The rule says if the item you want is so cheap it makes you rub your eyes to see if it’s not a dream, then the chances are something’s wrong with it. Like those stunning sneakers you saw the other day. Look at the swoosh, read the brand name carefully, and never underestimate the power of the label. If suspicion, aka your gut’s best friend arises, you're better off without ‘em.

But hey, some knock-offs don’t even bother concealing the fact. Welcome to the land of totally shameless and impossibly crappy fakes that are way off whatever they were trying to pull off initially. Thanks to the subreddit Crappy Off Brands, we now know what to expect shopping under the counter, and hey, this bootleg Roomba that came at a fraction of the price is the exact reason why it bears solidly zero vacuuming powers.

Stay tuned for the best of the very worst submissions from the community with 862k avid members that are totally in for bad off-brands, from CDs to household items, restaurants and eateries, brand logos, and clothing pieces.

#1 I Love Finding Things Like This At Thrift Stores

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#2 Mother Knew I Wanted A Roomba But Didn't Want To Waste That Much Money On One. So She Found One For A Bargain! Note, It Has Zero Vacuuming Ability

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#3 U M

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It’s always a smart idea to think twice before you buy something online. But most people are spontaneous in their shopping decisions and tend to trust whatever it is that the seller is presenting them.

In reality, the counterfeit industry is a global industry worth as much as $461 billion, according to a report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Another report created in partnership with the European Union's Intellectual Property Office showed that footwear is the product counterfeited the most, followed by leather clothing goods and gadgets.

Not only are brands, designers, and creators all well aware of the scope of the problem, some go to great lengths to curb the sales of counterfeit versions of their original products. For example, Nike has decided to pull its products from Amazon to “try to mitigate the damaging effects that counterfeit goods were having on its brand,” Forbes reports.

#4 Looks A Bit... Phoney Doesn't It

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#5 Cat And Rat

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#6 Ordered A Pickle Rick Pipe Off Wish.com...

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There’s no question that brands and their loss of revenue, as well as intellectual property, are all greatly damaged by the counterfeit culture, but you may wonder what’s the threat in it for the consumers. Well, knock-off products are most often made to appear identical to the original product, but in reality, their quality, composition, ingredients, and the ways they were made have nothing in common with the original product.

The counterfeits equal to very poor quality, which can have dire consequences on consumers' health. Forbes explains that knock-off makeup and skincare products, for example, have “the package and product that might look identical to the authentic brand, but when applied, they can cause skin infections and rashes.”

The same goes with electronics where “counterfeit automotive parts, smartphone/tablets, and even vapes can cause serious personal injury and even death.” Such threats should be enough to scare customers away from knock-off products for good, but many, however, nevertheless get lured by low prices and seemingly identical appearances.

In reality, though, if the product advertised online seems too good to be true, it’s because it most likely is.