I just received one of those "vouchers" in the mail for a cruise and hotel vacation. It's stapled together sort of like a cheque book, and one page is printed to look like a cheque.

It has "The Sum Of One Thousand Six Hundred Dollars 00 Cents" printed in the amount line, "To the order of" and my name in the area below, and green wavy lines in the background - just like a cheque. It even has fake MICR numbers printed along the bottom to complete the look. But in fine print, very faint in grey, it says "**savings up to - non negotiable - no cash value- voucher based on full retail value of all components purchased separately"

The next page is printed to look like a cruise boarding pass, even stating "Passenger and bagage check - issued by Ramada Plaza Resorts", the logos of the Imperial Majesty ship and Carnival Cruiselines, etc. On the back, though, is the disclaimer "This advertising material is being used for the purpose of soliciting sales of a vacation ownership plan"

Now - most people who take the time to read can find all the disclaimers hidden throughout the package, but why should consumers have to scrutinize a "check" or "bording pass" to determine it's actually an ad? Why are marketing companies allowed to print something that is intended to initially deceive the reader as to its purpose, and force them to find all the hidden cop-outs?

My only guess is that they're printed that way to get oyu initially excited about receiving a cheque for $1,600 and a free cruise boarding pass, so you're thinking of taking a cruise and spending money... then betting that among the hundreds of thousands of people who get pissed off at them just seconds later, there will be a few who are still stuck with that image of a cruise and the excitement and go ahead and book a trip. With the company that deceived them in the first place.

Still, I think marketers printing something so obviously meant to represent something else (except for weasely fine print) should be thrown in the trunk of an Acapulco taxi.

You open junk mail?

Junk mail is getting much better at looking like real mail.

I keep getting one that my roommates think is important from a student loan consolidation group. Its a total scam, their interest rates are absurd, but everyone in my house thinks its from the college.

I like the checks from credit companies. It's a real check and if you cash it you'll get real money. The only thing is the fine print says it a loan and it usually has an outrageous intrest rate.

"You may have already won $5,000,000.00" Just buy some of our stuff so we can tell you you weren't the lucky winner.

I open it... then shred all their shit and stuff it in their prepaid return-envelope and send it back to them.

Send other junk mail back with it also.

I open it... then shred all their shit and stuff it in their prepaid return-envelope and send it back to them.

Now that is a damn good idea. I might have to start doing that sometimes.

I open it... then shred all their shit and stuff it in their prepaid return-envelope and send it back to them.

Isn't that from Maddox?

In one of my business law classes we learned about a few cases where people have taken those checks and cashed them. The key is to write "no recourse" on the back. Writing "non negotiable, no cash value" or whatever does not actually make it legally non negotiable if it meets the conditions of a negotiable instrument.


Under Article 3 of the Uniform Commercial Code, an instrument is negotiable if it is: (1) a written instrument signed by the endorser or maker; (2) an unconditional promise to pay a certain amount of money, either on demand or at a future date; and (3) payable to the holder or bearer. A person who becomes a Holder in Due Course of a negotiable instrument by delivery, or by delivery and endorsement, has an unrestricted claim to the instrument, and can sue other people in his or her own name.


I just received one of those "vouchers" in the mail for a cruise and hotel vacation. It's stapled together sort of like a cheque book, and one page is printed to look like a cheque.

It has "The Sum Of One Thousand Six Hundred Dollars 00 Cents" printed in the amount line, "To the order of" and my name in the area below, and green wavy lines in the background - just like a cheque. It even has fake MICR numbers printed along the bottom to complete the look. But in fine print, very faint in grey, it says "**savings up to - non negotiable - no cash value- voucher based on full retail value of all components purchased separately"

The next page is printed to look like a cruise boarding pass, even stating "Passenger and bagage check - issued by Ramada Plaza Resorts", the logos of the Imperial Majesty ship and Carnival Cruiselines, etc. On the back, though, is the disclaimer "This advertising material is being used for the purpose of soliciting sales of a vacation ownership plan"

Now - most people who take the time to read can find all the disclaimers hidden throughout the package, but why should consumers have to scrutinize a "check" or "bording pass" to determine it's actually an ad? Why are marketing companies allowed to print something that is intended to initially deceive the reader as to its purpose, and force them to find all the hidden cop-outs?

My only guess is that they're printed that way to get oyu initially excited about receiving a cheque for $1,600 and a free cruise boarding pass, so you're thinking of taking a cruise and spending money... then betting that among the hundreds of thousands of people who get pissed off at them just seconds later, there will be a few who are still stuck with that image of a cruise and the excitement and go ahead and book a trip. With the company that deceived them in the first place.

Still, I think marketers printing something so obviously meant to represent something else (except for weasely fine print) should be thrown in the trunk of an Acapulco taxi.