35 Insane Loopholes People Used To Beat The System Repeatedly

Cheat codes and loopholes let clever people gain an edge, whether in games or real life—especially in systems that favour the rich. If someone discovers ambiguous rules and benefits, more power to them.

#1

Image source: madboater1, Amina Atar/unsplash

I got this nonsense job, something to do with running a country, anyhow the job comes with lots of perks, I get loads of free stuff like holidays, my house decorated, takeaways etc. All I have to do is tell my underlings to give contracts to my pals without any normal competitive checks and balances.

#2

Image source: machinehead332, Stephen Phillips – Hostreviews.co.uk/unsplash

When you use your gmail address to sign up an account, you can place a full stop anywhere in the part before the “@“ and gmail will ignore it, so you can set up multiple accounts for things without having to create a new email, whilst still receiving any emails to the same address (useful if you need to validate the sign up). This works really well for stuff like fast food apps where you get a sign up bonus or a freebie.

So, as an example, if my gmail address is janebloggs@googlemail.com I could get away with making new accounts under “Jane.bloggs”, “J.anebloggs” or “Janeb.loggs”.

Etc etc. Gmail will ignore those full stops!

I’ve used this method to set up multiple Costa accounts as you get a little something for setting up, and also I copy and paste the friend codes on to new accounts for another reward haha.

EDIT: a couple of redditers have blown my mind and also said you can use a “+” in a similar way – it will also get ignored, so you could have

Janebloggs+costa@googlemail.com
Janebloggs+kfc@googlemail.com

Great for keeping track of what you’re using for each app!

#3

Image source: lemayo, BirthdayBoyStabMan/reddit

I used to buy rolls of Subway Stamps on eBay for like $100. I think you could get 125 footlongs with a roll. Really wish they didn’t get rid of that program!

#4

Image source: premiumtrim, Getty Images/unsplash

I wanted out of my mobile phone contract without paying so after researching areas where my mobile phone provider didn’t have coverage, I called them and let them know that I was moving to that exact area. I refused to pay for a service they couldn’t provide me with and BAM, I was out.

#5

Image source: Xurban, Getty Images/unsplash

One time in like, fifth grade, my English teacher gave us an online test that we were supposed to do by ourselves for homework. At the end of the test, you’re supposed to enter your teacher’s email so that they get the results. Long story short, I rushed through the test and put in my own email. I then got an email that told me all the correct answers. Then I used that email to retake the test and get 100%.

#6

Image source: BuildingInfinite, Getty Images/unsplash

I was heading to a Forrest for bike rides and parking was £9 all day. For some reason I thought it was a good idea to click the “I have a voucher” option, put in a random 7 digit code and it worked, had free parking about 10 times before they clicked on.

#7

Image source: Quilton, Getty Images/unsplash

My grade three teacher told me to fill up a page of text from “here” to “here” and she drew two dots on each corner of the page, so i wrote it diagonally across the page in big letters. she was having a hard time keeping a straight face when telling me off.

#8

Image source: fartsocks, Martin Wemyss/unsplash

Unfortunately, I never got to take advantage of this, but I used to work as a supermarket cashier, and noticed that the way certain offers worked on the computer could mean people got free stuff in certain situations.

Once, there was a deal on melons, buy one get one free. They were £2 each, so they till would register 2x £2 melons, then take off £2 for the deal. One evening, there was a massive surplus of melons, so they were reduced to 50p to get rid of them. This meant, if you bought 2, it would cost you 2 x 50p – £2 = -£1 One guy had realised this, and came up to the till with 2 trolleys full of shopping. One was his normal weekly shop, and the other, just a shitload of melons. Ended up getting £300 worth of stuff plus an excessive amount of melons for about £1. I called the supervisor to point out that this was obviously a mistake, but he was too stupid to work it out, and told me that the computer was displaying the correct amount, and let the guy basically walk out with free stuff.

#9

Image source: RudeRub2176, hadi_sabi/reddit

My prepay electric meter freaked out after the pavement outside my house was dug up for some reason (nothing to do with me…was by open reach). Anyway, screen went blank and wouldn’t load my credit. I called the provider and told them. They said we will send someone out to replace it. I said well it won’t accept my credit, are you going to bill me? The guy said “we have no way of knowing what we are using so we can’t bill you! We will get it fixed asap”. Well a guy came out to replace it but they gave him the wrong meter so he couldn’t replace it. He said he will have to get a new one and they would call and book a new appointment. I said “no rush as long as I still get free electricity!” And I haven’t heard from them in nearly a year.

That’s how I’m getting free electricity. Not my fault, I did what I had to and notified the company. Company is actually about to go bust too.

#10

Image source: Ephemeral_Being, Nguyen Dang Hoang Nhu/unsplash

It turns out that you don’t have to take an AP course in order to take the AP test. And if you pass the test, it’s worth college credit.

So I signed up for the AP Psychology one, read the book and took the test earlier today. I think I just bypassed an entire year of class.

