# What are scams that you know to be scams, but you buy into anyway? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 5, 2010, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-scams-that-you-know-to-be-scams-but-you-buy-into-anyway/535019 "2010-04-05T14:23:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-scams-that-you-know-to-be-scams-but-you-buy-into-anyway/535019/21 "2010-04-06T01:53:54Z")
Anyone else read the OP in the Debbie Downer voice complete with sad trombone? I think that probiotic yogurt is BS wrt digestive health, but I’ve bought it when I’m having gut trouble anyway thinking “can’t hurt, could help!” ---
**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:** [April 6, 2010, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-scams-that-you-know-to-be-scams-but-you-buy-into-anyway/535019/22 "2010-04-06T01:58:43Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > What shtick? Religion is a massive con game. Deal with it. [Moderator Warning]Infraction given for thread-shitting[/Moderator Warning] ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-scams-that-you-know-to-be-scams-but-you-buy-into-anyway/535019/23 "2010-04-06T02:00:03Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > What shtick? Religion is a massive con game. Deal with it. Aww look, the wise and cynical Clothahump is trolling for a warning (for either threadshitting or ignoring a mod’s direct instructions), so he can play the martyr, being the world’s first person ever persecuted for attempting to expose religion as a scam… Brave, brave Clothahump!!! ETA–I posted before I read Czarcasm’s warning… ---
**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:** [April 6, 2010, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-scams-that-you-know-to-be-scams-but-you-buy-into-anyway/535019/24 "2010-04-06T02:05:01Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > Aww look, the wise and cynical Clothahump is trolling for a warning (for either threadshitting or ignoring a mod’s direct instructions), so he can play the martyr, being the world’s first person ever persecuted for attempting to expose religion as a scam… > > Brave, brave Clothahump!!! [Moderator Note]Drop it. Now[/Moderator note] ---
**Author:** ![Alpine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpine/32/17813_2.png) [@Alpine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpine)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-scams-that-you-know-to-be-scams-but-you-buy-into-anyway/535019/25 "2010-04-06T02:09:42Z")
So, uh, anyway. I have to admit that I occasionally purchase organic produce. But it’s only if it looks better! Really! ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-scams-that-you-know-to-be-scams-but-you-buy-into-anyway/535019/26 "2010-04-06T02:49:23Z")
> [@Chickie](#): > > I think the tooth-whitening industry is a total scam… but given that the normal toothpaste and the whitening toothpaste costs the same, I think eh, maybe it’ll do me good 😛 I agree that your standard “whitening” toothpaste is a scam. But try the Crest VividWhite series- it made a noticeable difference in me. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-scams-that-you-know-to-be-scams-but-you-buy-into-anyway/535019/27 "2010-04-06T03:08:02Z")
The price of beer in many a bar is in scam territory, but I tend to go along. ---
**Author:** ![Alpine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpine/32/17813_2.png) [@Alpine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpine)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-scams-that-you-know-to-be-scams-but-you-buy-into-anyway/535019/28 "2010-04-06T03:09:30Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > The price of beer in many a bar is in scam territory, but I tend to go along. What, no Zima for Xema? ---
**Author:** ![Oregon\_sunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/50afbb/32.png) [@Oregon\_sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oregon_sunshine)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-scams-that-you-know-to-be-scams-but-you-buy-into-anyway/535019/29 "2010-04-06T03:38:45Z")
Capitalism? ---
**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:** [April 6, 2010, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-scams-that-you-know-to-be-scams-but-you-buy-into-anyway/535019/30 "2010-04-06T03:43:27Z")
I admit I’m a sucker for craft beers, and I _know_ that a large percentage of them aren’t worth the premium price. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-scams-that-you-know-to-be-scams-but-you-buy-into-anyway/535019/31 "2010-04-06T03:56:24Z")
Amulets. I can’t help myself it seems. Plunk me down in some third world, backwater, night market and I’ll come out with an amulet. I don’t even need to know what God it’s imploring, doesn’t matter to me. Bolivian fetish market? Been there. And I have the amulet to prove it. The only real use they see, (I now have a large collection!), is if I have to go to the dentist, which never fails to unnerve me. I can’t explain it, but there it is. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-scams-that-you-know-to-be-scams-but-you-buy-into-anyway/535019/32 "2010-04-06T03:56:32Z")
