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FACEBOOK: The Untouchables: You Can’t Sue General Mills if You “Like” Their Products on Facebook

18/04/2014

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/17/business/when-liking-a-brand-online-voids-the-right-to-sue.html?_r=1

General Mills, the maker of cereals like Cheerios and Chex as well as brands like Bisquick and Betty Crocker, has quietly added language to its website to alert consumers that they give up their right to sue the company if they download coupons, “join” it in online communities like Facebook, enter a company-sponsored sweepstakes or contest or interact with it in a variety of other ways.

If you “like” one of their products on Facebook or download coupons from them, their new terms of use state that you can no longer take them to court for any reason. Here is the new clause, straight from the horses…ahem…mouth.

General Mills, the maker of cereals like Cheerios and Chex as well as brands like Bisquick and Betty Crocker, has quietly added language to its website to alert consumers that they give up their right to sue the company if they download coupons, “join” it in online communities like Facebook, enter a company-sponsored sweepstakes or contest or interact with it in a variety of other ways.

Instead, anyone who has received anything that could be construed as a benefit and who then has a dispute with the company over its products will have to use informal negotiation via email or go through arbitration to seek relief, according to the new terms posted on its site. (source)

 

http://www.nutritionalanarchy.com/2014/04/18/the-untouchables-you-cant-sue-general-mills-if-you-like-their-products-on-facebook/

Might downloading a 50-cent coupon for Cheerios cost you legal rights?

If so, I hope you didn’t “like” them on Facebook.

General Mills has taken “CYA” (Cover Your A**) to an entirely new level.

This is morally and legally wrong.

3 Comments
  1. It is indeed legally wrong, which is why you can still sue them. There are certain statutory consumer rights that can’t be nullified through any contractual means. For example, if you were harmed by a product, or a product wasn’t fit for whatever use was advertised, their website statement is completely irrelevant.
    Plus it’s arguable whether clicking a ‘Like’ button would even constitute the formation of a valid contract.

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    • I agree… it’s total nonsense. How can marketing or advertising negate legal rights where a product has poisoned or harmed someone? The worse situation is that all the lawyers start writing this nonsense into their contracts. It’s enough to morally warrant you to boycott the products of companies who attempt to hurt their customers in this manner. Such clauses are obscene… morally and ethically…

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      • Well, they’re just like thos littl bullshit disclaimers/notices you see appended to emails – full of legalese, but with no legal basis whatsoever.

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