Woman wins '100 grand', gets candy bar, sues

[Fred Derf Veteran]

Jun. 23, 2005. 11:36 AM

Woman wins '100 grand', gets candy bar, sues

FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS

LEXINGTON, Ky. ? A woman who won a radio contest that promised the winner "100 grand" sued after the station gave her a candy bar ? a Nestle's 100 Grand ? instead of $100,000.

Norreasha Gill filed a complaint yesterday in Fayette District Court against Atlanta-based Cumulus Media, which owns WLTO-FM in Lexington. Gill, 28, says the station and its parent company breached a contract to pay $100,000 to the contest winner.

Night host DJ Slick sponsored the station's contest to "win 100 grand," Gill said in the lawsuit. Gill won by listening to the radio show for several hours and being the 10th caller at a specified time.

She went to the radio station the next morning to pick up her prize, but was asked to return later. When she got home, she found that the station manager had left a message explaining she had won a 100 Grand candy bar, not money.

Later, he offered her $5,000, Gill said.

"I said I wanted $95,000 more," she said. "Nobody would watch and listen for two hours for a candy bar."

DJ Slick did not return an email from the Herald-Leader, but he said on his Web site that he had left his job. WLTO and Cumulus declined to comment, identify DJ Slick by his given name or say whether he was fired.

Experts said the radio station could face action by the Federal Communications Commission, which licenses radio stations.

FCC regulations say contest descriptions can't be false or deceptive and that stations must conduct contests as advertised. Stations in two other states have been fined for contests that told listeners they'd won cash prizes without specifying they were in the Italian or Turkish lira, not the U.S. dollar.

Before her family went to sleep that night, Gill says, she promised her children ? ages 1, 5 and 11 ? that they'd have a minivan, a shopping spree, a savings account and a home with a back yard.

"What hurts me is they were going to get me in front of my children, all dressed up, and hand me a candy bar, after all those promises I made to them," she told the Lexington Herald-Leader. ``You just don't do that to people."

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentSe...id=968332188492

[mAcOdIn Veteran]

Lol.

Pity she doesn't see the humor in it. I don't think people should be able to complain when it comes to prizes..

[acoustikrage]

Before her family went to sleep that night, Gill says, she promised her children ? ages 1, 5 and 11 ? that they'd have a minivan, a shopping spree, a savings account and a home with a back yard.

it's kinda sad that she thinks she can do all of that with 100 grand.

[KeR]

I remember hearing a radio clip of this online...kinda old, I think it was sometime last year.

[KeR]

She filed the lawsuit yesterday (June 22, 2005).

586108552[/snapback]

I see, then it must be another station that did the same. I saw a flash animation with a real call to a radio station...I think this was on ebaumsworld.com

[Fred Derf Veteran]

I remember hearing a radio clip of this online...kinda old, I think it was sometime last year.

586108525[/snapback]

She filed the lawsuit yesterday (June 22, 2005).

[John S. Veteran]

It happened just less than a month ago, the lawsuit was just filed

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0623051grand1.html

it's kinda sad that she thinks she can do all of that with 100 grand.

586108538[/snapback]

maybe not in Seattle, but we're talking about Kentucky....very possible

[beardly]

HAHA sucks for her. I think a radio station in Omaha did something similar. They did an April fools joke by saying they were going to give away a vacation or something like that. They said April Fools and the person who had 'won' it was ****ed and sued. They decided to change the station name instead of giving away the vacation. It sucks since they were won of the few good rock stations in town.

[Intersect]

i remember hereing this story, but it happened to a guy insted. a while back now

[Zirus]

true that.... minivan (new)... ~$25,000.... a reasonable home... ~$80,000.... savings accounts anyone?

[PseudoRandomDragon]

She would have squandered her money on useless, temporery items anyway.

[devnulllore]

WAAF in Boston did that about 2 years ago and the DJs are still on the air.

[Fred Derf Veteran]

it's kinda sad that she thinks she can do all of that with 100 grand.

586108538[/snapback]

true that.... minivan (new)... ~$25,000.... a reasonable home... ~$80,000.... savings accounts anyone?

586108571[/snapback]

Many people have the resources to carry a mortgage (I mean, they're probably paying a similar amount in rent anyway) but they have trouble coming up with a downpayment.

She could have purchased a new minivan, placed a downpayment on a house and still had some decent money left over for shopping.

WAAF in Boston did that about 2 years ago and the DJs are still on the air.

586108598[/snapback]

Somebody else (the program director?) probably took the fall then.

[cyclingplatypus]

true that.... minivan (new)... ~$25,000.... a reasonable home... ~$80,000.... savings accounts anyone?

586108571[/snapback]

I was thinking the same thing...she obviously has no concept of money. I remember I used to be like that too, granted I was five years old and I thought a dollar would buy me the world. :D

[theyarecomingforyou]

It is disgusting that radio stations can do this and expect to get away with it - not just because they mislead her about the prize, but because they get a HUGE amount of "free" advertising from it. :no:

[acoustikrage]

Many people have the resources to carry a mortgage (I mean, they're probably paying a similar amount in rent anyway) but they have trouble coming up with a downpayment.

She could have purchased a new minivan, placed a downpayment on a house and still had some decent money left over for shopping.

good point.

[Nexus]

It's sort of funny. But I would be ****ed off as well.

[Orange Battery]

Lol.

Pity she doesn't see the humor in it.  I don't think people should be able to complain when it comes to prizes..

586108534[/snapback]

:huh:

She was tricked, if she laughed it off whats to stop loads of other people being tricked like this. I'd be annoyed too

[Sticktron]

$100,000 for most people <= middle-class is more than enough to set their finances straight and give them room to grow happily, especially when you're a young mom with three kids. She could pay off $10K worth of debt, buy a nice new vehicle for $20K, put $40K down on a new (or first) home, and still set aside $10K/child for university. I'm sure to her that would mean the world.

As far as advertising/contests go, there is just waaay too much B.S. out there. You think you're clever and want to make up stupid claims or trick prizes? Screw that. I hope the station is forced to pay up. This isn't a joke, it's business and there are rules.

[S.MULLA]

lol this is just like the Woman who won a contest at her work place to win a Toyota. when she was given her prize, she was led to the car park and presented a Toy Yoda from star wars..!!! rofl :p and she sued.!!

[mAcOdIn Veteran]

:huh:

She was tricked, if she laughed it off whats to stop loads of other people being tricked like this.  I'd be annoyed too

586108661[/snapback]

I don't know, I guess I just never felt people were entitled to free stuff.

It was misleading yes, but I'm sure the contest wasn't hard. Now if the contest were to climb Mt. Everest for 100 grand, and 6 people risked death for a damn candybar, then yeah I'd say they had grounds for suing, but for a 10th call ro a radio station, nah I don't think so.

Besides those contests are freaking rare as hell, I haven't heard one for 100,000 dollars in years down here, I don't know of many radio stations that can give away 100,000 dollars, I would have been prepared for a switch myself.

[RangerLG]

I never heard any promos, but did the station ever say "100,000 dollars" or "100 grand in cash"? I know its misleading, but I don't think the suit can stand. It would have to be proven that they purposely misled the listeners. Bait and switch is a common sales practice to get patrons to come buy something, this was along those same lines. Caveat emptor.

[saxondale.]

$5k is good enough for me

[mAcOdIn Veteran]

$5k is good enough for me

586108713[/snapback]

You could buy 10,000 100 Grands for that, she should have taken it.

[Tech Star]

That sucks! I would have sued the station also for false info....