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

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

tdreyer1 — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 11:59:59 -0800

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?

By: mikeh

mikeh — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 12:03:58 -0800

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.

By: DevilsAdvocate

DevilsAdvocate — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 12:16:26 -0800

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.

By: Stynxno

Stynxno — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 12:18:11 -0800

rare piece list

there's a good chance that there is only 1 short line piece in the whole run.

By: krautland

krautland — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 12:18:39 -0800

ebay

By: smackfu

smackfu — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 12:23:18 -0800

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.

By: Sandor Clegane

Sandor Clegane — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 12:35:23 -0800

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?

By: arcticwoman

arcticwoman — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 12:40:55 -0800

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?

By: COD

COD — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 12:45:37 -0800

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

By: Opposite George

Opposite George — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 12:56:09 -0800

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.)

By: rom1

rom1 — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 13:08:47 -0800

Weird, the McDonalds+monopoly+railroad items on eBay have been removed... The shortline was listed for 50$!

By: GaelFC

GaelFC — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 13:15:56 -0800

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.

By: chrismear

chrismear — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 13:27:14 -0800

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.

By: smackfu

smackfu — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 13:35:30 -0800

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.

By: grouse

grouse — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 13:46:01 -0800

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.

By: indigo4963

indigo4963 — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 13:55:00 -0800

I've got Short Line .... will you give me $3M for it?

By: jmd82

jmd82 — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 13:57:15 -0800

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.

By: Opposite George

Opposite George — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 14:00:19 -0800

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!)

By: GaelFC

GaelFC — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 14:02:33 -0800

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.

By: SirStan

SirStan — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 14:40:14 -0800

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.

By: revgeorge

revgeorge — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 16:49:59 -0800

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.

By: UncleHornHead

UncleHornHead — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 17:05:12 -0800

EAT MORE QUARTER POUNDERS.

By: Mr. Gunn

Mr. Gunn — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 17:21:00 -0800

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

Good luck!

By: hooray

hooray — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 18:31:40 -0800

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.

By: o0o0o

o0o0o — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 21:14:17 -0800

You also have to wonder how many rare winning pieces are traded in for "free small fries" and other such consolation prizes.