We’ve all experienced it. You find that perfect item online, add it to your cart, and complete the purchase. Days turn into weeks as you eagerly await updates from the courier, counting down to the arrival of your order. And then comes the unboxing…
But the joy quickly turns to disappointment as you realize that what you received is nothing like what you expected. What on earth is this tiny, poorly made imitation? Definitely not what you ordered! You swear off online shopping for good, yet somehow, you find yourself browsing again the following week, hoping this time will be different.
“I ordered an AI-generated shark toilet paper roll. Instead they sent a gemstone-by-the-numbers kit. Because who wouldn’t want a DIY gemstone canvas of a shark toilet paper roll”
“You may have seen this AI generated photo of a coffee mug shaped like a stack of books. I took one for the team to investigate it myself, and here’s what you would actually get if you order it.”
“You know the beautiful stained glass dog lamps? Yeah, don’t fall for it”
Fortunately, there’s someone taking it upon herself to expose these online shopping scams. Meet Maggie McGaugh, who intentionally buys these fake products. She finds items that are all style and no substance, where sellers have cleverly used artificial intelligence to create stunning ads that mislead shoppers into purchasing things they don’t actually need.
“No way to hide the plug, the cotton can’t stick out far off the wall, and they only included enough tape for half the lights. Maybe if I had 2-4 more packs I could make it look closer to the picture! Not to mention I had to build this thing myself “
“Pretty sure I HAVE to turn this into a planter now, right?”
“The giant banana duck!”
Maggie shares her amusing fails online, and We have compiled some of her most ridiculous finds, hoping to help you avoid becoming the next victim of an AI-driven online shopping trap.
More: Maggie McGaugh
“They didn’t even TRY to make it look similar”
“3-D dinosaur”
“I ordered this “watermelon grass” (not a real thing) and here’s what they really sent me”
