Toyota Claims Woman "Opted In" To Faux Email Stalking

An anonymous reader writes "ABC News is reporting that a California woman is suing Toyota for $10 million for sending her email that appeared to be from a criminal stalker. The woman claims the emails terrified her to the point that she suffered sleeplessness, poor work performance, etc. Toyota says the ruse was part of a marketing campaign for the Toyota Matrix. A Toyota spokesman says they are not liable for the woman's distress, because 'The person who made this claim specifically opted in, granting her permission to receive campaign emails and other communications from Toyota.'"

Opted In

[inglishmayjer]

Yes! I'd like to receive death threats, disturbing messages, and other items of a stalking nature from Toyota Motor Corporation.

Re:Opted In

[mapsjanhere]

Could be worse, Apple could be threatening you with replacing all your operating systems with Windows ME.

Re:I'm over 35

[oldhack]

Lawyers are suing marketers for trying to out-douche them.

Read the damn EULA

[Anonymous Coward]

Not to be pedantic, but it's all right there in the EULA. See below (emphasis mine):

Limitation on Scope of Content
The Toyota Web site, toyota.com, contains information regarding Toyota and its products and promotional programs. The Toyota vehicles described on this site contain uniquely American specifications and equipment and are offered for sale only in the continental U.S.A. The promotional programs described on this site are only available in the continental US and may be limited to particular states as described by the program. All pricing information referred to on this site is in U.S. dollars.

No Representation or Warranty
Toyota reserves the right to modify the information contained on this site at any time without notice. While Toyota makes all reasonable efforts to ensure that all material on this site is correct, accuracy cannot be guaranteed and Toyota does not assume any responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or authenticity of any information contained on this site. By viewing this site, you agree to release and indemnify Toyota from all legal responsibility arising from sending you emails, hiding in bushes outside your house, picking through your trash and dry-humping your dog, cat and/or hamster(s). This site and all information and materials contained herein, is provided to you as is without warranty of any kind.

Re:Yep

[Thruen]

Obviously you've yet to interact with the mysterious beings known as "women" or you'd realize that the typical woman has fragile emotions. Imagine that they did this to your mother, or grandmother, and how they would react. I honestly can't even continue because frankly, it's making me mad that people like you are out there convincing any possible alien observers that we're still to stupid to handle a formal greeting.

Re:I don't understand advertising

[mshannon78660]

Maybe they were hoping for Stockholm syndrome to set in?

Re:"Informed consent" = no way

[MightyMartian]

I work in research with human subjects, and there is no way this constitutes informed consent.

Hah! I am Vwerd from the Planet Klwrhaz, and I also work with human subjects. That is why we will insert a small device in your visual cortex which flashes pictures of naked supermodels. Dare you require informed consent?

work performance

[wealthychef]

she suffered sleeplessness, poor work performance...

Unanswered question: how was her work performance before the emails? Was it really that much worse?

Re:Opted In

[TheRaven64]

Apple has been running a very creepy campaign recently where they get people in berets to sit in corner shops with Macs and sneer at potential customers.

Oh, sorry, I've just been informed that that wasn't a marketing effort at all, those were just regular Mac users.

Re:Yep

[kalirion]

This "Goatse" kitten is the second ugliest kitten I've ever seen!

Re:Really?

[RsJtSu]

I also think that it is funny that they stated in the article that this marketing campaign failed....but they use pretty words like "It did follow our projected timeline."

LOL

Is your husband home?

[jeffyboz]

Here's their IM campaign: toyotamarketing: *heavy breathing* ambermate: who the hell is this? toyotamarketing: what are you wearing? ambermate: i'm calling the police toyotamarketing: is your husband home? ambermate: 9-1-1 toyotamarketing: they can't stop me, i'm driving a prius with the all new Pre-Collision System ambermate: you crazy f%^k, i have a shotgun toyotamarketing: i have Driver and front passenger Advanced Airbag System ambermate: FUCK OFF!!!!!!!!! toyotamarketing: lol--tell you what? i won't come over if you come down to the dealership tomorrow... i'll make you an offer you can't refuse ;-)

Re:"Informed consent" = no way

[NotBornYesterday]

AC == small "device". Heh heh heh. I knew it.

