Can You Get a Civil Demand for Coupon Abuse

[Luo Tan]

I placed 20 orders at sears.com by 20 accounts several days ago, so they are all free after points applied. Today I went to Sears store for picking up. A legal assistant told me I would receive a civil demand letter including 10 time fine because multiple accounts and coupon abusing. He did not call police and I didn't sign any reports. He just wrote down my name, address and other information from my drive license. Now I don't know what I should do next? Do I need to pay this fine? Are his words true and legal?

[DeputyDog]

Your English is lacking, therefore I can't really tell what happened.

If you did something wrong, and you know that you did, pay the fine. Man up and don't try to worm out of your responsibility that you possibly created for yourself.

If you didn't do anything wrong, go see a lawyer.

[budwad]

You are only allowed to have one account on the Sears website. It says so in the Terms of Service. OP opened 20 accounts to take advantage of rewards points on the purchase and coupon bonuses. Then I suspect that he/she cascaded those points and bonuses from one purchase to the next. Clearly fraud and akin to online shoplifting. Sears caught the OP and was waiting for him/her when went to pick up the merchandise.

OP, if you don't pay the civil demand when it arrives you may find yourself arrested and charged and possibly sued.

Did you really think that you were so clever that Sears would just give you 20 order and pay nothing? What was the value of the 20 orders and maybe we can tell you how much trouble you are in.

[Luo Tan]

Acutally I did something wrong, but sears still asked me to pick up all orders yesterday. Do I need to return these items?

[budwad]

I suspect that Sears asked you come and pick up the orders so they could get your real identification to serve you with the civil demand as there was a legal assistant waiting for you. Now that you have the items, you will get the civil demand for their cost plus the 10 times fine that they are allowed to assess.

Why don't you contact Sears lost prevention and ask them if it will go easier on you if you return the orders. I think you will still receive a civil demand letter. What is the approximate value of the orders?

[Mr. Knowitall]

Without facts, I'm not in a position to guess as to why a store clerk would hand over the items to you and then say "You'll be getting a civil demand", whether under the unknown facts a civil demand is viable, or what other consequences might follow. If this situation concerns you, you should discuss the full facts with a lawyer in your state.

[Luo Tan]

A legal assistant didn't wait for me when I pick up theses orders. The cashier found too many free orders,so he told manager , and then manager discuss with legal assistant. The value of order is about $100

[budwad]

There may be some element of entrapment here. Had OP not taken the merchandize there might be a lesser crime or no real crime. The fact that he took the merchandize out of the store makes it a greater crime. Yes, no? He did not pay for the merchandize and he took it. Isn't that shoplifting?

So 20 orders is only $100? You opened 20 accounts to get $100 worth of stuff? That is $5 per item. What were you thinking and just the time to open 20 accounts.

[Mr. Knowitall]

No, even overlooking the fact that it's not clear that a crime occurred, it's not entrapment by any sense of the word. To start with, no law enforcement officer or agency was involved.

[flyingron]

There's NO element of entrapment here for a couple of reasons. Most importantly, there's no criminal complaint / prosecution here.
Further, convincing someone who has already COMMITTED a crime to show up so they can be caught is NOT entrapment even if the cops where hiding in the cupboard to arrest the suspect.