Talk about reading the fine print before signing anything! Many Internet shoppers unknowingly signed away their souls to a computer games store because they failed to read the terms and conditions before making a purchase.
An online game store has proven that 88% of its clientele (some 7,500 customers) did not read the fine print of their web site before purchasing computer games from Gamestation. Far from a scientific experiment, the April Fool prank revealed that most customers didn’t even notice the “immortal soul clause,” which was a tick-box option. The 12% of customers who did read the clause and opted out were rewarded with £5 vouchers (about $10 US) and entry into a raffle for a video game prize pack.
Gamestation, which was founded in 1993, is a popular chain of British retail shops selling used and new video games. The company inserted the clause in time for April 1 purchases and clearly stated that customers granted the company the right to claim their soul unless they opted out by checking the appropriate box. The clause will never, of course, be enforced, but for the sake of protocol, authorities are emailing customers nullifying their rights to take any such action.
The clause reads:
“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. We reserve the right to serve such notice in 6 (six) foot high letters of fire.”
Until they remove the clause, Steve Wind-Mozley, Gamestation’s general manager claims: “Based on an average day’s trading, we expect to acquire hundreds of souls as customers continually ignore the small print.”
Gamestation has made an important point by emphasizing exactly how many consumers (or in this case how few) actually read the terms and conditions of the websites they utilize. Users are reminded to always read everything before buying anything in the future.
marjorie
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