I’m pretty happy right now.

#11

Image source: brithefry, TechnicalyAnIdiot/reddit

Not a loophole as such, but a broken meter.
I was a student down in Newquay in 2003.I lived in a flat that had a electric meter that took pound coins. It was an old meter with a little clock looking thing on it, you put the pound, turned a dial, and the hand on the clock moved a bit, put in another pound, turn the dial, hand moved a bit and so on. You could do this until the little hand went all the way round to full. A full meter lasted about a week, and cost about 20quid to fill. One day my flatmate discovered that if we put a pound in and just carried on turning the dial, it would fill up all the way.
My mates kept complaining how cold their student houses and flats were, when me and my flatmate had a three bar fire on and were spending about 5 quid a week on leccy. We told the landlord, but he never came to fix it.

#12

Image source: WinstonwanlegIngram, Tac3022/reddit

The vending machine at my work has these unreal bakewell flapjacks, priced at £1.20. However if you use the option to pay by card for some reason some of the prices change, and the flapjacks change to 70p.

I’ve not told anyone else and it’s a secret I will keep to my grave.

Just to edit this, I’m don’t think they’re the ones in HomeBargains/B&M, they’re in a clear and pink packet with pink on the front, I *think* they might be Marywell brand or something similar.

Edit 2: Did some Googling and they’re 100% ‘Marybake’ brand flapjacks. But no results on where to buy the Bakewell ones in bulk!

#13

Image source: Vrakzi, Nathan Dumlao/unsplash

Disclaimer: I drink a **lot** of coffee.

Went into John Lewis and bought their cheapest Coffee Maker (£11.99). Came with a years Warranty, as per.

About 10 months later, it died (hot plate failed) so I return it, and they exchange it rather than give the money back.

This one lasts 8 months before it just stops heating water entirely, go back, exchange it again.

Third one made it to 11 months. Fourth one only managed 6. Fifth one finally gets over the one year mark.

The really funny thing is that the cheeky buggers tried to sell me a 3 year warranty upgrade each time… at 3 times the price of the coffee maker.

#14

Image source: whittler, Kelum Chathuranga/unsplash

In the Marines, I went in when I was 25, so I already had college and was familiar with computers and the unit I was in was just getting their first personal computers. I got into the duty schedule for firewatch, and took myself and all my friends off for a whole year. If I didn’t like someone, they got Friday and Saturday night duties. Nobody ever figured it out, and I changed it often.

Later in my career, I used my skills for good. I wrote a series of macros that compiled several databases into one spreadsheet that my Staff Sergeant stole my work for and received his third NAM. They tried to give me office hours when I walked out of formation during his awards presentation. I did all that work during my lunch and my off hours. A program that is still in use today was based off of my spreadsheet.

#15

Image source: Onlysilverworks, Glenn Carstens-Peters/unsplash

I bought a tv, with staff discount, for £325,but it had a built in Dvd player that didn’t work. I only needed it for 11 months, so after the 11 months I took it back, and was given the full price back, around £360. Basically got given £35 to enjoy a 37″ flat screen for a year!

#16

Image source: sihasihasi, Texas_Nerf_Herder/reddit

I had a kobo e-reader bought from WHSmith. It packed up after a little over 12 months. I took it back and after a little to and for (sale of goods act, etc.) the manager agreed to swap it for a new one. Thing is they had reduced by £20, and the only thing the system would let the assistant do was refund and re-sell.

“Is cash OK?” he said. I agreed that it was, and he handed me a bag with a brand new kobo, and £20 cash.

I thanked him, and walked smartly out.

#17

Image source: Gameroomvids, AquaticSombrero/reddit

For years 10 McNuggests cost $3 and change but the 4 piece was a buck.

#18

Image source: Enlogen, Yunus Tuğ/unsplash

In my first project for my Principles of Engineering 3 class in high school, we had to create from a pool of common household items (paper, paper clips, rubber bands, balloons, straws, etc.) a semi-self-propelled toy boat kit and instructions for assembly, the premise being that it would be something to sell in a small vending machine or whatever. The scoring was based on the effectiveness of the boat times the ease of construction and coolness (as judged by the freshman engineering class) divided by the time it took to go 1 meter over water and the price (each item had some cost).

Most of the people built elaborate floating straw monstrosities with rubber-band powered propellers. I examined the scoring and decided that if I could reduce the cost enough, the other stuff wouldn’t matter that much, so I convinced my group to submit a design that consisted of:

1 balloon
1 paper clip
1 straw
1 piece of tape (to keep it somewhat together)

The straw dragged in the water to keep it going relatively forward and to keep it from flying away. The freshmen gave us 5/5 for ease of construction, but we lost 50% of the score because our teacher said it didn’t work; instead of going straight across the tub to the finish line, it veered off to the right, got caught on the wall, launched into the air, did a flip, landed in the water, and crossed the finish line.

