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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!dnc
From: dnc@bonnie.UUCP (Don Corey)
Newsgroups: net.consumers
Subject: Re: Sears
Message-ID: <712@bonnie.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 12-Feb-86 12:42:06 EST
Article-I.D.: bonnie.712
Posted: Wed Feb 12 12:42:06 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 13-Feb-86 01:14:00 EST
References: <895@decwrl.DEC.COM> <1273@osu-eddie.UUCP> <159@pedsgo.UUCP> <243@imagen.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Whippany NJ
Lines: 29

> ... "If only Sears could see
> this, the SURE MIGHT DO something:  They'd sue the ass off of everyone
> who posted dirt on them!"
>      I went to the library a few weeks ago and read a little bit on libel
> laws ...
>   Turn out, apparently, that disclosing dirt about
> someone can get you into deep shit, and that the truth of your dirt (even
> if you can PROVE it, which you often can't) is at best usually a weak
> defense which MIGHT get the court to reduce the damages awarded against you. ...
> Aren't you awfully worried that the wrong predatory lawyers are going to
> see your postings, and crucify you???  Another question:  Is there any
> fairness or honesty at all in the libel laws, if I read them right?
> 
>                                         -- Jay Jaeckel
>                                         ...{ucbvax,decwrl}!imagen!jay

We once failed a credit report becuase Sears had filed with TRW that we
owed them money for two refrigerators. We never bought any refrigerators
from Sears. When we tried to get Sears to correct this report, they
said that their records did not go back that far and we would have to
prove we did not owe them for the two refrigerators. We finally fought
with them long enough and they fixed the report. We asked a lawyer if
we could sue Sears for libel. He said that we would win only if we could
show that the entry on the credit rating had cost us a substantial loss
of money.
-- 
Don Corey
AT&T Bell Laboratories
WH 2A-140 (201) 386-2349 ihnp4!bonnie!dnc