Well, that didn’t last long: General Mills is taking a few steps back from its revised new legal policy, reported in yesterday’s Times, which seemed to signal all consumers forfeited their rights to sue if they simply “engaged” with things like the company Facebook page or “liked” a photo. A spokesperson now clarifies: “No one is precluded from suing us merely by purchasing our products at the store or liking one of our brand Facebook pages.” The way one is precluded, apparently, is by “subscrib[ing] to one of our publications or download[ing] coupons.” Clears things up, right?
But, as at least one confused consumer is wondering, “How does this language not mean precluded from suing?” The company’s answer is that the policy doesn’t “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.” Totally — at least for one of the two legal parties.
General Mills Amends New Legal Policies [NYT]
Related: Cheerios Facebook Fans Agree Never to Sue General Mills Under Sneaky New Rule
