people who were not yet born when the movie was released are now discovering their love for the series.

This fan bought a baby Yoda plush toy and he paid almost $30 for it. The photo on the left is what was advertised, but the photo on the left is what he received, except it looked entirely different. It didn’t resemble Yoda and even looked like a rip-off.

#42 A little water and it will grow bigger

There are many online platforms and sellers notorious for sending buyers the items they didn’t purchase, although there are times when it’s the buyers who are at fault for not reading the description or dimensions before deciding that they need the item for themselves.

We’re not sure if this case belongs to the latter or the former, but what they got wasn’t a life-sized bean bag. The bean bag is so tiny that it can only fit a single foot. Perhaps, if you water it, it will grow. There are no guarantees, but you can give it a shot.

#43 Delayed and deceived

Lockdowns all over the world led to delays in shipments ,online purchases and order processing. This lady ordered a sink rack which was delayed for 3 months, and what she got when it was finally delivered led to even further disappointment.

What she was expecting was something where she can put her dishes and utensils to dry, but what she got was only able to fit a bar of soap. No wonder it was priced cheaply! Now, what is she gonna do with that?

#44 That’s not even our dog

Pets are not only animals we keep around the house, they also become members of the family overtime. They make great confidantes and they are even better companions. They shower us with unconditional love and will stay by our side no matter what.

This is why when our pets cross the rainbow bridge, the loss we suffer can be devastating. Some dog owners like to immortalized their doggos by having their images printed on things. This pet parent ordered a blanket with her dog’s image, but the blanket she received had someone else’s dog on it.

#45 Muggsy Bogues can fit in that?

Everyone knows that Muggsy Bogues was one of the smallest players to ever play in the NBA. He was only 5 feet 3 inches tall, but had the energy of a few people combined. During his 14-season career in the NBA league, he played for four teams.

Everyone knows he’s tiny, but not so tiny that he can wear a jersey that fits in your palm. This guy was scammed when he bought a game-worn Muggsy Bogues jersey. The jersey looks like it belongs to a mouse.