# A Thread In Which We Call Out Ripoff Products **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 23, 2018, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-in-which-we-call-out-ripoff-products/807270 "2018-01-23T04:11:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-in-which-we-call-out-ripoff-products/807270/21 "2018-01-23T15:57:07Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > I don’t think the labelling on paper towels makes a whole lot of mathematical sense. “6 = 12?” What does that even mean? What is the standard? Do they even sell the 1=1 to compare size and pricing? Why not make just one giant paper towel roll where 1 =12? Think of how much would be saved in cardboard tubing then! > > I believe this labelling is misleading and an excuse to charge more. Agreed. Thankfully, square footage is always listed on the paper-towel packaging, so you really can see how much you’re getting. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-in-which-we-call-out-ripoff-products/807270/22 "2018-01-23T15:58:12Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > it doesn’t quite taste the same as before. And that’s a bad thing? 😃 I remember eating those long, long ago - we’d add additional cheese and veggies to try and make them tasty. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-in-which-we-call-out-ripoff-products/807270/23 "2018-01-23T16:26:12Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > I don’t think the labelling on paper towels makes a whole lot of mathematical sense. “6 = 12?” What does that even mean? What is the standard? Do they even sell the 1=1 to compare size and pricing? Why not make just one giant paper towel roll where 1 =12? Think of how much would be saved in cardboard tubing then! > > I believe this labelling is misleading and an excuse to charge more. I was looking at toilet paper awhile back, and for one particular brand it was available in two types, single rolls and double rolls (with 32=64 on the package). The single rolls were 220 sheets per roll, but the “double” rolls were only 264 sheets per roll - only 20% bigger. Not just misleading, but out and out lying. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Krupe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@Leo\_Krupe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Krupe)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-in-which-we-call-out-ripoff-products/807270/24 "2018-01-23T16:31:22Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Copy paper. I went to get some this weekend and they were selling 400 sheet packs for the same amount as the old 500 sheet packs. > > Bastards. But it’s the same price! (Part of the marketing bullshit ripoff crap is the companies will reduce the amount of the product, say, sell a 10 oz bag of potato chips instead of the old 15 oz bag, but still charge the same price. That means of course, the chips are more expensive, but they company will claim it’s not, because “it’s the same price as the old bag!” Not per ounce, it isn’t. Ripoff.) And “bastards” is way too nice a term for them. But discretion supersedes. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-in-which-we-call-out-ripoff-products/807270/25 "2018-01-23T16:31:58Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > Three words. Crest. Gum. Detoxify. Any consumer product that claims it will “detoxify” or eliminate “toxins” is by definition a ripoff. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-in-which-we-call-out-ripoff-products/807270/26 "2018-01-23T16:41:20Z")
> [@Grumbacher\_Red](#): > > Oh, and I also meant to mention how facial creams are all packaging and false bottoms full of weight and a system of inner and outer chambers all designed to give the illusion the customer is getting more product than they really are. Wouldn’t it be easier just to actually give more product and cut back on the frou-frou packaging? Deceptive packaging on stick deodorant. For you stick deodorant people out there, before you use it; hold it up to a bright light. [The actual deodorant takes up less than 1/2 of the container](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/imageserver/image/methode%2Fsundaytimes%2Fprod%2Fweb%2Fbin%2F2bd418aa-2ceb-11e7-877f-32117d3b9145.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-in-which-we-call-out-ripoff-products/807270/27 "2018-01-23T16:48:37Z")
> [@GESancMan](#): > > College math teacher here: I won’t get started on the giant racket that is the textbook industry. But… what you are talking about is a loose-leaf book. A 900-page textbook is _heavy_. The point of a loose-leaf book is that students can put just the portion they need for a particular day in a binder, so that they don’t have to haul the whole thing around. Ok that sounds sorta reasonable. But for the price they charge you’d think you’d get a whole book. There really is no way to resell it if pages are scattered. It is a racket! This is the single most ridiculous thing, and high priced, that I have had to purchase for my college student. It really chaps my ass. She gets a book allowance in her scholarship, but it still makes me mad. I hope I never have to buy a book for $192.00 again. Stupid University! ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-in-which-we-call-out-ripoff-products/807270/28 "2018-01-23T16:50:41Z")
