Expectation vs. Reality: 75 Of The Funniest Online Shopping Fails Ever
Some of these online shopping fails are almost works of art in their own right.
Online shopping is a gamble we all keep playing, no matter how many times we lose. You click “add to cart,” cross your fingers, and hope the mailman delivers your dreams—not a disaster.
But sometimes, fate (and bad quality control) has other plans. You open that long-awaited package only to find something that looks like it was made in another dimension—one where measurements and logic don’t exist.
Everyone’s been there: the outfit that promised “perfect fit” but arrived two sizes too small, or that home décor piece that looks like a sad DIY project gone wrong. And let’s not even start on the “luxury” items that feel like they were made out of sandpaper and regret.
The refund process? Oh, it’s a marathon for the soul. You fill out forms, upload photos, and pray someone on the other end doesn’t reply with a copy-pasted “we’re sorry for the inconvenience.”
It’s moments like these that make us realize online shopping is less about convenience and more about character development. Each failed order builds resilience—and a deeper distrust of overly polished product photos.
Some of these online shopping fails are almost works of art in their own right. You’ve got pools barely big enough for a foot, sweaters that could fit a hamster, and furniture that looks more like abstract sculpture than something you’d actually use.
They’re so bad, they loop back around to being hilarious. Because when your “life-size” garden gnome arrives the size of a coffee mug, all you can do is laugh (and maybe take a picture for the internet).
These disasters remind us that reviews exist for a reason. Those grainy customer photos and brutally honest one-star rants? They’re not warnings—they’re prophecies.
1. Lmfao
dimelo_ali2. I Ordered Brake Pads And Discs From Amazon And Got A Pizza Oven
lohikuningas3. Shirt I Ordered vs. What I Got
strikecat18
4. Ordered: Stone Bath Mat, Got: Giant Mouse Pad
readycent
5. Another Classic "What I Ordered vs. What I Got"
chemicalmum
6. What I Ordered vs. What I Got
Pbacker
7. Farmgirl Flowers “Now And Gem” Bouquet. Ordered Flowers To Make My Bridal Bouquet, Was Very Excited. Absolutely Shameful
PlatypusPizzaLover69
8. My Parcel Came Bent And Unreadable
Half_of_a_Good_Pen
9. This Chair
chrismsx
10. The Seal Plush Pillow I Ordered vs. The One That Arrived
SplashDMG126
11. Finally Decided To Order A Skims Bra And This Was What I Got When I Opened The Package
kristin630
12. Ordered From Zippo. com - Meant To Be A Gift
Help_One_AnOtter
13. I Ordered Cool Heart Rock Valentines, Got Plastic Beads Instead
SirWalterPoodleman
14. Ordered A Book Online, Received Balloons Instead… “Your Story Deserves A Colorful Background”
TheBibulousDwarf
15. This Online Order Was Supposed To Say Vancouver Canada
YVR19
16. Guess I Don’t Actually Own A Queen Size Mattress
XBL_blue110
17. New Technologies, Unbreakable Drills Straightened It Out And Continue Using It
AS99
18. I’m Never Ordering Flowers Online Again
X_staythpath
19. My Walmart Delivery Order Sent My Nicotine Gum Inside The Locked Container
Anxious_Purpose4270
20. Always Check Before Buying A Tape Measure
landmatt
21. Fiancee And I Ordered Some Small Ice Cream Bowls To Hold Fruit At The Tables At Our Wedding - They Arrived Dirty, With Food In Them
lookingforagamergirl
22. Kayaking Shirt Was Was Printed With Text Right Side Up Completely Ruining The Joke
arkiser13
23. My Husband Ordered A Fishing Pole That Came Without The Handle. He Was Really Looking Forward To It
Justme-again
24. My Buddy Buys Cheap Shoes Online From China. This Model Is Known As “Run My Guy”
reddit.com
25. Found This Via Video On Instagram - No Words. Just Too Funny - Up There With The Reindeer
camlaw63
26. Christmas Present Tommy Bahamas Blanket Had Big Hole In It When Opened
APKLYPZ
27. It’s Giving Hospital Scrubs
yabaleftonline
28. Ordered Some Pencil Lead Refills
Barrett4184
