Sell Your Soul....... Online

[The_Dude 1,142]

Gamestation Grabs Souls of 7,500 Shoppers With 'Immortal Soul Clause'

by Caleb Johnson — Apr 16th 2010 at 3:35PM

According to Fox News, Gamestation, a British online video game retailer, recently gained ownership of about 7,500 shoppers' souls by inserting a clause in its terms and conditions.

The 'immortal soul' clause read:

By placing an order via this Web site on the first day of the fourth month of the year 2010 Anno Domini, you agree to grant Us a non transferable option to claim, for now and for ever more, your immortal soul. Should We wish to exercise this option, you agree to surrender your immortal soul, and any claim you may have on it, within 5 (five) working days of receiving written notification from gamesation.co.uk or one of its duly authorized minions.

The clause even contained an option to opt out, and Gamestation rewarded attentive customers with an $8 gift certificate for catching it. Gamestation says about 88-percent of the people who purchased from the site on April 1st 'lost their souls.' The clause was obviously an April Fool's Day joke, but it confirms that most people don't read terms and conditions.

Source

[Bobby+Umit 161]

Only 8 bucks? I would want more for my soul...

But - i think i traded it for a chunk of butter or something in the 70's...

[one...two...tree 2,762]

The clause was obviously an April Fool's Day joke, but it confirms that most people don't read terms and conditions.

Yep. Which is why we need a consumer protection agency.

[PhiLandShiR 18]

Yep. Which is why we need a consumer protection agency.

No way! Let them sink or swim. Stupidity is no reason to baby sit them...

[one...two...tree 2,762]

No way! Let them sink or swim. Stupidity is no reason to baby sit them...

Well, right now we're all sinking because of these kinds of shifty practices. It's not just one person that sinks, it's the whole country.

[The_Dude 1,142]

Well, right now we're all sinking because of these kinds of shifty practices. It's not just one person that sinks, it's the whole country.

We need a consumer protection agency to protect us from false product information and harmful corporate activites. If the company has a release that you have to check that you have read it, then you are agreeing to a contract. That is tantamount to someone contesting a loan for a car with the argument "Your honor, I was too stupid to read the contract, therefore you should invalidate it based upon my ignorance". You can protect the consumer from blatant deceit, but you can't protect them from their own stupidity.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

We need a consumer protection agency to protect us from false product information and harmful corporate activites. If the company has a release that you have to check that you have read it, then you are agreeing to a contract. That is tantamount to someone contesting a loan for a car with the argument "Your honor, I was too stupid to read the contract, therefore you should invalidate it based upon my ignorance". You can protect the consumer from blatant deceit, but you can't protect them from their own stupidity.

Think of the logistics of it - if you were to actually take the time to read all the fine print of everything you purchased would you even have time for anything else? I understand it is there to be read, but really it is there to clarify the terms and conditions that most people reasonably assume to exist. Anything included in those terms and conditions that are out of the ordinary should first and foremost not be deceiving or cause hardship to the consumer that they normally would not agree to if informed. Also, not every consumer has the know-with-all to understand clearly those terms and conditions. I know I'm not that stupid, and I've read some terms and conditions that are incredibly complicated and confusing.