It often feels like everything is trying to scam us out of a buck these days — nonstop spam calls, phishing attempts, and cryptic text messages. As it turns out, though, some of the things that feel like scams aren’t actually scams at all. Recently, user AmigoDelDiabla asked over on Reddit, “What things are frequently labeled as ‘scams’ when in reality they are legit?” Here are 23 of the most eye-opening answers:
1.
“Unclaimed property letters. Don’t go through a specific company, but instead file through your state’s department of revenue for review and claims!”
2.
“Hospice merely unlocks additional supplies (i.e. adult diapers, catheters, wipes, wound care supplies, etc.) and services for your loved one. It’s not giving up, it’s acknowledging reality.”
3.
“A lot of the awkward single-use kitchen gadgets you see aren’t scams or waste. They actually come from the accessibility space. If there is crossover to regular kitchens, they hop over. It drives the overall price down and is ultimately a better deal for the intended audience, and a few people find a dedicated option for that one thing they maybe really suck at.”
4.
“Credit cards. Lots of people say, ‘If I don’t have the money, then I don’t buy the thing,’ but you can use it, then immediately pay it off. Using them builds credit, and you can even get perks with them. It’s like you get free money. If your card gives you even just 1% cash back, you could get a free $100 from this transaction.”
5.
“Chip bags being full of ‘air.’ It’s actually nitrogen that’s intentionally added to the bags to keep them from getting smashed to dust, among other benefits.”
6.
“The service industry in general. I recently hired a plumber who took care of a problem in half an hour. Yes, the price was high for ‘only’ half an hour of work, but I paid for someone with the experience to diagnose the problem quickly, knowledge on how to abate the problem, and tools that I don’t have.”
7.
“Tax brackets. People think that if they make more, they’ll be taxed more on everything they make, so they’ll actively try to make (or report making) less money to avoid ‘paying more.’ But those taxes only apply to new money that you make above each threshold.”
8.
“Some (not all) of the online sites for glasses. I’ve spent a fraction of what I used for a single pair of glasses and got three new pairs. The quality was fine, and the fit was good. As long as you use the tools offered and know your measurements, you can save a ton of money.”
9.
“When you sell something to pawn shops or used item resellers, they only give you a fraction of their resale value. If you want full value for your baseball cards or gold watch, you need to sell it to someone who will keep it and not resell it.”
10.
“The phone survey raffle on your 1,000-foot drug store receipt is there for their customer service ratings; however, they legally have to pay it out as well as publicly display who won for verification. I worked at Rite Aid and convinced my regulars that, since someone has to win and everyone laughs at the ‘survey for a chance to win $50,000!’ and throws the receipt away, no matter how many entries were offered, only a minute fraction would ever actually enter — so they definitely should go for it. One of my regulars won.”
11.
“Most government services actually work really well. A bunch of random stuff that you want or need to do? Just look to see if there’s a government service that helps with it. A bunch of times, there is, and they are free (or very cheap), and the service you get is quite good.”
12.
“As a mechanic, fluid changes that aren’t your normal oil change, like transmission fluid and filter, differential, coolant, and brake fluid. Everything needs to be changed on a regular basis for the same reason as oil. Now, admittedly, the service writers tend to do a shit job of explaining why.”
13.
“Planet Money on NPR did an interesting episode about those ‘Chinese pharmacy’ emails that are very common spam everyone gets. They actually went to the website and ordered something, and I think even had it tested once it was delivered, and lo and behold, it was the actual drug they ordered. I’m probably misremembering some of the episode, but the gist of it was, those emails are not, in fact, a scam.”
14.
“Most large charities. Once a non-profit gets to a certain size, it looks like a scam even when it’s doing good work. The idea of a staff making too much or a bad spending ratio ignores a lot of reality. Once any organization gets to a certain size, overhead becomes necessary.”
15.
“Renter’s insurance. Had to involve my renter’s insurance a few years ago when my upstairs neighbors flooded their apartment. Called my insurance company, and they handled everything. The only things I had to do were send in some pictures of the damage and a list of what was lost, and they just handed me a check for a few grand to replace it all. Totally worth the roughly $110/year that it costs.”
16.
“Yes, your dog groomer does have to shave your matted dog. No, it does not mean we are lazy. If I tried to brush out two months’ worth of matting in one session, it would take hours and possibly days (depending on severity) of straight brushing.”
17.
“Professional cleaning services. Highly recommend it. I’ve had families tell me it’s a waste of money, but I get home and my house is fresh and clean all the time. More time for me to just relax.”
18.
“I don’t like Adobe and would never give them any of my money, but a lot of people complain about their cancellation fees. They charge a cancellation fee because you signed up for a longer-term contract, which grants you a cheaper monthly fee. If you cancel mid-term term they have a penalty fee because you’re breaking the contract. If they didn’t, people could always get the longer contract for the cheaper monthly fee and then cancel whenever they were done.”
19.
“Condo fees. The condo corporation and builder aren’t profiting off them or scamming you. They go towards actual stuff that needs to be done, and that would need to be done if you had a house. Some condos are badly managed, of course, so have fees higher than they should, but that doesn’t make condo fees a ‘scam.'”
21.
“College. It’s tougher now than ever to get a job with a bachelor’s, and a lot of people take out a ton of loans to get there, so the whole deal certainly looks scammy. But higher education is still an important aspect of any thriving culture, and people with college degrees, on average, still have a statistically higher standard of living later on in life than those without.”
22.
“Casinos. The odds on the table games are known; you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into.”
23.
And finally, “Conditioner. Not just any conditioner, but the right conditioner makes a huge difference. I grew up using only shampoo, but I have always had thinner hair, so in the right light, you could see my scalp. I started using a good thickening conditioner, and it makes a world of difference. It doesn’t fix losing hair, but for people in my situation, it’s a huge improvement.”
I don’t know about you, but I’m seriously about to go check if I have any unclaimed property from the state. Also, if you know of any other scam-like things that are actually legitimate, let us know in the comments. And if you’d like to remain anonymous, you can use the form below.
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