I don't want any trouble, just some money please!

October 23, 2006 11:59 AM

All we need now to win 5 million dollars is Short Line Railroad.

Ok. I need a little informal legal help. Here's the deal: My brother has 3 of 4 railroads in the McDonalds monopoly game. All he needs now is the short line railrod peice. I was thinking of putting flyers up at my university offering 1/4 million (his price, not mine) for that piece. Is this legal? What kind of trouble would I be getting myself into? What are the chances of me getting sued by McDonalds? Or monopoly for that matter?

posted by tdreyer1 to law & government (24 comments total)

Feel free to put up flyers, but I don't think you're going to have much luck. More than likely *everyone* who is collecting the railroads is looking for that piece. On any worthwhile prize, one of the pieces is insanely rare while the others aren't so hard to find -- they're meant to make you buy more food, y'know.

Try if you want, though.
posted by mikeh at 12:03 PM on October 23, 2006

What are the chances of me getting sued by McDonalds? Or monopoly for that matter?

Pretty much none, I'd say. McDonalds isn't going to lose any money that way, so why would they care? McDonalds just figures out in advance how many $5M prizes they want to give away, make sure that they give out just that many of Short Line Railroad, and lots and lots and lots of the other three railroads. IANAL, but I believe what you're proposing is perfectly legal. It's not likely to succeed, however--the SLR piece is going to be so rare that it's pertty unlikely anyone on the campus has it, and if they did they would have to be very stupid (or at least ignorant of how McDonalds sets up the contest) to accept your offer.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 12:16 PM on October 23, 2006

rare piece list

there's a good chance that there is only 1 short line piece in the whole run.
posted by Stynxno at 12:18 PM on October 23, 2006 [2 favorites]

ebay
posted by krautland at 12:18 PM on October 23, 2006

If you do try it, I suggest offering $5-20 as the price. A flyer offering a huge valuation just tells them they should hang onto it.

In fact, the best strategy would probably be to offer $1 for any piece, no questions asked.
posted by smackfu at 12:23 PM on October 23, 2006

According to the list there is only 1 Short Line Railroad in existence. So this lucky person will give your brother the piece, essentially worth $5 million, in exchange for $250,000? Is he hoping the person won't notice?
posted by Sandor Clegane at 12:35 PM on October 23, 2006

As a side, if there is only one Short Line Railroad in existence, what happens if the person who gets it doesn't play McOpoly and tosses it without knowing its worth?
posted by arcticwoman at 12:40 PM on October 23, 2006

I believe the fine print on those contents usually indicates that unclaimed prizes are awarded via random drawing.
posted by COD at 12:45 PM on October 23, 2006

Looks like you need permission to transfer stamps (and they don't have to give it.) From the Official Rules:

Transfers. Potential winners of Mid or High Level prizes may not transfer their prize or their Game Piece, Instant Win Game Stamp(s), Winning Combination, or Online Winning Combination unless authorized in writing by the Redemption Center before the transfer is made. Such authorization may be granted or withheld in Sponsor's sole discretion. Requests for transfer must be in writing and must be included in the redemption envelope with the potential Instant Win Game Stamp, Winning Combination or other Game materials subject to verification as applicable.

arcticwoman,
They might award leftover prizes via a drawing or some other way, or they work that possibility into the cost of the hedge/insurance policy funding the promotion. The Official Rules should tell you (I'm too lazy to read 'em all the way through.)
posted by Opposite George at 12:56 PM on October 23, 2006

Weird, the McDonalds+monopoly+railroad items on eBay have been removed... The shortline was listed for 50$!
posted by rom1 at 1:08 PM on October 23, 2006

I don't understand why people think people will sell the rare piece. Isn't it pretty well understood that only one rare piece per color section is out there, and that should you get Boardwalk, or whatever, all you need to do is buy a bunch of stuff at McDonald's, peel the pieces and throw it away, and you'll get the common ones you need? Who would sell a million-dollar prize?

Obviously, I think that eBay lsiting that was supposedly listing a rare piece for $50 was a scam or a mistake.
posted by GaelFC at 1:15 PM on October 23, 2006

I believe the fine print on those contents usually indicates that unclaimed prizes are awarded via random drawing.

Really? Why wouldn't they just, y'know, keep the money? I would.
posted by chrismear at 1:27 PM on October 23, 2006

Who would sell a million-dollar prize?

Someone who doesn't know what it's worth. The casual McDonald's customer doesn't know which are the rare pieces, outside of Boardwalk.
posted by smackfu at 1:35 PM on October 23, 2006

Why wouldn't they just, y'know, keep the money? I would.

Because that leaves them open to accusations that the whole thing was a deceptive scam.
posted by grouse at 1:46 PM on October 23, 2006

I've got Short Line .... will you give me $3M for it?
posted by indigo4963 at 1:55 PM on October 23, 2006

Someone who doesn't know what it's worth. The casual McDonald's customer doesn't know which are the rare pieces, outside of Boardwalk.

Aye. I didn't even know the Monopoly thing was happening again. If I walked in and got the million dollar prize, I wouldn't even know it.
posted by jmd82 at 1:57 PM on October 23, 2006

Why wouldn't they just, y'know, keep the money?

Strictly conjecture here, but it could be that the law requires them to give out the money to help keep these things honest. But I really don't know.

Oh, never mind. grouse beat me (curse you!)
posted by Opposite George at 2:00 PM on October 23, 2006

Oh come on though, if you're a casual McDonald's customer, and you don't know if a piece is rare, why would you try to sell it? See, makes no sense.
posted by GaelFC at 2:02 PM on October 23, 2006

How often do people inadvertently throw out the winning pieces I wonder? Does McDonalds even pay out on these? I throw away mine without even looking at them frequently.
posted by SirStan at 2:40 PM on October 23, 2006

The casual McDonald's customer doesn't know which are the rare pieces, outside of Boardwalk.

The casual McDonald's customer might get a clue when they see a flier offering $1/4 million.
posted by revgeorge at 4:49 PM on October 23, 2006

EAT MORE QUARTER POUNDERS.
posted by UncleHornHead at 5:05 PM on October 23, 2006

The odds of winning the 5 x 10⁶ dollars are 1:41 billion, or about 7 times the population of the earth.

Good luck!
posted by Mr. Gunn at 5:21 PM on October 23, 2006

A long long time ago, my cousin's friend worked at McDonald's. One day, he somehow obtained a huge bag of monopoly pieces...I'd say at least 1000 of them. They went through the whole bunch. The only thing that was won were free drinks and food.

That said, you're strategy won't work. If someone has that rare winning piece, they could easily pick up the other 3 of the set.
posted by hooray at 6:31 PM on October 23, 2006

You also have to wonder how many rare winning pieces are traded in for "free small fries" and other such consolation prizes.
posted by o0o0o at 9:14 PM on October 23, 2006