There is still a humongous backlog of responses. These are just the tip of the iceberg. If you haven't already seen them, check out the earlier ones, too. So far, I've only caught up through FNORD - YIKES!
We can't disclose full contest entries yet, but we can let you see a few [more] of the letters of support we have received. Meanwhile, write letters to or call Geoffrey! Alert Bob Dole! Write Bill the Cat and ask him to eat Geoffrey's phones!
All opinions expressed belong to their owners. Our opinions about a certain mongo toy chain and its corporate parent are expressed elsewhere!
Remember, you must send the letters to TRU via us, or at least Cc: us on email, if you want to qualify for the contest!
As of recently, I've started leaving the names on most of the messages. Some message only include an Internet address, and I usually don't feel comfortable posting those without explicit permission.
Some of these have been lightly edited purely for spelling, grammar, or strong language. My comments are emphasized just like this text.
-Will Carlson
Since this came in with a subject of ``stupid lawsuits'', I am assuming he's on my side...
The 'R US' logo is trademarked material.
No. A number of xxxx-R-Us logos are trademarked. This is not the same thing until the courts rule otherwise.
If Toys 'R' Us deems your use of the 'R Us' moniker is inappropriate they have every right to sue you.
Sure they do. But they haven't. Instead, they have used some rather childish, bullying tactics. This tells me they are not nearly as sure of their case as they claim.
I do not necessarily agree with all of TRU's points, but I do not necessarily agree with all of yours either. Your boycott (due to a legal problem between you and TRU) is hurting me and my wife (as she is employed by TRU).
I'm sorry to hear that.
This is a personal problem between you and corporate HQ. Keep it that way.
Sorry, but no. It involves more than just me, as I'm not the only one they are harassing. Furthermore, they threatened me with all their might; I responded with my secret weapon - the Internet. They chose to play dirty; had they not acted the way they did, it might, just possibly, have remained ``private''.
You might want to consider that Wal-Mart (your white knight)...
I suggest you go back and re-read the pages more carefully. Wal-Mart is simply a possible alternative; I never called them my White Knight.
...has basically copied K-Mart (and gotten away with it) and is responsible for shutting down many small businesses in small towns. In addition Wal-Mart has sued many publications for referring to it as 'Wally world'. In search of ignorance? Look elsewhere (try a mirror).
I have no knowledge of Wal-Mart's practices. I do have
direct, provable knowledge of nasty practices on the part
of TRU. What would you do?
I'm not in search of ignorance; but apparently someone at TRU
thought, or hoped, that I would be ignorant of trademark law.
I also found this mildly amusing, coming from you, in as mcuh
as (a) you don't quite seem to have grasped the real problem
here, and (b) your note that flames would be totally ignored.
I will grant you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you
are not ignorant, but merely too overwrought with emotion to
have really grasped the issues. Again, I suggest you go back
and reread the web pages more carefully.
Your inability to keep your problems to yourself may be costing me and my wife a fortune.
Somehow I doubt that I am going to bring down the proud neck of the giraffe, even with the massive support I've gotten. But if it SHOULD happen, they brought it upon themselves. I didn't do a thing but defend myself.
Toys R Us has treated me and my wife and all of their employees EXTREMELY well.
I'm glad they have treated you two well. Not all their employees agree with you, howeevr, on how well they are treated. BTW, are you the head of the employee's union or some other organization, that you even have a clue how they all feel, much less can speak for them?
TRU believes excellent customer service and safe toys.
You are entitled to your opinion (despite your stating it as an incontrovertible fact). My experience is "tolerable customer service" and the lawyers have too much say so in defining a safe toy.
Your problems with TRU are more than likely the result of an overzealous legal dept.
I suspect so - but sppeals to higher ups have done no good. Feel free to pass on those suspicions yourself, especially since you have such faith in their treatment of their employees.
In an ambiguous legal environment (the WEB). I recommend you look elsewhere for a cause (try the homelesss, Amnesty International, or some other organiztion for the general GOOD.)
Oh, please. I wasn't seeking a cause. I was writing HUMOR and SATIRE, and this goofy, giant giraffe came along and tried to step on me. Maybe you can convince TRU's lawyers to go seek a better cause!
Sincerely,
Richard P. Sasser
P.S. Flame mail, will be deleted, not read. Postings out of context will be ignored.
