Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 exptools 1/6/84; site ihuxk.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!ihnp4!ihuxk!rs55611 From: rs55611@ihuxk.UUCP (Robert E. Schleicher) Newsgroups: net.consumers Subject: Re: $2.00 diamond ring Message-ID: <560@ihuxk.UUCP> Date: Mon, 20-Feb-84 13:22:22 EST Article-I.D.: ihuxk.560 Posted: Mon Feb 20 13:22:22 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 21-Feb-84 04:18:48 EST References: <980@minn-ua.UUCP> <475@abnjh.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL Lines: 25 Speaking of "too good to be true" promotional gimmicks, just about everyone has at one time or another received a letter saying "You've won one of the following prizes; to claim your prize, all you have to do is to attend our sales presentation on lovely vacation home sites in Podunk!" The latest one I've gotten listed prizes that all seemed relatively decent, such as a car, an APPLE computer, a microwave, a "sport boat", and $100 cash. At first glance the $100 looked like the worst prize. However, these things now have to list the odds of getting each prize, and upon looking over the fine print, it said that the 99.9% probable prize was the sport boat. Apparently this boat was not some speed boat, but rather a miniature radio-controlled boat, with a suggested retail price of $49.95, but probably costing about $15-$20. This kind of thing is typical. The junk prize is usually not the one that appears worst at first glance. It's usually something that is not described too completely, and thus could be anything from junk to a fabulous prize. Another example is another one of these real estate deals that had "gold ingot" as one of the prizes. Seems pretty good, huh? Wrong, precious metal breath! This "ingot" was about .5 gram, and worth about $7. Bob Schleicher ihuxk!rs55611 AT&T Bell Laboratories