Aldi Shopper Proves You Shouldn't Judge A Box Of Potato Skins By Its Cover

Everyone has been tricked by food marketing illusions at some point. One Aldi shopper's recent disappointment, however, wasn't due to a product looking distinctly different from its package photograph.

A Reddit thread posted on April 15 to the Aldi subreddit showed a photo of a box of Appetitos Loaded Potato Skins purchased from the chain. The package shows five of the cheese- and bacon-topped half-spuds, but that wasn't the actual number of potato skins the shopper received. "Picture shows 5 ... there are only 3 in the package ... smh," the Redditor said, adding, "What a disappointing rip off. Usually love Aldi for the value, but this is just ridiculous." While the chain's packaging has contained misprints in the past (like this hilarious expiration date typo that had shoppers cracking up), the Redditor assured readers that this wasn't the case with their frozen appetizer, noting that the nutrition facts said there were "approximately 3 per box."

This Redditor isn't the only one who's been duped by the photo of Aldi's Loaded Potato Skins. In a separate Reddit thread from November 2023, another shopper called the image "a little misleading" and said that, although they enjoyed the actual potato skins, Aldi needed to "do better." Additionally, several members of the ALDI Aisle of Shame Facebook group have also expressed disappointment over the disconnect between the box's image and what's actually inside.

Over the years, several huge scandals have completely rocked Aldi. Still, despite the internet's complaints, the confusing imagery on the chain's box of Appetitos Loaded Potato Skins probably won't be added to the list. Several shoppers rushed to the company's defense in response to the April 15 Reddit thread, with many arguing that the poster should have judged their purchase by the serving size listed on the back of the package rather than the staged image on the front.

"That's why we have nutritional labels. This post is wild," one person commented. "I think not stopping to read the bottom right corner OR look at the back is not an Aldi problem. IMO that is," said another. Other commenters, meanwhile, pointed out that the box's contents were packaged by weight rather than volume. Therefore, had the potatoes been smaller, the poster may have received five, as was pictured — though given the size difference, that might not necessarily have been better. Whether or not you believe this packaging was deceptive, it's worth examining both the front and back of a product before putting it in your cart so you know you're getting the best bang for your buck.