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Topic summary

Posted by bleh
 - April 21, 2014, 12:54:15 PM
^
Well that was quick.
Posted by SilverLining
 - April 20, 2014, 11:17:31 AM
http://mashable.com/2014/04/20/general-mills-facebook/

General Mills Backtracks on Legal Policy After Angering Facebook Users
Posted by twinturbo
 - April 18, 2014, 05:27:13 PM
It's a big company. One department could be running without much input from another. It's not hard to reason the Calfornia class action on something well within current regulations got legal all worked up on how to disseminate proactive protection from similar class actions. Their policy on labeling for allergens wouldn't need any alterations. We just can't form litigation blocs if we accept their offered benefit (coupon) that comes with implied consent to waive the ability to join a class action. Or at least so the theory goes. I would not be surprised if electronic rights groups and/or consumer protection groups get involved.

Right now all GM has is untested interpretation. It's not like they enacted new legislation.
Posted by LinksEtc
 - April 18, 2014, 04:52:27 PM
General Mills owns your emails "throughout the Universe"
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/general-mills-owns-your-emails-throughout-the-universe-041814.html

QuoteThroughout the Universe, with a capital "U"!

---------

You know, I really appreciate that GM voluntarily labels for sesame and a few other non-big8 allergens.  Truly, I do.  That has meant so much over the years to our family ... helping to keep dd safe, going that extra step.  The goodwill earned from that is not lost.

This kind of thing, though, just doesn't feel right.



Posted by twinturbo
 - April 18, 2014, 04:00:41 PM
Caveat emptor now that they've Trojan Horse'd their electronic coupons, etc. Not that I think something this wide swathed will protect them as much as they think but the additional cost of wading through the class action waiver crap is prohibitive. For the sake of giggles and grins say I use a code then feed it to someone else who is harmed and sants to sue. I don't see any passalong possibility. Sort if like DRM if you buy a book, song. There's no passalong, bequeathing.
Posted by LinksEtc
 - April 18, 2014, 03:40:46 PM
"How the Supreme Court made it harder for you to sue"
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/general-mills-facebook-legal-rights


QuoteSo, to use an example given by the Times: if you were allergic to an ingredient in a General Mills product that was mislabeled – too bad, you've already given up your right to sue, no matter how dire the consequences.

----------------------



"Arbitration Everywhere, Stacking the Deck of Justice"
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/01/business/dealbook/arbitration-everywhere-stacking-the-deck-of-justice.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur

Quote
"This is among the most profound shifts in our legal history," William G. Young, a federal judge in Boston who was appointed by President Ronald Reagan, said in an interview. "Ominously, business has a good chance of opting out of the legal system altogether and misbehaving without reproach."



Posted by LinksEtc
 - April 18, 2014, 03:35:11 PM
"Some Thoughts On General Mills' Move To Mandate Arbitration And Waive Class Actions"
http://blog.ericgoldman.org/archives/2014/04/some-thoughts-on-general-mills-move-to-mandate-arbitration-and-waive-class-actions.htm

QuoteIt's hard to see how class action waivers benefit consumers directly. After all, individual customers' lawsuits against consumer packaged goods companies are rarely financially tenable, so either lawsuits are brought on a class basis or not at all.
Posted by Macabre
 - April 18, 2014, 12:16:00 PM
Ah, that I know.
Posted by twinturbo
 - April 18, 2014, 12:14:52 PM
Electronic Frontier Foundation. bleh reads gizmodo so he probably knows without further context.
Posted by Macabre
 - April 18, 2014, 12:10:13 PM
I see the word "eff" above and can only think it means one thing--and that one thing makes a lot of sense here. But I bet it's bit what you were intending.
Posted by twinturbo
 - April 18, 2014, 11:57:10 AM
Was there any EFF crossover interest?
Posted by bleh
 - April 18, 2014, 11:03:03 AM
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/18/business/general-mills-amends-new-legal-policies.html?_r=0

Quote
In an email received Thursday, Mike Siemienas, a General Mills spokesman, said the “online communities” mentioned in the policy referred only to those online communities hosted by the company on its own websites. He later elaborated in a second email: “No one is precluded from suing us merely by purchasing our products at the store or liking one of our brand Facebook pages. For example, should an individual subscribe to one of our publications or download coupons, these terms would apply. But even then, the policy would not and does not preclude a consumer from pursuing a claim. It merely determines a forum for pursuing a claim. And arbitration is a straightforward and efficient way to resolve such disputes.

But if General Mills offers a consumer a coupon in exchange for “liking” one of its brands on Facebook, she will still have to agree to the new terms to get it, Mr. Siemienas said.”
Posted by bleh
 - April 18, 2014, 11:01:47 AM
It looks like they may have FB pages based on their various brands as I see a facebook page for cheerios. They do have a GM gives facebook page where someone posted "GM gives...and takes away."
Posted by SilverLining
 - April 18, 2014, 08:35:11 AM
Has GM removed their Facebook page? 

I found General Mills Canada. The only things there about this is a post made by an individual (not a company rep) saying they are sleazy and posting a picture about it.

Shooting themselves in the foot with social media?  And this may not hold up in court at all.

~~~~

Does anyone know where the arbitrators come from?  Are they on retainer by GM?
Posted by bleh
 - April 18, 2014, 06:45:35 AM
Quote from: twinturbo on April 17, 2014, 01:13:23 PM
Great find, bleh. I'm going to forward this to my husband as well. I know he'll be as professionally interested as he will be personally. How did you come across it?

I saw it on gizmodo.