12 Companies That People Hate With a Passion

Everyone has run across a company or two they wish would go out of business. Whether they were terrible at customer service or just had bad business practices, these are the top 12 companies contributors on a popular online forum would like to see go bankrupt.

1. Facebook/Meta

When it comes to social media channels, everyone has their favorites. Facebook, however, doesn't seem to be high on the list.

Someone commented that they found Facebook to be a special kind of evil. The predatory algorithm Meta created to encourage doom scrolling and internet addiction has recently caught the attention of United States lawmakers. 

2. Verizon

Most cell phone companies have a love/hate relationship with the general public. People either love them or hate them, and it's usually tied to cell reception. But Verizon racks up a pretty bad reputation on Reddit. Apparently, their customer service is severely lacking.

3. American Airlines

Let's face it: travel can be a real pain. But American Airlines seems to hold a special place in the minds of many who view the company as the worst of the worst. Poor customer service, frequent delays, missed connecting flights, and overbooking are just a few reasons why people despise flying American.

A 2021 story in The Wall Street Journal reported that the airline mishandled roughly seven of every 1,000 bags, which certainly isn't helping the brand's popularity.

4. Amway/Ouixtar

Amway or Quixtar, a HomeGoods multi-level marketing (MLM) company in the United States, has been accused of shady business practices several times. The Federal Trade Commission decided in 1979 that their operations were legal because they do sell products and offer incentives for recruitment, but that doesn't make them a good company.

It certainly doesn't do much for those who've been duped by the promise of wealth from the company. 

5. Nestle

The food and beverage processing company known as Nestle has a bad rap among Redditors. It's not because of their products either. 

Nestle has been accused of human trafficking, using child labor, and other unethical business practices on more than one occasion. The fact that they've done next to nothing about their waste production, even killing three metric tons of fish in France in 2020, is just one reason this company is labeled as the ‘most hated company' in the world.

6. Pacific Gas and Electric

Known as PG&E, this company isn't a favorite among Reddit users. Besides being involved in the Hinkley case that made Erin Brockovich a household name, they have terrible reviews for everything from skyrocketing prices to non-existent customer service.

One customer explained they have outages all the time and accused the company of starting fires by literally blowing up a neighborhood because of ignored maintenance.

7. Shein

This Singapore-based fast-fashion company has been troubled by bad customer service, reports of poor quality clothing, refund and return troubles, delivery delays, and unethical advertising. Their 1-star reviews make up 35% of their total respondents and people don't seem pleased overall.

8. Bayer

Much like PG&E, Bayer has been accused of everything from groundwater contamination to supporting the Third Reich. As part of the IG Farben conglomerate, do they have the funding to pay off their detractors? Commenters sure think so.

One person said Bayer polluted the ground around Leverkusen where their headquarters is centered, then later built houses on it. They added that children in the new houses are getting sick, but nothing has changed.

9. TicketMaster

The concert ticket giant came under heavy fire in 2022 for its role in a botched set of Taylor Swift tour dates that were in such high demand that Ticketmaster canceled the public sale of tickets for those dates. To say concertgoers were displeased is putting it mildly.

10. Airbnb

Even if you like staying in cheap, sometimes odd places, there's a vast difference between a cheap, well-maintained motel and a bedroom that costs two or three times more than that cheap motel and doesn't offer any amenities. Additionally, some neighbors of the rental properties have to deal with problems like illegal parking and excessive noise.

11. Walmart

Even those who shop at Walmart might be in the camp for seeing them go bankrupt. There are reports that in the past, Walmart got busted for taking out life insurance policies on low-level employees and cashing them out as executive bonuses if the employee died.

12. Amazon

Of course, one of the world's largest companies will receive fierce criticism. There have been numerous allegations that Amazon engages in monopolistic behavior. The FTC, alleging anticompetitive business practices, filed a federal suit against the corporation in September 2023.

The massive e-tailer has also been slammed for their treatment of employees. Additionally, their business is bad for the environment and they've shut down countless mom-and-pop stores worldwide.