BHL Bogen

BHL Bogen
BridgehouseLaw LLP - Your Business Law Firm

Monday, May 05, 2014

When ' Liking' a Brand Online Voids the Right to Sue


Did you ever think that downloading a 50- cent coupon for Cheerios cost you legal rights?
It happens nearly every day.
For instance, General Mills, the maker of cereals like Cheerios and Chex as well as brands like Bisquick and Betty Crocker, added alert warning that consumers are giving up the right to sue the company when downloading coupons.
The main problem is, that most users are not aware of changing legal terms.
Admittedly, the company alludes to updating their privacy policy, but only in a thin, gray bar across the top of its home page.
The principal purpose of the companies is to protect itself from all accountability, even when it lies. A number of companies have adopted similar policies over the years. The decision allows them to forbid class- action lawsuits with the use of standard- form contract.
But think about it: what happens when the accountability is barred with one click. What if a child, allergic to peanuts, ate a product that contained trace amounts of nuts. But mistakenly, that information is not included on the packaging. Food recalls for mislabeling, including failures to identify nuts in products, are not uncommon. Who will be responsible for medical and other expenses once the consumer voided his right to sue, with just one simple click of your mouse?
So, for the future: you better watch out and read the fine print before downloading a 50 cent coupon.

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