29. Switch 2 Purchased From Walmart Arrived Empty
Huggens
30. Bought A Book On Ebay. Received A Counterfeit Copy From China Instead
munta20
31. Ordered Flowers For My Assistant At Work As A Thank You Gift
JSavMusic
32. "New" Mouse, Old Packaging
SierraTheWolfe
33. Trying To Find One Similarity
tolanibaj
34. Pre-Ordered An Exclusive Limited Edition Vinyl. Only Getting Offered A Refund
caitlinisgreatlin
35. Check Out My Cool New Lap Desk From Temu
Worldly_Way_5537
36. What I Ordered vs. What I Got
Beautiful-Nightmaree
37. Homer Simpson Chia Pet
irman925
38. Ordered A $1000 Graphics Card From Amazon, Received 4 Cans Of Beef Ravioli
King_Carmine
39. Got This For My Aggressive Play Fighter
Monkfroot
40. Not To Mention Late Valentines Delivery
d4wnn
41. My Girlfriend Has A Pair Of Gloves And All Of The Fingers Are The Same Length
TheStaplerMan2019
42. Do Not Buy From Eleven Forest. Not Just Failed, But Clearly A Scam
reddit.com
43. Ordered A Jacket From Adidas… And Got A Tricky Problem To Solve Instead
Sophia521h
44. Latex Thigh Highs Ordered But Got What Seems Like The Case For Sleeping Bags
SweetHeatFeet
45. Just Received A Network Cable Testing Kit From Amazon, Came With A Surprise
reddit
46. Not What I Expected
Sleep-deprived_siren
47. “Extra Large” Dog Pool
leftcrow
48. Ordered A 32 Gallon Trash Can From Walmart Got A Toy Instead, Fraudulent Seller Later Changed The Listing To A Pencil Box Trash Can Toy
crosstheroom
49. The Walmart Worker Who Shopped My Order Didn't Remove The Micro SD Card From The Security Case
admiraljohn
50. The Dangers Of Online Shopping
ihazone
51. Have You Had An Expectation vs. Reality Scenario Before?
Trilliant2
52. Ordered LEGO At Amazon, Got Pasta Instead
MtHove
53. Online Shopping Fail
mjbc80
54. I Bought Silicone Bowl Lids On Ebay At A Higher Price To Avoid Amazon
charcoalisthefuture
55. Throwback To The Time I Thought I Was Buying A Surprisingly Cheap Weightlifting Bench, Only To Receive This In The Post
NaturesTemper
56. Ordered A New Phone Online And The Box Arrived Empty
idrivebigships
57. The Shoes My GF Ordered Online Are For The Same Foot
TheBlackCom
58. Aliexpress, Alihome Tools Scam. Even If You Contact Aliexpress Customer Services First, They Say That They Are Ok, And That You Can Go Ahead And Buy Them
Cen_SGT_774
59. What I Ordered vs. What I Got
Astro_Z0mbie
60. I Ordered Some Childhood Games From Gamestop
0o0snap
61. Today's Episode On What I Ordered vs. What I Got
AdebanjoPhelumy
62. The Same Thing
yabaleftonline
63. I Ordered A Scarf Online, I Received Half Of It. The Note Speaks For Itself
wekidough
64. Ordered A Lizard Tank, Received A Chair Instead
ChickenCowChicken
65. Ordered A Bike For My Daughter, Assembled It Today And No Seat
curlytops81
66. Jesus Wept. Bought This From An Instagram Seller. Lesson Learned
felinedynamite
67. This Has To Be For The Babies
CurttiMagurtti
68. So My Friend Ordered The Dog Lamp On The Left
udar55
69. Found A Cheap Kitchen Scale. I Feel Like Something Is Missing
reddit.com
70. Flowers By Eva. Yes, I Paid 100 Bucks To Buy My GF Some Bulbs. I Suggest Not Ordering From Them
thotoppa
71. Me And Some Friends From Med School Ordered Like 60 Of These. It Was Supposed To Look Like You Have A Stethoscope On Your Shoulders
fusems
72. So I Ordered Leggings, Amazon Sent Me A Clothing Rack Instead? Like Come On? How Could You Possibly Mix These Two Up?
reddit.com
73. What I Ordered And What I Got. Apparently, After A Long Time In The Delivery, She Lost Weight From Hunger And Now It's Flat
ApprehensivePoem6071
74. What You Order vs. What You Receive
SirLlama123
75. Man Ordered A PS5 But Got A PS3 In A PS4 Box Instead
ThyssenKurup
In the end, the best way to survive the chaos of online shopping is to keep your expectations low and your sense of humor high. After all, nothing bonds the internet quite like the shared trauma of a truly terrible purchase.
So the next time you hit “buy now,” just remember: it might not be what you wanted, but it’ll definitely be a story worth sharing.
