168 Times People Ordered Things Online But Received Something So Awful, They Just Had To Share (New Pics)

The worldwide pandemic fueled a surge in online shopping across the world, as the year 2022 is expected to be the first trillion-dollar year for online sales. The surge first hit back in 2020 when online consumer spending hit a record $813 billion, which was a 42% increase from only a year earlier, 2019.

Before the pandemic, online shopping was just another way to shop. If you hadn't found what you were looking for in a physical store, online shopping would have been your last resource. Now, we have become used to buying groceries, home improvement products, and sporting goods, which have become especially popular, with a single click. So no wonder the e-shopping world has turned its other side on us and we also face many more shopping fails than ever before.

So today, we wrapped up some of the funniest, weirdest and most frustrating examples of what happens when online shopping goes awry, and presents us with a good old “expectation” vs “reality” experience. Let us know if you have also been betrayed by an item you bought online in the comments! More cruel online shopping fails can be found in our previous posts here, here, here and here.

#1 My Son Turned 1 Yesterday. This Was The Topper To His Space Themed Cake. Left Is What We Ordered, Right Is What We Got

Image credits: Drewlyn

#2 Sometimes You Don’t Expect A Lot From Aliexpress But Dammit

Image credits: aconitehera

#3 (Found) This Mask From Wish

Image credits: trickpixie

#4 I Paid $65 For A Cake That Wasn't Even Worth It

I hate to even have to do this but I want to warn people.  

She refused to do anything about it. They don't even look close or anything.

#5 It's A Scam

Image credits: Karabo_Mokgoko

#6 Ordered 100 "Empty" Nintendo DS Cases And Got 100 Copies Of Jonas

Image credits: rjmitty1000

#7 Ordered A Tool From Amazon. They Sent Me A Bag With Nothing In It. Wish I Could Make This Up

Image credits: EcstaticBoysenberry

#8 Ordered A Gromit Coffee Mug Online

Image credits: mattpond

#9 Amazon Shipped Me An Empty Stick Of Deodorant

Image credits: WafflesFreak789

#10 Op Ordered The Left Painting From An Instagram "Artist" Who Then Blocked Them After Delivery

Image credits: theco0lguy

#11 Ordered A Pot/Pan Set Off Amazon After Recently Moving. Beware Super Low Prices On Kitchenware

Image credits: barely_fits

#12 For My Son’s 1st Birthday, I Give You The Cake We Ordered And The Cake We Got

Image credits: jstehlick

#13 The Cat Tree My Mum Ordered vs. What She Received

Image credits: Sproose_Moose

#14 Thanks To This Woman’s Amazon Review I Promptly Removed This Dress From My Cart

Image credits: JivyNme

#15 So I Ordered Some Popcorn From Amazon. Always Check The Size First

Image credits: Jakeyrogers

#16 Ordered A “Rose Apothecary” Sweater From Etsy For My Fiancé. This Came Instead. We’re Both Double Vaxxed And Healthcare Workers

Image credits: fruitloopmafia91

#17 We Ordered Toothbrushes On Ebay From China But Received Eye Masks Instead. I’m Not Mad About This Error, And Will Use Them Wisely

Image credits: aloofwatermelon

#18 I Can’t Believe It

Image credits: Waste_Bench9311

#19 My Friend Ordered This Rug Online. She Got This Instead, Whatever It Is

Image credits: AkruX

#20 First Time I Ordered Shoes Online

Image credits: Maminyam

#21 My Wife Just Got This Huge Banner For Work. Perfect

She’s ordered from the same place before and sent them the same file type as before.

Image credits: heymanitsdan

#22 It’s -35 Today Here In Canada. I Needed Warm Winter Boots. What I Ordered vs. What I Got

Image credits: SweetTea9219

#23 Axolotl Arrived In The Mail

Image credits: marcgems

#24 What Was Ordered Versus What I Just Received In The Mail Today

Image credits: SlimJohnson

#25 Oh, The Joys Of Ordering Online

Two different colors, two different sizes, and both are left shoes. Lovely!

