'Lots of unqualified people selling hearing aids with a 500% markup': 20+ shady industries to be on the lookout for

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Nov 14, 2023 4:00 PM EST

In this day and age, there seem to be just as many bogus jobs and industries out there as there are legitimate ones. Frankly, that's a generous statement considering this list, which was compiled from this r/AskReddit thread. Some of these fields range in scope, but all of it boils down to unqualified people selling overvalued products. This could include consulting agencies that really have no business running data and making executive decisions from their third-party perspectives. This includes manipulative tactics toward vulnerable clients, such as marking up hearing aids or planning memorial services. There are also many ridiculous fields that didn't make the list. How about life coaches who mask themselves as professional therapists without any sort of degree backing up their pedigree? How about the whole wedding industrial complex in general? 

Keep scrolling below for this list of shady industries and feel free to share more of your own in the comments section. When you're finished, check out this post about a shady landlord getting just what he deserved.

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  • 01
    r/AskReddit. Posted by u/attilabodnar 23 hours ago What industry is a lot shadier than it seems?
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    javanator999. 1 day ago Recycling. A lot of stuff gets shipped to Asia or just dumped in a landfill. 3.6k Reply Share
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    alcoholicdisobed 23 hr. ago Avocado farms. Most of the farms in Central America are taken over by the cobecause of how much money is in selling avocados. 3.5k Reply Share
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    Minimum_Water_4347. 22 hr. ago The wig industry. There are pretty much only 2 wig makers in the world and they repackage the wigs according to what company you buy from. So a Beyoncé at one company, might be another company's Auburn blonde. Also when I worked for a company we had a lifetime guarantee on the wigs, so people would have it for a few years then return it. All we did was wash it in an industrial washing machine, restyle it then sell it as new. ↑ 3.0k ↓ Reply Share
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    Outrageous-Echo-2199. 22 hr. ago Nursing Homes 2.2k Reply Share
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    . Archery_Lord 1 day ago People working unloading suitcases at the airport. I have a friend working there and he says a lot of workers steal things from the suitcases. ↑ 1.7k ↓ Reply Share
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    PurahsHero 1 day ago Most consultancies. It's very rare you get a specialized service. They come up with a common method for doing things, apply it to most projects, and charge thousands a day for it. 1.6k Reply Share
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    weisblattsnut - 23 hr. ago Hearing aids. Lots of unqualified people selling hearing aids with a 500% markup or more. 1.0k Reply Share
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    ninpendle64 23 hr. ago Forestry 856 Reply Share
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    Own-Veterinarian8193. 23 hr. ago Realtors. ↑ 811 811 Reply
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    apat85 1 day ago . Universities and Colleges. 502 ↓ Reply Share
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    theshoddyclutches 1 day ago The mattress business might have more layers than you think. Despite the shadows, there's always room for bright spots. Reply Share 455
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    JaxJim 21 hr. ago Funeral Business. Guilting little old ladies into spending money they don't have to give their husbands a funeral "they deserve". 391 Reply Share
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    Yellowbug2001 · 21 hr. ago Fine art dealers. Apparently it's a massive unregulated "grey market" that is largely about money 370 Reply Share
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    Begood18 19 hr. ago College book industry 290 Reply Share
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    Realistic Truck - 23 hr. ago Charity ↑ 237 ↓ Reply Share
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    lemontreetops. 1 day ago Cosmetics. The industry is highly unregulated and there's not a lot of consequences for making false or misleading claims about products. Who knows what they put in these things. 155 Reply Share
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    Have_A_Name37654. I 1 day ago Fashion 103 Reply Share
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    OlderMan42 22 hr. ago Restaurants. Many servers are threatened, forced to work instead of going to school. Made to come early and stay late for less than minimum wages.
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    Engineer Minded · 19 hr. ago Department of human resources in every industry. Despite the name, they are not there to help the employees. They are there to keep the employers out of trouble.
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    . professorjaytee - 21 hr. ago. edited 21 hr. ago Insurance. Life insurance, car insurance, health insurance, whatever.
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    Nota_Throwaway5 · 21 hr. ago Umbrella manufacturing 54 ♡ Reply Share
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    Grouchy_Factor . 21 hr. ago. edited 18 hr. ago Garbage collection and disposal, or "Waste Management". Nobody cares how shady it is in the background as long as the smelly garbage is gotten rid of and hauled away.
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workplace-stories work stories toxic-workplace job work askreddit toxic-boss restaurants reddit thread Reddit service industry toxic-work-environment
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