Re:Yep

[sdpuppy]

Whew, thanks thats a relief - so those phone calls that I've been getting from Samara Morgan for the past 7 days are fake ack2^@%!$@6....

Re:Opted In

[SnarfQuest]

If I received messages like that, I'm sure that I'd immediately run out and buy the car. Would that work for telephone soliciters?
CALLER: I'm coming over to kill you!
ME: Why yes, I'd like to test drive your new car.
CALLER: I'll also rape your dead body!
ME: Really! A free cookbook with a test drive. Awsome.

Re:Yep

[Cro Magnon]

Fear sells. The media's been doing it forever. Do you all really believe that you're going to die from the same fucking flu you've been getting (and living through) almost every Winter in your entire life?!

To be fair, the claim is that this is a different fucking flu than the one we've been living through every winter. Everyone knows pig flu is scarier than human flu!

Re:I'm over 35

[bennomatic]

I was leaning toward a small Honda anyway

Would that be the Honda Fit? It's a small, 5-door competitor to the Toyota Matrix which outperforms it in all customer satisfaction metrics, as well as fuel efficiency and crash safety. Plus, instead of steel, it's made of chocolate. Delicious AND biodegradable.




Don't tell anyone that we're 'turfing for Honda's PR company!

Re:I'm over 35

[EdIII]

Those girls are hot, though. Crazy, but hot.

Interestingly, Crazy girls most of the time are not also Hot, but Hot girls most of the time also turn out to be Crazy.

Re:Read the damn EULA

[colesw]

You can totally sue, they only mention cats, dogs and/or hamsters!

Re:Yep

[Anonymous Coward]

Need a modification for "obscure reference"

Re:I don't understand advertising

[Cro Magnon]

These days, the calls during dinner time are from machines too.

Re:I'm over 35

[NotBornYesterday]

$_EVIL_RANT = "true"

When I first read the article, it made me realize that my least-favorite people were neatly represented here; a gold-digger playing "Lawsuit Lotto", brainless marketing drones, and two sets of evil lawyers; a) the lawyers who wrote a shitty, incomprehensible opt-in, and b) the ambulance-chasing losers inciting this woman to get every penny she thinks she deserves.

What I propose is simple. Arm them all with machetes, and drop them in a pit. Last one standing get lifted out, bandaged, and after convalescence is put to work earning a modest but honest living for the rest of their life.

Within 1 year, I predict that frivolous lawsuits would mostly cease to exist, legalese would become plainer, and slimy marketing campaigns would become scarce.

$_EVIL_RANT = "false"

The preceding text may contain hyperbole and derision, substances which the State of California has determined can cause cancer and advanced stages of whining. By reading this post, you agree to the following:
a) you are opting in to reading it, you agree not to hold the writer responsible for your personal wretchedness,
b) you agree not to take the writer literally, and/or post responses implying the above proposal was in any way serious (unless you are a television producer, and are willing to pay me lots of money to produce this as a prime-time sporting event),
c) you agree that if you have mod points, you will award the writer +1 (of any positive category of moderation),
d) and most importantly, you agree not to sue the writer in an attempt to pay off the credit cards you maxed out a couple years ago. Plus, I have no money, so suing me won't do you a damn bit of good anyway.

I'm Coming To Crash At Your Place

[mujadaddy]

Just to hide out from Johnny Law for a tick, luv.

Click here to unsubscribe from the Bowser the Homicidal Maniac's Road Tour

-1 possible customer

[djdevon3]

They'll never be able to sell her that matrix now...

Re:Yep

[HomelessInLaJolla]

call waiting on dial-up

Have mercy!

[shadowbearer]

If imbeciles didn't hire lawyers, what would all the two-bit lawyers do for a living? Please, someone think of the 2b lawyers! They have children too!

SB

Re:I'm over 35

[Anonymous Coward]

It's hard to get unsigned shorts these days. It's all Versache this and Calvin Klein that.

Re:How does this happen?

[MightyMartian]

Just wait until the New GM (Powered By Your Tax Dollars) comes out with its own ads threatening to beat you to death with a tire iron unless you buy one of their cars. It's a whole new wave of marketing!

Safe word?

[Culture20]

What was the Safe Word, Toyota? If she really opted in, there was one. I bet you they'll say next that when she said "no", she really meant "yes", so it was consensual.