Image credits: Iwantsprinkles

#26 My New Bath Mat Finally Arrived

Image credits: para-riot

#27 I Ordered Three Collars From An Online Seller For My Cat, But When The Package Finally Arrived It Contained Two Bottles Of Ivermectin

Image credits: 360inMotion

#28 I Ordered 1 Lbs Of Green Beans Online And Got 1 Very Lonely Green Bean

Image credits: kcgtiguy

#29 My Sister Ordered A Face Mask From Amazon (Left) And The Photo On The Right Is What She Received

Image credits: Difficult-Tiger6517

#30 So I Ordered Feminine Products Off Amazon And Received Inflatable Basketballs Instead

Image credits: Low_Tomatillo974

#31 Ordered A "Squid Game Game Master" Mask Which Was Advertised To Look 3D And Got This A Piece Of Printed Carton For 7€

Image credits: FailingKomet

#32 Make Sure You Order From The Grown-Ups' Section

Image credits: Legal_Tea

#33 Two Baskets I Ordered From Amazon

Image credits: Cytopleb

#34 Was Super Excited For This Replica Glove (You Can Take It Out & Wear It). What I Got. Even In A Broken Frame

Image credits: Largemarge81

#35 The New Bathroom Rug I Ordered Online vs. The Actual Rug I Received In The Mail. I'd Say Something Is Wrong Here

Image credits: xxxjasminebxxx

#36 I Ordered 3 Hard Drives From Amazon And They Sent Me 3 Cases Instead

Image credits: LooksLikeFilm

#37 So My Mom Ordered A Memorial Day Wreath For My Grandpa, Who Is A Vietnam Vet

Image credits: Few_Plum_7505

#38 When You Order Clothes On Amazon

Image credits: clkaoler4564

#39 When You Order A Spooky Shark Costume Online

Image credits: YaBoiJRan

#40 Warned My Friend About Buying From Wish. Hope He Learned His Lesson

Image credits: Pluto_Rage

#41 When You Order Your Halloween Costume From Wish. I Ordered Freddie. Think I Got His Cousin Eddie

Image credits: Mike Robinson

#42 This "Silver Metallic Jumpsuit" My Friend And I Both Bought For A Party Off An Obscure Website

Image credits: howzitgoinowen

#43 Ya Got Me, China (Turns Out "HeyDudesShoeUSA" Is Not The Official HeyDudes Site)

Image credits: TurbulentSetting2020

#44 Owl Planter Macrame

Image credits: Reticent_Extrovert

#45 I Bought An Electric Hobby Drill For My Plastic Models Which Turned Out To Be A Plastic Model Itself

Image credits: BRBimRELOADIN

#46 My Buddy Ordered Some New Dice And Forgot To Check The Size

Image credits: Ironchefheff

#47 Heavy-Duty Combat Boots

Image credits: Ehansaja

#48 Cake Ordered vs What Arrived

Image credits: Rudelyx

#49 Nightmare

Image credits: OT7HasbeenTaken

#50 This Migraine Ice Hat

Image credits: Couldbeurmom

#51 Ooooh, That's A Lovely Big Chest Of Drawers. Wait...

Image credits: MissCompany

#52 This Lion Dog Toy My Mom Got On Amazon. Dog Loves It But I Can’t Stop Laughing.

Image credits: rats4lifes

#53 Online Flower Order

Image credits: Bamesjondpokesmot

#54 What I Ordered vs. What They Sent

Image credits: walkingtalco

#55 Customer Bought Wheels And Tires Online, After Advising Multiple Times That The Tires Are Too Small For His SUV He Insisted For Us To Put Them On

TireSize: 225/45/17

Image credits: EstrangedEncounters

#56 I Should Have Read The Dimensions

Image credits: cyprus_onlyfans

#57 What My Parents Ordered vs. What They Got

Image credits: otters_rock

#58 My Family Recently Moved To Florida So I Wanted To Protect Them From The Sun

Image credits: cosmicgirl03

#59 I Ordered Some Sample Colors For New Blinds, And They Sent Me Actual Tiny Little Blinds

Image credits: vilebubbles

#60 Whiskey Advent Calendar

Image credits: granitepiggy

#61 £76 Bouquet

They said they had accidentally sent the "small" version of the bouquet (which doesn't exist on their website). They offered a re-delivery of the "correct large size" or q voucher for the cost plus £10 extra. I asked for a full refund. Why would I want the bigger version of a terrible bouquet and why would I trust them for future purchases. They didn't argue.