> [@Enright3](#): > > Deceptive packaging on stick deodorant. For you stick deodorant people out there, before you use it; hold it up to a bright light. [The actual deodorant takes up less than 1/2 of the container](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/imageserver/image/methode%2Fsundaytimes%2Fprod%2Fweb%2Fbin%2F2bd418aa-2ceb-11e7-877f-32117d3b9145.jpg). Another item to be bought by the listed measurement (in the case of deodorant in the U.S., ounces). Though there isn’t a lot of variation, except when one of the deodorant companies puts out a “_10% more!_” package. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-in-which-we-call-out-ripoff-products/807270/29 "2018-01-23T16:53:51Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Ok that sounds sorta reasonable. But for the price they charge you’d think you’d get a whole book. There really is no way to resell it if pages are scattered. It is a racket! This is the single most ridiculous thing, and high priced, that I have had to purchase for my college student. It really chaps my ass. She gets a book allowance in her scholarship, but it still makes me mad. I hope I never have to buy a book for $192.00 again. Stupid University! In 2018, textbooks should (but apparently aren’t) largely be distributed as electronic files. Textbooks could still be priced “too high” ($150 hardcover, $60 electronic file), but at least some of the manufacturing and production savings could be passed on to students. Would be nice, at least. ---
**Author:** ![Grumbacher\_Red](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85e7bf/32.png) [@Grumbacher\_Red](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumbacher_Red)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-in-which-we-call-out-ripoff-products/807270/30 "2018-01-23T17:11:58Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > Do you have a box cutter? If so please cut up the tube and take a photo so we can see the chambers and the brand logo. I’m not doubting you - I would just like to see it. Well the container itself is really hard plastic and it is not something that can be cut into with a box cutter. Brands like Neutrogena and L’Oreal are the worst, as are the higher end department store brands. Look how much of this is container and how much is product. And the bottom sometimes may even have a dimple in it to remove even more volume from container: [https://www.ulta.com/hydro-boost-gel-cream?productId=xlsImpprod12041837&sku=2284292&CPMID=CSBING&CAWELAID=330000200000262270&catargetid=330000200000980627&CADEVICE=c](https://www.ulta.com/hydro-boost-gel-cream?productId=xlsImpprod12041837&sku=2284292&CPMID=CSBING&CAWELAID=330000200000262270&catargetid=330000200000980627&CADEVICE=c) Here’s another with an inner chamber that you can see: [https://www.ulta.com/hydra-genius-daily-liquid-care-normaldry-skin?productId=xlsImpprod15541129](https://www.ulta.com/hydra-genius-daily-liquid-care-normaldry-skin?productId=xlsImpprod15541129) Some bottles have chambers that you can’t see but you can tell from the feel of the bottle it is there. There are just features of these that I feel are unnecessary. I would rather have more lotion, less container. ---
**Author:** ![Grumbacher\_Red](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85e7bf/32.png) [@Grumbacher\_Red](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumbacher_Red)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-in-which-we-call-out-ripoff-products/807270/31 "2018-01-23T17:15:54Z")
> [@Enright3](#): > > Deceptive packaging on stick deodorant. For you stick deodorant people out there, before you use it; hold it up to a bright light. [The actual deodorant takes up less than 1/2 of the container](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/imageserver/image/methode%2Fsundaytimes%2Fprod%2Fweb%2Fbin%2F2bd418aa-2ceb-11e7-877f-32117d3b9145.jpg). Yes. Another case of too much package, not enough product. ---
**Author:** ![Randolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Randolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randolph)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-in-which-we-call-out-ripoff-products/807270/32 "2018-01-23T17:21:13Z")
> [@brujaja](#): > > All they did was water down standard dish soap, and make that the new “regular.” Clearly they think we’re stupid. When Mott’s started selling “Light” apple juice, they advertised “50% the calories!” and such. A quick look at the nutritional label showed that they were just selling 50% juice / 50% water pre-mixed. For the same price. ---
