What is this "you have to" law?

[mjr]

The only way the seller could be forced to refund the price is if the item delivered was damaged or was not the item offered.

There was a Judge Judy like this once. Some chick was selling "cell phones" online. A woman bought them, and the seller sent pictures of the cell phones, and tried to claim that the lady got exactly what she bid on...

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

I work with cell phones. I have people every single day telling me all sorts of crazy shit that's apparently "in the contract" and how I am "obligated" to do this and that or they'll sue!

Naturally these discussions go nowhere quickly. It's quite funny actually because I DO know the contract and if these numpties actually knew it as well as they claim to, they wouldn't threaten to sue because there's an arbitration clause in there stating you CAN'T sue!

I told one customer this and he accused me of lying so I read the relevant section to him VERBATIM right then and there.

He accused me of making stuff up.

There was a Judge Judy like this once. Some chick was selling "cell phones" online. A woman bought them, and the seller sent pictures of the cell phones, and tried to claim that the lady got exactly what she bid on...

Ah yes, reminds me of the old "Xbox box" scams that happened when the 360 launched back in 2005.

[nutraxfornerves]

Corollary: I know there is a law. You find it.

I worked for a government agency that enforced environmental laws related to farming. Amazing how many people out there were convinced that because a pig farm was smelly or a turkey farm was noisy or the trucks stirred up dust, the farmer was obviously doing something against the law. They would demand that we search every law on the books and find something that could be used to shut down the farm. I'm a taxpayer and you have to do this.

Nope. I don't. All our records show that the Acme Pig Farm is, shall we say, completely kosher. You wanna sue them, you hire a lawyer to search the laws.

[Limescale]

A former coworker of mine had a rather fun way of dealing with this situation, thanks to coming from a family that had several lawyers in it.

First he'd ask them to quote the 'law' that said he had to take a return/give a discount/give the item for free/etc. including the year it came into effect.

Normally this would shut most folk down but we still got those special few who'd try to add to the bullcrap by making something up, to which my coworker would then quote some equal BS (though worded to sound convincingly official) stating that their so called 'law' had been made null and void by a more recent amendment so they could no longer fall back on it.

Granted this approach probably wouldn't have worked if we worked in an area that required contracts or other documentation but for basic retail it was rather effective.

[Jay 2K Winger]

Nope. I don't. All our records show that the Acme Pig Farm is, shall we say, completely kosher.

Well, if a pig farm is completely kosher, then that's probably something that should be investigated, because that shouldn't be possible.

[Tama]

Again. You're incarcerated. I can tell you exactly what you can or can't have. Guess what? We just banned playing cards too!

Why were playing cards banned?

[Jay 2K Winger]

Why were playing cards banned?

Under the "BECAUSE I SAID SO" rule.

[mjr]

Why were playing cards banned?

Take away the fun of playing cards.

Or maybe they could sharpen the edges.

I read a story once where back in the 1930's, I think it was, a guy committed suicide by making a makeshift pipe bomb out of materials in his prison cell, which included playing cards.

Snopes says it's true: http://www.snopes.com/horrors/freakish/kogut.asp

[Jester]

So in Europe, he would be totally right, but of course not in Florida.

Right. The point is, just because the laws are a certain way where you are doesn't mean they are going to be that way everywhere, and if the law is different where you are than it is at home, guess what? You're still gonna have to deal with the laws where you are. Because those are the laws there. If I was in Poland trying to buy alcohol and the law said they couldn't take a U.S. driver's license, and I didn't have my passport on me, and they carded me, guess what? I wouldn't be getting booze that day.

"You HAVE TO" usually immediately preceded by "THEY told me I/you could, so..."

One of my favorite versions of this happened about a year or so ago. Guy handed me a free drink token from another bar.
ME: "Sir, I'm sorry, I can't take this."
HIM: "Why not?"
ME: "It's from Waterside Tavern. This is The Bar."
HIM: "Well, the guy at Waterside said I could use that here."
ME: "He may well have said that, sir, but he doesn't work here."

[Ironclad Alibi]

Well, if a pig farm is completely kosher, then that's probably something that should be investigated, because that shouldn't be possible.

If a pig farm is completely kosher, I think none of the pigs will be used for food.

[MoonCat]

Oh yeah, I get that stuff ^^

"Someone told me that a death notice is free if the deceased was a clergyman."

Nope. "Someone" is full of, well....the brown stuff.

"My neighbor/friend/SO/some guy on the street told me the price for [XYZ] was [$]."

"I'm sorry, sir, the price is actually [$$]."

"But I was told it was [$]!"

"Yes, but not by US. Who do you think knows the correct price, your friend or someone who works here?"

[Rosco the Iroc]

Why were playing cards banned?

Don't know but I've been there done that, along with gathering up a bunch of the small juice milk type boxes. Carefully tear off the side panels and use a stashed pencil lead to mark them. That's how we made our own set for the weekend.

[Agent Paperclip]

I witness the following on a city bus once... Guy gets on but refuses to pay and won't get off. The driver tells him to get off or she'll call the police and puts the bus in park. The guy sprouts some BS about it's against the law for her to stop the bus like this and make everyone else on board late and that he's a tax payer blah blah blah.

The driver radios in and apparently is told to continue her route. About 10 min later at a different bus stop the driver stops. There were 2 cop cars and the police boarded the bus and haul off the guy in cuffs. All the while this guy is yelling, claiming he was a tax payer and should ride for free and it's the law.

I heard later that the drivers usually let non paying passengers slide because they don't want any confrontation (getting shot over $1 isn't worth it) but they do try to get a description and/or pic and do file a report. I don't know if its a police report or for their bus company. I didn't think to ask. But they do try to crack down on repeat offenders.

I was told this guy had done this more than once and they were finally able to get him because a lot of the time the offenders get off the bus before the police can intercept them or before the bus reaches the main transfers station.

All that over $1.00.

[Rana]

No, I Don't 'have to' change your note for coins!

It is certainly not the law that I have to change it for you either.

We are a store and not a bank. There is one across the road who are more than happy to help you. Yes, we USED to change notes, but policy changed because too many people claimed we were short changing them. Usually claiming they had given us a note of a different denomination than what they had actually given us.

I'd love to know what law books these SC's are reading because it's certainly not the correct one.

[Lace Neil Singer]

No, I Don't 'have to' change your note for coins!

It is certainly not the law that I have to change it for you either.

We are a store and not a bank. There is one across the road who are more than happy to help you. Yes, we USED to change notes, but policy changed because too many people claimed we were short changing them. Usually claiming they had given us a note of a different denomination than what they had actually given us.

Had that, too. Cept we were stopped from handing out too much change cuz the cash office were complaining. We can change a fiver but not more than that. There's a bank over the road, use it.