Image credits: louloub1111

#62 Charge It, It Will Soon Grow

Image credits: Toria_ex_

#63 What I Ordered From Amazon vs. What I Received

Image credits: S1eepy266

#64 I Saw Your Blanket And Raise You My "Carpet" - What We Ordered vs. What We Got

Image credits: Pleasantly_Disturbed

#65 Someone Pre Ordered A "PS5" From China. This Is What He Got

Image credits: bigbad_biff

#66 Just, Just Don't Order From Facebook Ads

Image credits: babygem84

#67 $6.99 On Amazon, Not Eligible For Return

Image credits: Nipsy_russel

#68 This Is How Amazon Delivered My Body Wash. I Wonder What Are They Expect Me To Do

Image credits: ydw1988913

#69 I Cannot Stop Laughing At This Amazon Review

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#70 Amazon Sent Me 4 Copies Of The Aristocats. I Ordered 0

Image credits: dmk510

#71 Ordered 2 Of These Shoe Cabinets Online, Second Image Is Everything That Arrived. Company Offered Me A £4 Goodwill Refund When I Complained

Image credits: hufflepeach

#72 My Poor Mother-In-Law Got Bamboozled By A Fake Website, The Delivered Charlie Brown "Tree" Is So Pathetic Looking I Honestly Love It

Image credits: Mapes

#73 Hairbands On Amazon. Just Need To Turn The Saturation Up A Little Bit In Real Life

Image credits: _deprovisioned

#74 My Dad Ordered Another Light For The Outside Shed

Image credits: rea.dominguez

#75 I May Have Underestimated The Size Of My Cat

Image credits: Zottes

#76 Ordered This Batman Christmas Ornament Back In October. This Is What Arrived Today

Image credits: VrinTheTerrible

#77 The Expectation vs. Reality Of The Masks I Ordered For Halloween

Image credits: wasted_muscle

#78 Ordered "Outdoor Garden Watering Can" From Ebay. Not Just The Size But You Can See There's No Holes In There

Image credits: madshadab

#79 Aliexpress Ad vs. Customer Review

Image credits: ohhiimaaark

#80 I Ordered A Karambit Online. And This Is What I Got

Image credits: pokkerijumal

#81 An Online Listing vs. What Was Actually Delivered

Image credits: ign1fy

#82 What My Sister Ordered, What She Got, And The Entire Convo About Making It. Crafters, Do Better

Seriously, if you have to say "within reason", and you KNOW it won't be exact, say so. We're over $100 deep for 2 blankets now. Granted I know the person and knew their printer wasn't big enough and no one listens to me, I still feel like crafters can do better and be more communicative. Pictures are like 5x7 and the words are crooked and the font is a joke. 

Image credits: kingfwoofurs27

#83 Dad Bought Toy Toaster And Kettle Online Thinking They Were Real. He Said "It Was Such A Good Deal"

Image credits: jakemblack

#84 Got Scammed On Amazon, Thinking I Found A Deal On An Ornament

Image credits: scuczu

#85 I Keep Trying To Order Zatarain's Cajun Injector Creole Butter, But I Keep Getting Soaps

Image credits: enderr920

#86 "Simply Place The Egg In Water!"

Image credits: jamspangle

#87 Sister Ordered The First Photo Off Amazon. The Snack Cups Were Labeled “Dishwasher Friendly” - A Plunger With Paper Hats Was What Got Delivered

Image credits: kareree

#88 Laptop Stand I Ordered vs. Laptop “Stand” I Got

Image credits: powercleansoap

#89 Astronaut Balloon

Image credits: cpatane

#90 What I Expected On The Left, A Cute Light Up Christmas Duck vs. What I Got

Image credits: lucyinthesky33

#91 Thanks, Wish

Image credits: jbonosconi

#92 Expectations vs. Reality

Image credits: stephbarrettofficial

#93 When You Buy A Basketball For Your Son’s Net Online

Image credits: deerego

#94 If I Close My Eyes And Squint They Almost Look Alike - "Softserve" Clothing

Image credits: DanceWithPandas

#95 This Bear My Mother Bought For My Brother's New Baby. I Am Scared For The Baby

