# Facebook ads for scam products - I hates them, I does **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 4, 2021, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-ads-for-scam-products-i-hates-them-i-does/951860 "2021-10-04T11:39:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2021, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-ads-for-scam-products-i-hates-them-i-does/951860/21 "2021-10-04T21:23:56Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Go into your ad settings, find the section about subjects you liked or advertisers you’ve interacted with or what ever they’re calling it these days and uncheck every. single. one. You can do this with search engines and online stores. I tried this with Amazon, and was surprised at how much stuff they had listed for me. Things I barely remembered glancing at once for five seconds, ten years ago… (What really got me was a couple of random products that were linked to here. A poster might put in a link: “Is _THIS_ the toy that scared you as a child?” … I mean, c’mon, how could I not click that? Hey, Bezos, that does not mean I want to look at Creepy Monkey Head Robots a decade later!). ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2021, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-ads-for-scam-products-i-hates-them-i-does/951860/22 "2021-10-04T21:28:58Z")
> [@digs](#): > > (What really got me was a couple of random products that were linked to here. A poster might put in a link: “Is _THIS_ the toy that scared you as a child?” … I mean, c’mon, how could I not click?). That’s why when I click on an Amazon or Youtube link, I always open it in a private window so as A)not to skew my recommendations and B)not to have some bizarre thing in my search history because it was linked to here. Or when I’m at work, it’s the opposite. I only log in from a private window so someone that happens to sit down at my computer or is looking over my shoulder doesn’t see my Amazon/youtube search history while I’m looking for something (since I’m not logged in unless I’m planning to buy something). ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2021, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-ads-for-scam-products-i-hates-them-i-does/951860/23 "2021-10-04T21:32:08Z")
Ah, good advice, **Joey\_P**. Just for that, I’m ordering you your very own Cyber-Chimp Stalker Robot. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2021, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-ads-for-scam-products-i-hates-them-i-does/951860/24 "2021-10-04T22:21:45Z")
Conversely, I regularly read (and click links) “The Worst Things For Sale” blog so my Amazon history is filled with all manner of garbage. I don’t care because I go to Amazon to actually buy what I came there to buy, not to browse through its recommendations. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-ads-for-scam-products-i-hates-them-i-does/951860/25 "2021-10-05T07:48:26Z")
> [@LurkMeister](#): > > Any time something shows up in my Facebook feed as “Sponsored” or “Recommended for you” I click on Hide this ad, then when asked why I check “Irrelevant” and then “Hide all from XXXX” Are you ME? I sure hope not; don’t wanna get banned for sockitude. Anyway, this seems to be as good a place as any for me to announce that I have a FB page called “ **I Can Do Without Seeing Any Ad Pages At All Thankyverymuch** ” It’s been there since May of 2013, and has garnered fewer than ten “Likes”, fewer than twenty page views, and a grand total of ZERO visitor comments. I attribute those statistics to the fact that I refuse to promote the page, beyond (seldom) mentioning that it exists. Given the page’s mission statement, I’m even nervous that this very post is inviting paradox. Oh well. Nothing ventured, and all that rot. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-ads-for-scam-products-i-hates-them-i-does/951860/26 "2021-10-05T10:50:05Z")
On-topic article in WaPo: > **[A flood of unknown products is making online shopping impossible](https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/10/04/online-shopping/)** > > Mysterious brands are flooding shopping sites and social media ads, making it difficult to tell the real from the low-quality. > [@](#): > > If you’ve tried to buy something through online ads on Facebook or Instagram, or through a site such as Amazon, Google and Walmart, chances are you’ve encountered a mix of brands you’ve heard of and even more you haven’t. Between the reputable products and the counterfeits is a sea of mysterious companies selling goods of unknown origin and quality. > > [. . .] > > But one of the features that made buying online so appealing is also making it increasingly unusable: a glut of unknown and often inferior brands. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-ads-for-scam-products-i-hates-them-i-does/951860/27 "2021-10-05T11:23:14Z")
> [@LurkMeister](#): > > then when asked why I check “Irrelevant” I go the other direction: I choose “already purchased this product.” If I’m going to bork their big data picture of me, I’ll do it not by stripping out irrelevance, but by dumping more in. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-ads-for-scam-products-i-hates-them-i-does/951860/28 "2021-10-05T12:28:16Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > If I’m going to bork their big data picture of me, I’ll do it not by stripping out irrelevance, but by dumping more in. This has always been a philosophy of mine - create as much noise as possible to drown out the signal. I’m sure it doesn’t _really_ work, but hey, it’s a living. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-ads-for-scam-products-i-hates-them-i-does/951860/29 "2021-10-05T13:46:10Z")
