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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!decwrl!pyramid!ut-sally!im4u!milano!wex
From: wex@milano.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.legal
Subject: Want advice on this scam
Message-ID: <326@milano.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 7-Jan-86 11:40:25 EST
Article-I.D.: milano.326
Posted: Tue Jan  7 11:40:25 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 8-Jan-86 20:43:30 EST
Sender: wex@milano.UUCP
Organization: MCC, Austin, TX
Lines: 24
Summary: An ?illegal? mail credit-card scam

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