Originally published at: Beer company scams people out of their money, calls it April Fools joke | Boing Boing
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“It’s just a prank, bro!” *cue reggaeton horn*
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companies should stop performing april fool’s jokes. most of them are unfunny and embarrassing.
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April Fraud!
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I’d be a bit suspicious of any promotional message like this anyway, but to pull a stunt like this is really taking the piss! (See what I did there?)
I’d be getting any attempt to take money from my account blocked anyway. Wankers.
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That’s almost as bad as a Trump fundraising email.
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We have learned today that “fraud” is not funny.
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With the rising heating prices due to the war in Ukraine, this is something UK folks can ill afford to be sucked into.
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Perhaps an occupational hazard if your day job is beer? The marketing department should pass sobriety tests before implementing new promotions.
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Not sure if serious or joke - but they mean the United Kingdom.
The names of each response are typically British (e.g. Rob Caldecott), though you may have been swayed by the number of Ukrainian flags showing on their twitter as support.
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U.K.'s Bier Company — a beer subscription site — lured people into claiming a prize of “free beer for life,” then charged the “winners” for a beer subscription of $30
It’s the UK. We do not use dollars.
I appreciate that the subsequently quoted text gives the sum in £ sterling, (even though someone added to it to give the US$ sum equivalent) but with an international audience I’m still surprised that BB feels the need to be so parochial as to claim it was thirty DOLLARS!
I’m sure most of us here could discern different currency signs and grok them.
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Let’s not be so hasty, now…
Also, this seems like a pretty clear-cut case of fraud. I smell bankruptcy coming.
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So…UK denotes what exactly? Portugal?
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I’m not sure what consumer protection laws are in place there, but here in the United States we’d sue their asses off and win for false advertising. People would literally get free beer for life (or the equivalent cash payout). An astoundingly BAD idea for a prank.
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Schrodinger’s promotion: when it doesn’t work its a prank
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Very valid point. Thinking up a new marketing ploy when you’re high on your own supply is probably not the best strategy.
Bottoms up 
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At some point there was someone in that office who pointed out that their plan was illegal, and got told to “stop being so negative”.
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They’re in breach of The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008
From Schedule 1 of the Act (Commercial practices which are in all circumstances considered unfair)
- Describing a product as ‘gratis’, ‘free’, ‘without charge’ or similar if the consumer has to pay anything other than the unavoidable cost of responding to the commercial practice and collecting or paying for delivery of the item.
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Messing with a drinker’s beer supply will make them salty.
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