Is this enough context?
[name withheld at writer's request]
-Joe Raleigh
Andrew Blanco
Toys `R' Us to Close 25 Stores and Take A $270 Million Charge in Restructuring
By Joseph Pereira
Staff Reporter of the Wall Street Journal
``Toys "R" Us Inc. has decided that fewer toys are them....''
The article goes on to explain that price wars have hurt it, that it will come up with a new, cheerier, less warehousey look, shrink inventory from 16,000 items to 11,000 items, and close some stores, claimiing that all but a "negligible number" of workers will get reassigned elsewhere.
``Operating profit in last year's fiscal fourth quarter was $666 million...''
Yes, somehow I wasn't surprised to see that particular number! (For the humor-impaired (such as, apparently, TRU lawyers) let me point out that this was a joke. TRU is nowhere evil enough, to date, to be considered the antichrist. Besides, where's the head wound? 8^)
The article then went on to explain that TRU will be opening some ``boutique-like stores'' and renting space to McDonalds inside some stores. (Maybe Wal-Mart will sue them!)
``The new store format will be marked by lower toy shelves, wider aisles, rest areas and skylights. The new "superstores" will be 95,000 square feet, twice as large as existing stores, will also house Kids "R" Us, Babies "R" Us, and half a dozen kiosks from video games to learning toys. Space will be leased to mini-photo shops, haircare and other retailers as well.
``Analysts say that Toys "R" Us cannot afford to compete directly with Wal-Mart, Kmart and other big-volume, broader-line retailers if it wants to keep its profit margins up.''
It ends up by explaining how analysts think this will save TRU's bacon - or the giraffely equivalent.
Hopefully your (rru.com) boycott and other actions will be successful. You have all my support. Publisize this conflict as widely as possible (Net and otherwise). Please forward this message to TRU[tm] as well.
Sincerely,
Hendrik (South Africa)
I've had support from at least a dozen different countries!
Wake up TRU!!! The whole world knows about your ABSOLUTE CORPORATE STUPIDITY!! Wait till there are a million "-R-Us" Web sites! What are you gonna do - sue us all??
I won't shop at TRU - and yes they do have a store in Sydney, Australia.
Go Roadkills-R-Us!!
-Harley Jackson
-Michael J Black
Suing you is almost as stupid as suing this school for using RU in all of its ads
Becky-I-Am
(Rebecca Hill)
With the passing of the CDA (we're suprised your page wasn't black in mourning), we must all be more concious of our rights. We (my son and I) have been planning a vigorous campaign in local support of your movement. We have already returned the abovementioned toys. My son goes to school at a "computer-theme" magnet school. He is going to put your page in the default bookmarks and may write an article in the school paper voicing your plea (how does 500 e-mails to TRU from concerned TEENS sound?). We will also put messages on local Bulletin Boards. We will be putting a mention of your site in a call in letter to a local newspaper. We also plan to contact a local magazine, ComputerUser, to get a mention put in one of our biggest local publications. Our biggest movement is in another of your supporters (which we recruited). A few years ago I began to write a book. I dropped the ball and it was picked up by my friend, Linda Baker. She is the author of Modern Toys -- a widely circulated book among toy collectors. She and I are in correspondence with toy collectors around the country and are informing them of your plight and rallying support for the boycott. (The ranks swell.)
We are also considering making an -R-US out of our website. I want Snails-R-US (it's a business thing), my husband wants Ribs-R-US (for BBQ recipes), and my son and friends want Spuds-R-US (a site to discover amazing, and occasionally dangerous, things to do for, with, and to your friendly local tuber -- the humble potato).
Viva la revolucion!!!
Sharon Vantuyl (and Jayson Vantuyl, Computer Guru)
A new motto for TRU: Roadkills-R-Fuss, Sueage-R-Plus.
-Lisa Barnes
Why let these main stream people in when all they do is regulate everything back to the same life they use the Internet to escape from? LOOPY.
-David Burke
-Jason P.
********************************************************* * Myself, my family, my friends, my fellow employees * * will never visit any toys-R-us store again! * *********************************************************Stick to your guns! Keep publishing the replies from Toys-R-US, I am interested in the outcome..
-Steve Heil
-Henry Cittone
Does TRU have that many lawyers, I wonder?
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Last updated: 25 October 2001