Image credits: steffyiscool

#96 Inner Beauty Is All That Matters

Image credits: yrybalova

#97 Amazon Warehouse Expectation vs Reality

Image credits: therealpetejm

#98 The Baby Yoda Wine Glass I Ordered. My Disappointment Is Immeasurable And My Day Is Ruined

Image credits: youcantunfrythings

#99 TIL To Check Gifts I Order Online Before Giving Them Away - I Ordered A Game Of Thrones Scarf

Image credits: lotusdove

#100 Ordered A Shirt That Said “Birthday Girls Brother” But Was Sent This One Instead

Image credits: Untwisted-

#101 My Package Arrived Empty, Amazon Offered Me A New Item If I Sent The Other Back In Less Than 30 Days. That Might Be A Problem

Image credits: SafeAndWildCpl

#102 My Wife Ordered 360 Pencils For Her Classroom From Amazon. I Think She Was Sent Some Poor Warehouse Worker's Secret Stash

Image credits: CandyCheetoSteamboat

#103 I Ordered A Felt Fox Online

Image credits: HerminaFierro

#104 Remind Me To Read An Online Store’s Reviews Next Time I’m Looking For A Predator Mogwai

Image credits: palebot

#105 Wanted A Grass Is Greener Wig Since I Have The Most Boring Brown Straight Hair. Maybe The Grass Is Greener On My Side After All

Image credits: Bambers12

#106 These Alligator Socks I Bought My Partner For Christmas

Image credits: M_Weber

#107 Damn

Image credits: abcutee__

#108 My XXX-L Bike Helmet Arrived From China. How Big Is My Head

Image credits: bunsofcheese

#109 So, I Ordered A "Bracelet" A Few Days Ago

Image credits: CherryChild707

#110 This Was Ordered For My Sister As A Gift vs. What She Received. She Loves It Even More Now

Image credits: Briricci

#111 Bought A Squid Game Mask Off Amazon For Halloween And This Is What Came

Image credits: ILoveTheM1014

#112 What I Ordered Versus What I Received. Missed It By This Much. Thanks, Amazon

Image credits: hosmtony

#113 Grogu Sitting On Your Shoulder? God No

Image credits: EliteKing4H

#114 I Think Before I Agt. They Should Maybe Do The Same

Image credits: Chef4disney

#115 Perfect For Those Palm-Sized Cakes

Image credits: 1986Human

#116 Squishy Cat Stress Reliever. Ordered vs. Received

Image credits: HuggaPaul

#117 What I Bought vs. What I Got

Image credits: M0MZ0MB1E

#118 100% Cotton Botanical Print vs. 80% Polyester Kid's Drawing

Image credits: StBlaschek

#119 On A Chair vs. My 9 Lb Dog's Bed

Image credits: corago513

#120 Ordered On Amazon, Waited Two Months

Image credits: Heypullover

#121 Squid Game “Front Man” Mask, Original Amazon Listing Is No Longer Available

Image credits: buttonscrubber

#122 I Can't Stop Laughing

Image credits: O351USMC

#123 Well. These "Fully Dimmable" Lamps Are A Disappointment

Image credits: PlexFD

#124 What I Ordered Versus What I Got

Image credits: Avbitten

#125 What I Ordered vs. What I Got

Image credits: plainjane87

#126 I Ordered Shoes Online. They Came With An Attached In-Store Security Cable

Image credits: robmasten

#127 I Should Have Known

Image credits: RuudJudbney

#128 Ordered Off Aliexpress, Surprisingly Good Quality Just Totally Not What I Wanted

Image credits: HumanCompatriot

#129 Decided To Try Using A Grocery Curbside Pick-Up. I Guess There Will Be No Bruschetta For Dinner

Image credits: gourdhorder

#130 Indiana Jones Idol: Current Scam Going Around From 2 Chinese Stores

Image credits: Strongersecure

#131 What I Ordered vs. What Came In The Mail

Image credits: MagicMittenz57

#132 What I Ordered vs. What I Got. It’s About A Third Of The Size It’s Supposed To Be

