wex@milano.UUCP (01/07/86)
I am curious what netters think about the legality of this scheme: - I have credit cards with institution X - In the inserts with one of my bills is an offer from a credit-card `protection' service. - In with their literature is a check for $20, made out to my name. - Upon reading their fine print, I find that if I cash this check, then (according to them) I have agreed to pay them $120 for a year of `protection'. There's lots of legalese wrapped around this which basically says that my cashing the check is like my signing a contract and giving the terms of this `contract'. Now, I never requested that these people send me anything, let alone a $20 check. My question is this: IS THIS LEGAL? If I take their money (as I would keep the free merchandise from any other company) am I really obligated to their `contract'? --Alan Wexelblat -- WEX@MCC.ARPA ...ut-sally!im4u!milano!wex
mpr@mb2c.UUCP (Mark Reina) (01/08/86)
> I am curious what netters think about the legality of this scheme: > - I have credit cards with institution X > - In the inserts with one of my bills is an offer from a credit-card > `protection' service. > - In with their literature is a check for $20, made out to my name. > - Upon reading their fine print, I find that if I cash this check, then > (according to them) I have agreed to pay them $120 for a year of > `protection'. There's lots of legalese wrapped around this which basically > says that my cashing the check is like my signing a contract and giving > the terms of this `contract'. > Now, I never requested that these people send me anything, let alone a $20 > check. My question is this: IS THIS LEGAL? If I take their money (as I > would keep the free merchandise from any other company) am I really obligated > to their `contract'? > > --Alan Wexelblat With the facts you present, no one can be 100% sure. We would need to know what the "legalese" actually says and how it applies in your state. My best guess, with what you have provided, is that cashing their check for $20 acts either as acceptance of their offer or as an offer which is automatically accepted by them, depending on the "legalese." One last point: Don't make the unsolicited mail laws bigger than they are. -- Mark Reina