Why would anyone with working brain cells even _click_ on an ad link, let alone an ad link from Facebook? ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-ads-for-scam-products-i-hates-them-i-does/951860/30 "2021-10-05T18:30:52Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > I have a FB page called Just went there and gave you a ‘Like’. Enjoy👍🏻 ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-ads-for-scam-products-i-hates-them-i-does/951860/31 "2021-10-05T19:22:49Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > Why would anyone with working brain cells even _click_ on an ad link, let alone an ad link from Facebook? It’s not any worse than going to the sketchy part of town to see what the nervous guy in a hoodie is selling out of the back of his van. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-ads-for-scam-products-i-hates-them-i-does/951860/32 "2021-10-05T19:24:44Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > Why would anyone with working brain cells even _click_ on an ad link, let alone an ad link from Facebook? Why would this multi-billion-dollar company with resources out the wazoo, who makes its money by advertising to use extensive user-base, not vet its advertisers? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-ads-for-scam-products-i-hates-them-i-does/951860/33 "2021-10-05T19:31:27Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Why would this multi-billion-dollar company with resources out the wazoo, who makes its money by advertising to use extensive user-base, not vet its advertisers? The advertisers are the users, and we are the product. Facebook’s profit is guaranteed by advertisers having as much access to the rest of us as possible-if the ads are paid for, the advertisers are “vetted”. ---
**Author:** ![Kimera757](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimera757/32/3765_2.png) [@Kimera757](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimera757)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-ads-for-scam-products-i-hates-them-i-does/951860/34 "2021-10-05T19:54:35Z")
The same reason they don’t moderate content. It would cost more (and interfere with making money since they would have to stop a lot of advertising and/or pay a lot of people to review the advertising). ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-ads-for-scam-products-i-hates-them-i-does/951860/35 "2021-10-05T19:57:40Z")
I’m not saying that _I_ don’t know why they don’t vet their advertisers, I’m echoing the thoughts of people who trust FB advertising, giving a reason for why they would click. And yes those people probably trust the news they see on FB as well. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-ads-for-scam-products-i-hates-them-i-does/951860/36 "2021-10-05T22:45:25Z")
Sometimes the item is truly interesting-looking. Other times it’s an accident. I actually heard about Calamityware via an ad on FB. I don’t think I clicked on it, but I did look it up later and it seems to be a real company (I have not made a purchase). Ditto a bathing suit company. There was a time a couple weeks back where they had a really nifty-looking wind spinner “ZOMG GOING OUT OF BUSINESS GET IT WHILE WE STILL HAVE THEM”. I may have clicked on the ad (which I regret) but I also did a separate search - and it was clear the website was brand-new and highly shady. I reported it to Facebook - and 2 days later got the identical ad, with a different URL. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-ads-for-scam-products-i-hates-them-i-does/951860/37 "2021-10-05T22:48:23Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > Sometimes the item is truly interesting-looking. And sometimes it’s actually a legitimate company, one you’ve actually heard about before, and might actually buy something from. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2021, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-ads-for-scam-products-i-hates-them-i-does/951860/38 "2021-10-06T01:52:21Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Is it possible the domain renewal notice just fell through the cracks. I feel like that’s happened with some other big places. I was working for Network Solutions in 1999 when Microsoft’s [hotmail.com](http://hotmail.com) domain expired and apparently Bill Gates didn’t bother to pay the bill. The service went down. Some random guy noticed and paid the $35 for them. At the time the process was to send a bill by postal mail due net 30. If it wasn’t paid, we sent another invoice addressed to “President” using the address of the company. Not a person’s name, just “President.” Where do you think that would go if it arrived at Microsoft HQ? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2021, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-ads-for-scam-products-i-hates-them-i-does/951860/39 "2021-10-06T04:24:54Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > There was a time a couple weeks back where they had a really nifty-looking wind spinner “ZOMG GOING OUT OF BUSINESS GET IT WHILE WE STILL HAVE THEM”. I may have clicked on the ad (which I regret) but I also did a separate search - and it was clear the website was brand-new and highly shady. I reported it to Facebook - and 2 days later got the identical ad, with a different URL. This is the exact same whirligig I commented on upthread, and I have seen dozens of “different” companies showing the same advert. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2021, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-ads-for-scam-products-i-hates-them-i-does/951860/40 "2021-10-06T11:20:42Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > Sometimes the item is truly interesting-looking. My gf buys clothes from Facebook ads. Some are pure crap, some are great deals. Overall she thinks she comes out ahead. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-ads-for-scam-products-i-hates-them-i-does/951860.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-ads-for-scam-products-i-hates-them-i-does/951860.md?page=3)