Image credits: Tori212003

#133 Peppa

Image credits: pokebikes

#134 This Is A Dress That I Ordered Online. I Sincerely Hope It Makes You Laugh As Much As It Made Me Laugh

Image credits: lexxlaura

#135 What I Ordered vs. What I Got

Image credits: rhibee214

#136 The Customer Service Was Great, At Least

Image credits: Pornchips

#137 Christmas Tree From Belk $583.00

Image credits: Latter-Solution-9247

#138 Shopped On Amazon. Product Looks Kind Of Different In Person

Image credits: 80khan

#139 Egg-A-Matic Dinosaur Mold For Hard Boiled Eggs I Purchased On Amazon For $7

Image credits: Sv182

#140 What I Bought vs. What I Got. Thanks, Amazon

Image credits: JohanTravel

#141 What I Ordered, The Box It Arrived In, The Item Inside The Box. Thanks, Amazon

Image credits: goonie_lover

#142 Don’t Worry, The Tree Is Three Feet Like It Had Said Online

Image credits: Sellbrad

#143 Don’t Shop At Ultamodan. Took 3 Months To Arrive, And I Got This Shambles

Image credits: Electroreceptor

#144 Be Careful Where You Order From. What My Mom Ordered For Me. What I Got

Image credits: tracylane74

#145 I Liked The Fact That The Logo Was Relatively Small, So I Placed The Order

Image credits: fabs_wollano

#146 Someone Ordered A Yarn Yoshi Amiibo And Got This Instead

Image credits: Beautiful_Fishing569

#147 Ordered Some Cute Alternate Design Pokemon Plushies And Got Janky Normal Versions In The Mail

The ones I received weren’t even an option in the drop-down menu.

Image credits: MidnaMagic

#148 What I Ordered vs. What I Got. What Is This, A Handle For Ants?

Image credits: iliketoeattoast

#149 What I Ordered vs. What I Got In The Mail

Image credits: hayleystark

#150 What You Ordered vs. What You Got

Image credits: vrr7117

#151 Had A Little Giggle When Trying On My Boohoo Holiday Haul This Evening. Ordered A Skirt And Somehow I've Ended Up With A New Dress

Image credits: gracerhiannh

#152 Warning: Look At The Sizes When Shopping For Lens Caps Online. I Think This Lens Cap Was Made For Barbie

Image credits: chazlevine

#153 Let Down For Sure. Not Even Any Liquid In It Or Anywhere To Add Liquid

Image credits: Expensive_Theme7023

#154 "From You Flowers" Sucks

Image credits: TinyZancer

#155 We Ordered Some Christmas Cheer

Image credits: lost-acadias

#156 I Know Buying Aquarium Driftwood Online Is Risky, But This Was Ridiculous

Image credits: timothy53

#157 Not Quite As Advertised

Image credits: qtipdbc1

#158 Saw An Awesome-Looking Halloween Bulbasaur On Facebook. I Am Disappointed

Image credits: d12fsu

#159 I've Been Buying Aliexpress Cases For Years, And Only Had Like 3 Fails. This One Arrived Today And It Hurts The Most

Image credits: astrodominous

#160 This Is What I Get For Ordering Things From A Facebook Ad. Never Again

Image credits: OhEmGeeRachael

#161 £7.00 Christmas Tree Decoration From John Lewis

Image credits: ClckwrkCnr

#162 I Was Trying To Find A Cute Pattern On Etsy And Came Across This. The First One Was The Thumbnail And The Second One Is What You See When You Scroll Across

Image credits: fluidarizona

#163 Instagram Ad For A Kindling Cracker (i.e., Making Kindling For A Woodstove)

Image credits: imgur.com

#164 Etsy Ring

Image credits: 5tupidSexyFlanders

#165 Online Shopping - I Ordered An XL

Image credits: 0ntoast

#166 A While Back, I Ordered The Figure On The Left. Amazon Sent Me The One On The Right Instead

Image credits: Beautiful_Fishing569

#167 These Shark Earrings I Bought For A Friend For Christmas

Image credits: olithraz

#168 What I Ordered vs. What I Got

Image credits: HEcuber