Re:Advertising these days...

[Xmastrspy]

I agree. I can't imagine how the meeting at Toyota went when they came up with this idea...

Boss) We need to come up with an edgy new marketing scheme...
Guy 1) Hey, let scare the shit out of some lady.
Guy 2) Yeah, Lets make up a fake stalker!!!
Guy 1) Sweet... Lets make him a criminal too!
Guy 2) Serial Killer?
Guy 1) Naw, Just a regular criminal.. Maybe petty theft?
Guy 2) From a different country?
Guy 1) Oh I like the way you think!!!
Boss) This is a GREAT idea, nothing can possibly go wrong! We will have people all over the US wanting to buy our new cars!

Guy 1 and Guy 2) HIGH FIVE!!! **slap**

Re:what a dumb bitch

[tomhudson]

me@slashdot> slashdot --gamemode
slashgame: YOUR ARE IN A ROOM
slashgame: LOOK NORTH
slashgame: YOU SEE AN ANONYMOUS COWARD
slashgame: HE HAS A KAFKA-GRENADE
slashgame: ANONYMOUS COWARD THROWS THE KAFKA-GRENADE AT YOU
slashgame: CATCH KAFKA-GRENADE
slashgame: YOU CATCH THE KAFKA-GRENADE
slashgame: PULL PIN FROM KAFKA-GRENADE
slashgame: THROW KAFKA-GRENADE AT ANONYMOUS COWARD
slashgame: KAFKA-GRENADE EXPLODES ON ANONYMOUS COWARD
slashgame: ANONYMOUS COWARD TURNS INTO ANONYMOUS COCKROACH
slashgame: ANONYMOUS COCKROACH SCREAMS IN FEAR ABOUT RAID IN COMPUTER
slashgame: MOTHER OF ANONYMOUS COCKROACH SCREAMS FROM OTHER SIDE OF BEDROOM DOOR "ARE YOU WATCHING GAY PORNO AGAIN?"
slashgame: MOM ENTERS BASEMENT BEDROOM
slashgame: MOM SEES ANONYMOUS COCKROACH
slashgame: MOM REMOVES SHOE WITH SOLE OF MATERNAL INSTINCT
slashgame: MOM INSTINCTIVELY CRUSHES ANONYMOUS COCKROACH WITH SOLE OF MATERNAL INSTINCT
slashgame: ANONYMOUS COCKROACH DOES FINAL SWIRLY AROUND THE RIM AS MOM GIVE HIS REMAINS "BURIAL AT SEA"
slashgame: ANONYMOUS COWARD -- 1784 KARMA, WILL RESPAWN A FLOATER IN TIDY-BOWL COMMERCIAL
slashgame: YOU HAVE EARNED 1 BONUS SCROLL OF GUMMY-BEAR
slashgame: EXIT
me@slashdot >

Re:Yep

[amicusNYCL]

Further to this, hopefully the arsehole marketer who came up with the idea loses a job

Saatchi & Saatchi told the marketing magazine OMMA last year that it had developed the campaign to target men under 35 who hate advertising.

Hey, thanks. So, Mr. Marketing Genius Man [not you, parent], why exactly is it that you think that there are people out there who hate advertising or marketers in general? Maybe because of stupid ideas like this?

Re:Yep

[mypalmike]

1. Well below average intelligence
2. Unable to communicate in a coherent fashion(no ability to elaborate on a point except to repeat it verbatim but louder)
3. Blissfully unaware of points 2. and 3.

4. Create weird recursive lists when trying to explain the failure of other people to communicate coherently.

Re:Yep

[omnichad]

Those who are blissfully unaware that the list is recursive are doomed to repeat it.

Re:[QA Results #23855] Bug in $_EVIL_RANT code

[beav007]

You (as well as the GP) are passing in strings instead of boolean values. Now, who do I get to sue?

Re:I'm over 35

[bhsbulldozer]

Shouldn't you save away the old value of _EVIL_RANT instead of blindly restoring it to false? What if you were interrupting someone else's equally inane evil rant? Think of the consequences! Think of the children!

Re:work performance

[purpledinoz]

Her work performance was so bad, she lost $10M.

Re:-1 possible customer

[MoreDruid]

If she wins she'll probably buy a Lexus anyway...