Shopper shares photo of upsetting advent calendar find: 'I thought about ordering one, but they look pretty scammy'

A mother-in-law wanted to give her family members a chance to taste new wines during the holiday season. Instead, her gift purchase became an example of how misleading product photos trick online shoppers.

A Reddit user posted about the situation in the r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit. Their mother-in-law had ordered what she believed was a wine advent calendar. She looked forward to sharing the gift so that her family could sample different bottles.

The package arrived filled with foam padding. Inside sat flat plastic decorations shaped like wine bottles. The fake labels featured computer-generated gibberish rather than actual brand names.

According to the poster, "They're tiny 2D pieces of plastic. Most of the labels are illegible AI swirl text."

The disappointment stung because the buyer meant well. As the poster explained, "She's a sweet lady trying her best to do something nice, sucks she got scammed."

This type of scam creates problems for both people and the environment. Buyers lose money on products that look nothing like their online photos. Meanwhile, companies ship out more useless plastic items that families will throw away after the holidays.

The packaging waste compounds the problem. The photo shows excessive foam used to ship flat plastic pieces that can't break. Real glass bottles need protection, but these decorations don't.

Misleading advertisements damage trust in online shopping. They also fill landfills with plastic junk that serves no real function. Glass wine bottles can go into recycling bins, but these ornaments will sit in landfills for decades.

Other Reddit users chimed in with their own observations. 

One commenter noted: "There are a lot of these stupid Advent calendars out there with little plastic ornaments. The ads make you think it's real bottles. I thought about ordering one, but they look pretty scammy."

Another person pointed out the absurdity, writing, "Good thing the foam packaging kept the bottles from breaking."

Would you be more likely to shop at a store that paid you for your old stuff? Absolutely 💯 Only if they make it easy 😎 Depends on the store 🤔 Nope 👎 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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