**Author:** ![Grumbacher\_Red](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85e7bf/32.png) [@Grumbacher\_Red](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumbacher_Red)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-in-which-we-call-out-ripoff-products/807270/33 "2018-01-23T17:21:14Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I want to see this - I’ve never encountered it myself. Well, I don’t know how to show this, and I am not cutting into my fairly new tube of Crest Pro Gum Health…but no one else has noticed this sort of pillowy feel to toothpaste tubes? And how hard they are now to get the last bit out? I can tell there is trapped air in there after the tube is empty…I’ll get back to you on this one. I guess it my day to make questionable claims about ripoffs. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-in-which-we-call-out-ripoff-products/807270/34 "2018-01-23T17:31:41Z")
I wonder what happened to the lawsuit against McCormick? They started [putting 1.5 oz of black pepper](https://consumerist.com/2015/06/10/watkins-sues-mccormick-over-pepper-makes-federal-case-out-of-grocery-shrink-ray/) in the same size container that used to contain 2 oz. They changed the label to update the quantity, but otherwise the tin looked exactly the same. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-in-which-we-call-out-ripoff-products/807270/35 "2018-01-23T17:33:22Z")
> [@GESancMan](#): > > College math teacher here: I won’t get started on the giant racket that is the textbook industry. But… what you are talking about is a loose-leaf book. A 900-page textbook is _heavy_. The point of a loose-leaf book is that students can put just the portion they need for a particular day in a binder, so that they don’t have to haul the whole thing around. The downside of that is you pay $600 for a text book that has no resale value because campus books stores won’t buy it back. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-in-which-we-call-out-ripoff-products/807270/36 "2018-01-23T17:34:06Z")
> [@Enright3](#): > > Deceptive packaging on stick deodorant. For you stick deodorant people out there, before you use it; hold it up to a bright light. [The actual deodorant takes up less than 1/2 of the container](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/imageserver/image/methode%2Fsundaytimes%2Fprod%2Fweb%2Fbin%2F2bd418aa-2ceb-11e7-877f-32117d3b9145.jpg). At least in that case, they need some room at the bottom for the [dispensing mechanism](https://www.google.com/patents/EP2071975A2?cl=en). ---
**Author:** ![Grumbacher\_Red](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85e7bf/32.png) [@Grumbacher\_Red](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumbacher_Red)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-in-which-we-call-out-ripoff-products/807270/37 "2018-01-23T17:40:58Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > The packaging does have a cost, and the face cream is just fat and water, so its probably quite cheap to make - so yes, for the same cost, they could probably give you a jar that contained twice as much, for the same price, but then you would only buy it half as often. That’s why I find it so frustrating. I am on the hook, and will continue to allow myself to be ripped off as repeat customer. I do try to look for comparable, less offending products and store brands where I can. ---
**Author:** ![Grumbacher\_Red](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85e7bf/32.png) [@Grumbacher\_Red](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumbacher_Red)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-in-which-we-call-out-ripoff-products/807270/38 "2018-01-23T17:52:58Z")
> [@GESancMan](#): > > College math teacher here: I won’t get started on the giant racket that is the textbook industry. But… what you are talking about is a loose-leaf book. A 900-page textbook is _heavy_. The point of a loose-leaf book is that students can put just the portion they need for a particular day in a binder, so that they don’t have to haul the whole thing around. My SO has worked for 25 years for one of the major textbook publishers, and we speak about this sort of stuff often. If it makes you feel any better, the whole industry is probably in its’ death throes. Between digital media, open source material, and the fact they usually don’t own/control their software platforms, it is killing them. He is glad to be at the end of his career and is hoping to hang on for a few more years until retirement now that he is at the executive level. They all know the clock is ticking on the relevance of the traditional textbook and their entire business model. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-in-which-we-call-out-ripoff-products/807270/39 "2018-01-23T18:00:39Z")
UltraSonic Pest repellers. They dont work. As Jackmannii said, anything (other than a laxative, which sorta kinda does) anything that supposedly removes “toxins” is bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-in-which-we-call-out-ripoff-products/807270/40 "2018-01-23T18:01:34Z")
Tried to buy Cake at a grocery store lately? It’s all flavorless, sugary goo. I paid $4.59 at Kroger for half a Sour Cream tube cake. I slice them and freeze in ziplock sandwich bags. Got 6 slices. That would be wonderful if there was any taste. Is it too much to expect they’d real vanilla and sour cream? I like German Chocolate Cake, when I can taste the chocolate. Don’t waste your money at the Grocery Deli. What would four teaspoons of real Cocoa cost? Compared to that artificial crap they use? I’d happily pay an extra dollar to get cake that actually had flavor to it. Excessive sugar doesn’t count. The only way to get good tasting Cake is to make it yourself from a proven home recipe. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-in-which-we-call-out-ripoff-products/807270.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-in-which-we-call-out-ripoff-products/807270.md?page=3)