> [@PatriotGrrrl](#): > > So anything that costs more than someone thinks it “should” is a scam? I have to agree – what do we mean by “scam”? If both parties agree to the price then it’s not a scam, even if a third person not party to the transaction thinks the price was too high. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-scams-that-you-know-to-be-scams-but-you-buy-into-anyway/535019/33 "2010-04-06T05:11:32Z")
> [@Amp](#): > > Bottled water. I know it’s just regular, filtered tap water but I buy it anyway thinking it tastes better than the tap water. . Not all, some is mineral water, some comes from certain springs and so forth. It is just that- in the absence of any solid claims- it’s generally filtered tap water. And of course, in some areas, the tap water is full of minerals and tastes nasty, even if it perfectly Ok to drink. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-scams-that-you-know-to-be-scams-but-you-buy-into-anyway/535019/34 "2010-04-06T05:26:05Z")
Fiat currency. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-scams-that-you-know-to-be-scams-but-you-buy-into-anyway/535019/35 "2010-04-06T06:29:27Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > Many designers have started to creep up the measurements on their sizes. IOW, a “size 10” in one line happens to be an inch wider around the waist than a size “10” in another clothing line. I tend to gravitate towards the more, er, generous designers because my ego likes the smaller tag even as my ass gets larger. BTW, it’s because of this that Mrs Shibb now has to look to negative sizes. She was in her favorite store the other day and the 0s were too big for her. ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-scams-that-you-know-to-be-scams-but-you-buy-into-anyway/535019/36 "2010-04-06T12:54:26Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > I have to agree – what do we mean by “scam”? If both parties agree to the price then it’s not a scam, even if a third person not party to the transaction thinks the price was too high. By “scam”, I mean a product or service whose marketing is designed to make you think you need it, even though you don’t. -OR- A product or service for which artificial demand was created, such as bottled water or diamonds. ---
**Author:** ![Khendrask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@Khendrask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khendrask)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-scams-that-you-know-to-be-scams-but-you-buy-into-anyway/535019/37 "2010-04-06T13:00:15Z")
For a long time, it was Fishing Lures, Baits, spray on attractors, bla bla bla… I finally gave up on fishing. Currently, I have a habit of buying tools and the like because they “Look like they would make a job easier”, except, in all cases, they fail miserably. Also, oddly, shampoo. I know for a fact that the store brand works just as well for me, but I buy a high end brand name just cause. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-scams-that-you-know-to-be-scams-but-you-buy-into-anyway/535019/38 "2010-04-06T14:29:19Z")
> [@Alpine](#): > > “Protein-focused, grain free, all natural…” dog food. > > I know, I know, unless there are existing allergies or digestion issues, generic’s probably just fine… but… I don’t get why this would be a scam. Why wouldn’t there be healthier food for dogs? Just because they aren’t humans doesn’t mean there isn’t healthy versus unhealthy food for them. And do you really think that Ol’ Roy that’s what, $5 for a 40 lb bag of food is really going to be optimal in terms of nutrition? That’s like saying that you live exclusively on Easy Mac and you’re getting everything you’ll need. You won’t die, sure, but you won’t be as healthy as you could be. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-scams-that-you-know-to-be-scams-but-you-buy-into-anyway/535019/39 "2010-04-06T14:53:54Z")
Organic, green, hemp, all-natural, anti-aging. Every time I see one of these words on a product (ESPECIALLY shampoos and cosmetics) I wonder why anyone would pay a LOT more for it. Walk through any natural products section of a big grocery store and see the wealth of healthy, all-natural shampoos, vitamins, blue tortilla chips, dog foods, tea, snack crackers, etc. But I certainly can’t resist! I always come away with an Amy’s Organic Enchilada, a real Greek yogurt, a bottle of Dr. Bronner’s peppermint liquid soap, a vial of lavendar aromatherapy oil in my cart. My life isn’t going to become longer, happier, or healthier, but I sure do enjoy my little purchase. ---
**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:** [April 6, 2010, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-scams-that-you-know-to-be-scams-but-you-buy-into-anyway/535019/40 "2010-04-06T15:13:14Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > I own a timeshare… > …slinks off in embarrassment…:mad: When I met my gf, she was embarrassed to admit that she owned a timeshare. We have since used it every winter since then. We love the location (St Martin) and have made friends there. We could do the same vacation a bit cheaper, but there are advantages. She (We) have turned down offers on it! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-scams-that-you-know-to-be-scams-but-you-buy-into-anyway/535019.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-scams-that-you-know-to-be-scams-but-you-buy-into-anyway/535019.md?page=3)