Some things just feel wrong, even when they’re completely legal. There are plenty of activities that, despite not breaking any laws, leave people scratching their heads, wondering how they’re still allowed. Whether they’re morally questionable, exploit loopholes, or just don’t sit right, these legal activities might make you think twice. Here are some that seem like they should be illegal but aren’t.
Ticket Resale at Ridiculous Markups
To buy event tickets at face value and then resell them for outrageous prices is not only legal but also a booming business. Scalpers use bots to snatch up seats the moment they go on sale, leaving genuine fans to pay double or even triple the original price.
Some states have laws against price gouging on necessities, but ticket resellers continue to take advantage of demand.
Payday Loans With Extreme Interest Rates
A short-term loan might sound harmless, but payday lenders prey on people in desperate financial situations. These businesses charge staggering interest rates, often exceeding 300% annually, trapping borrowers in a cycle of debt. Some states have set limits on how much lenders can charge, but many places still allow these exploitative loans.
Selling Junk Food as Health Food
Food companies use clever marketing tricks to make unhealthy products seem nutritious. Labels like “all-natural,” “low-fat,” and “high-protein” can mislead shoppers into thinking they’re making healthy choices.
In reality, many of these so-called healthy options are loaded with sugar, artificial ingredients, and empty calories. The FDA has regulations on food labeling, but loopholes allow companies to stretch the truth.
Telemarketing Robocalls
Nobody likes getting spam calls, yet many remain legal. Robocalls flood phones daily, promising fake vacations, debt relief, and extended warranties. Some laws do exist to regulate these calls, but scammers find ways around them by using foreign call centers or spoofing numbers. Even legitimate businesses can still make telemarketing calls under certain conditions.
Burying Hidden Fees in Fine Print
Crafty companies sometimes sneak extra fees into contracts and bills, hoping customers won’t notice. Airlines charge for luggage, hotels add “resort fees,” and phone companies tack on mysterious surcharges. These fees often aren’t advertised upfront, making purchases more expensive than expected. Deceptive advertising is illegal, but they get away with it by putting the details in fine print.
Using Deceptive Packaging to Mislead Buyers
Ever opened a bag of chips only to find it half empty? That’s not an accident: it’s a marketing trick called “slack fill.” Companies use oversized packaging to make products appear larger than they are. While some laws exist against deceptive packaging, manufacturers find loopholes by claiming extra space is necessary for product protection. This leaves consumers paying for more air than product.
Selling Products With Planned Obsolescence
Companies deliberately design products to wear out or become outdated quickly, forcing consumers to buy replacements. Smartphones, appliances, and even light bulbs often have artificially shortened lifespans. Incredibly, there are no strong regulations preventing companies from making products that break down too soon.
Charging People to Access Their Own Money
Banks and ATMs charge fees for accessing your own cash, and somehow, it’s completely legal. If you withdraw money from an out-of-network ATM, you could pay $3 to $5 per transaction. Some banks even charge monthly fees just for maintaining an account.
While these fees seem exploitative, financial institutions argue they’re necessary to cover operating costs. It’s a frustrating reality that banks profit from without consequences.
Pharmaceutical Price Gouging
Drug companies have the power to set their own prices, and some take advantage of this by charging outrageous amounts for life-saving medication. Insulin, EpiPens, and cancer treatments have all seen massive price hikes in recent years.
Public outcry sometimes leads to temporary reductions, but there are no laws preventing them from charging whatever they want. It’s a practice that feels immoral yet remains perfectly legal in most cases.
Selling Personal Data Without Consent
Did you realize that companies are legally allowed to collect and sell your personal information? Websites, apps, and even brick-and-mortar stores track browsing history, purchase habits, and location data, then sell it to advertisers.
Allowing Lead in Water Pipes
Despite the dangers of lead poisoning, many older homes and cities still have lead pipes legally supplying water to residents. Lead exposure can cause serious health problems, especially in children, yet replacing these pipes is not a legal requirement in many areas.
Loot Boxes in Video Games
While gambling laws regulate casinos and lottery systems, loot boxes in video games remain a loophole that gaming companies exploit. They function like digital gambling, yet they are perfectly legal in most places.
Players, including children, spend real money for a chance to win in-game items, often with unknown odds, but the gaming industry continues to profit from this practice.
Car Dealership Monopoly on New Vehicles
Outdated laws preventing direct sales from manufacturers mean car dealerships have a stranglehold on new car sales. This means companies like Tesla, which want to sell directly to customers, face legal battles in multiple states. Dealerships mark up prices and add unnecessary fees, forcing consumers to pay more than they should.
Using Unpaid Interns for Full-Time Work
Unscrupulous companies hire interns under the promise of experience but end up using them as unpaid labor. Internships can be valuable for career growth, but some businesses exploit this system by assigning interns full-time responsibilities without pay.
In many cases, these interns perform the same work as paid employees while receiving nothing in return. Laws prevent unpaid work in most situations, but internships remain a gray area.
Legal Tax Avoidance for the Ultra-Wealthy
The richest people in the world use legal loopholes to avoid paying taxes, often paying far less than the average worker. Offshore accounts, charitable donations, and strategic write-offs allow billionaires and large corporations to reduce their tax burdens to almost nothing. While tax evasion is illegal, tax avoidance, using loopholes to minimize payments, is perfectly legal.
Forcing Employees to Work Off the Clock
Employees are often pushed to work unpaid hours, yet legal protections are weak in certain industries. Workers in retail, food service, and hospitality are often expected to perform duties before or after their shifts without pay. Employers justify this by calling it “prep work” or “closing duties,” but it’s essentially free labor. The end result is countless employees working extra hours without proper compensation.
Patent Trolling
Have you heard of patent trolls? They buy up patents not to innovate but to sue businesses for infringing on them. They don’t create anything, they simply wait for someone to develop a product that could remotely relate to their patent, then sue for a settlement.
Small businesses often can’t afford legal battles, so they pay the trolls instead of fighting back. It’s a legal form of extortion that hurts innovation and costs companies millions every year.
Charging for Paper Billing Statements
Lots of companies now charge extra fees for customers who prefer paper bills instead of digital ones. Online billing is convenient for some, but not everyone has easy access to the internet or feels comfortable with digital statements. These fees are typically small but add up over time, forcing people to pay extra just to receive important documents.