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From: mpr@mb2c.UUCP (Mark Reina)
Newsgroups: misc.legal
Subject: G-I Joe mail-order rip-off
Message-ID: <1895@mb2c.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 16-Oct-86 08:07:23 EDT
Article-I.D.: mb2c.1895
Posted: Thu Oct 16 08:07:23 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 16-Oct-86 23:43:39 EDT
References: <124@aloha1.UUCP>
Organization: Michigan Bell, Southfield, MI
Lines: 46
Keywords: (Cheap) Legal Advice

In article <124@aloha1.UUCP>, white@aloha1.UUCP (Ray White) writes:
> 
>   Many moons ago I sent a check for $5 to HASBRO toy company in 
> response to an add they put in G.I.JOE comic. For my $5 I was
> to be mailed a "G.I.JOE membership kit" including a newsletter,
> dogtags, I.D. card and other such goodies. A few weeks later the
> check I had sent showed up on my monthly bank statement (okey dokey...
> that gives them 6-8 weeks to deliver the goods as stated in the ad).
> 13 weeks later I had not received my kit so I wrote them a letter
> asking what happened.  Then after another 8 weeks I sent a letter
> to the postmaster's office.  They claimed to have contacted the 
> company on my behalf in response to my complaint.  They also
> said that an "isolated complaint" is not grounds for legal action
> on their part (i.e. no mail fraud).  This company still hasn't
> given me the goods and has not responded in any form.
> So now for anyone on the net with an opinion on this topic:
> 
> [1]  What legal action can I take against this company?
> 
> [2]  Can I do it in such a way that it won't cost me anything?
> 
> [3]  What sort of time limit am I dealing with in bringing this to
> court?
> 
> I can't understand why any company as large as HASBRO would stoop
> so low as to rip-off poverty-striken G.I.Joe-junkies like myself.
> It bothers me to think of how many kids may have sent in thier
> five bucks only to get nothing in return.
> 
>                                 Mr. Nice Guy (alias Ray White)
> 
> YO - JO !!!!  (G.I.Joe battle cry)

Dear Mr. Ray White:

Here is your free legal advice for your questions, by inserted numbers.
And please remember I am not licensed in Hawaii, only in Michigan.
[1] You can probably sue Hasbro in small claims court in Hawaii.
    I assume a company this large has offices in Hawaii.  If not,
    you may wish to consider a diversity action in Federal Court.
    Remember that process can only be serviced in a one state
    or 100 mile radius.  So you may have to go to the mainland.
[2] You must be kidding.  First law of economics: "Ain't no free lunch."
[3] You will have to check Hawaiian law as to the statute of limitations.

				      Mark Reina