We ended up taking 1st place on the project by a huge margin. The next year that teacher implemented a minimum requirement for the number of items to use.

#19

Image source: TW80000, Nik/unsplash

I got fries at our local ski hill for nearly a quarter of the price by ordering a “paper plate with a side of fries” instead of just a regular plate of fries.

#20

Image source: Ewest39, Joan Oger/unsplash

Our ski hill offers season passes for around 350 bucks but only 150 if it was your first year buying one, the best part was they never asked for an ID they just looked up your name to see if it was used before. I have had 8 different names now.

#21

Image source: IndividualisticPie, Towfiqu barbhuiya/unsplash

If you buy a day’s worth of travel insurance through Compare the Market for ~£2, you get the year’s 2for1 movies and meals which has saved me wayyy more than the £2!

#22

Image source: greywind721, Vitaly Gariev/unsplash

Iceland has a savings card: for every £20 you put on the card they give you a £1 extra (which for all intents and purposes is better interest than a bank).
So a few days before a shop buy a pack of sweets or something and slap £60-100 on the card (whatever your weekly shop amount is) then when you do your shop, you get some free money.

#23

Image source: anon, Alexander Mils/unsplash

The original sin; using winRAR for free.

#24

Image source: anon, Rare-Illustrator-153/reddit

I am on a dual rate electricity meter (only electricity in the flat, no gas) and on an Economy 10 plan. The meter records my energy usage the wrong way round, so my company think I’m nocturnal which makes my bills cheaper. My average energy cost over the summer was around £7.

Yes, I have reported it to them, twice in fact, and they’ve done bugger all about it. I’m not doing it a third time, they’ve got it on record and aren’t interested at all.

#25

Image source: JudasBC, PM_me_dat_Poutine/reddit

I ordered a vegetarian pizza from big John’s, for some reason it had tuna as an option. They never actually had any in so they would call and ask what I wanted instead so I would ask for chicken, pepperoni etc

Got a meat topping for £5 less than I should every time.

#26

Image source: earlgreytoday, Blake Wisz/unsplash

Used to work for the NHS and just before I left, I renewed my Blue Light discount card. Got myself another two years worth of savings as a result.

#27

Image source: WesleyRiot, Vitaly Gariev/unsplash

Went to cancel now TV and they offered me another month for £1. Went to cancel again and they offered me two months for £2.99. it’s not much but it’s something?

#28

Image source: selffulfilment, Danielle Cerullo/unsplash

Won a years free membership in one of the popular chain 24hr gyms in a fb competition when a new one opened near me. 3+ years later the code they gave me still works … :).

#29

Not a loop hole as such, the guy who lived in my house before me has a nat geo subscription, it’s been months and he still hasn’t changed it to his new address. We’ve told him multiple times, just got the new one a couple days ago. I’ve not opened any of them but pretty tempted!

Image source: 3amcheeseburger

#30

Image source: dbath, Getty Images/unsplash

I wanted to get a Mass state driver’s license while still in college. Normally, you can’t use a college address to establish residency since you’re still considered a resident of your home state. Despite not being residents, Massachusetts will call out-of-state students for jury duty. In addition to the normal documents like a utility bill, the RMV accepts a jury duty summons as proof of residency. If you’re unlucky enough to get called for jury duty in college, it worked like a charm!

#31

Image source: MystiikMoments, Heidi Fin/unsplash

Nothing new or ground breaking but Spotify is £10 a month, family is £17, (was £15 😐). But you can have up to 6 people on the family.

So we have 6 people on it sharing it, (£2.80 a month). And they pay me their years share every january.

#32

Image source: Ovalman, joeChump/unsplash

Not free but I discovered TooGood2Go long before it became trendy and the only local restaurant that was on it was Yo Sushi. I regularly got £100+ of sushi at the end of the night which I distributed to friends and family (and ate myself). This lasted for around a year and I think I was the only person using the app.

Now loads of people know about it and there are far more restaurants on board. Still value as the likes of Greggs, you will get around a tenner’s worth of goods for £2.59 (sandwiches, sausage rolls ect.) but the days where getting £100+ are over.

For those that don’t know 2G2G is an app where restaurants sell the stuff they normally throw out at the end of the night.

#33

Image source: anon, UnitedObjective/reddit

Endless £1.99 Big Macs. Just do the survey thing on your receipt, it takes 30 seconds and then use the code to get £1.99 Big Mac and chips.

#34

Us releases coin dollars that you can purchase for a dollar with free shipping so they can get into circulation

max out southwest credit card ordering dollar coins

dollar coins arrive at house

take dollar coins and pay off credit card balance at bank

buy more dollar coins

repeat process and rack up flier miles.

Image source: losthours

#35

YouTube premium. The Indian version apparently costs £2 but I couldn’t get that to work, so mine is UAE version for £5. Yes it’s worth it to have no adverts on my TV.

Image source: EmFan1999