Thursday, August 16, 2007

How not to creep around

Every now and then, I'll read an article or hear about a story so funny that I can't come up with anything critical to say about it. I think this is one of those times:

A married man is suing 1-800-Flowers for $1 million for revealing that he was cheating on his wife. Leroy Greer, a married man going through a divorce, claims in a federal lawsuit filed in Texas that he bought flowers through 1-800-Flowers for his girlfriend and asked the company to keep his purchase private. Leroy Greer said in a lawsuit filed this week in a federal court in Texas that he bought flowers for his girlfriend through 1-800-Flowers. He asked to keep his purchase private. Greer said he was referred to the company's privacy policy, which states that customers can ask 1-800-Flowers not to share personal information with "third parties." But, the lawsuit says, 1-800-Flowers sent a thank-you note to his house and his wife saw it. When she called the company, 1-800-Flowers faxed her a copy of the receipt from Greer's secret purchase. The receipt revealed that Greer had sent another woman a dozen long-stemmed red roses, along with a note that read, "Just wanted to say that I love you and you mean the world to me!" according to court documents. Source


Perhaps this dude has a legitimate case. Maybe he doesn't. That's for the court to decide. All I know is that with the charge of lacking common sense, this brotha is guilty on all counts.

People, look. If you've never listened to any advice I've had to offer, please at least listen to this: If you're gonna mess around and cheat on your mate -- and I'm certainly not advocating that you do -- USE CASH! The last thing you need to worry about is leaving a paper trail.

I'm starting to see why many women think that we're idiots. Maybe there's a hint of truth to it.


- ACL

19 "Insiders" spoke their mind. Join in...:

heiresschild said...

proof of what's done in the dark will come to light!

Anonymous said...

This idiot...making it hard for us to mess around. Ha!

On the real, you've gotta wonder what this guy was thinking. For that matter, I have a hard time figuring out why people would resort to messing around when they have so much to lose. Why not just be honest and forthright with the wife. It'll make the transition to the girlfriend easier. Not easy; but easier.

This dude is giving all of us a bad name.

Anonymous said...

Unless this man can prove that his wife is somehow a "third party", I don't think he has any legal leverage. Whatever the case, I can't help but think how funny this whole story is. Basically, this loser is trying to get rewarded for doing wrong. AMAZING!

If he DOES get anything, I think the wife should get it all. That'll teach him what's what.

Anonymous said...

Clearly, this man is trying to find a fall guy for his own indiscretions. I think the judge/jury will pick up on this. It's like that one time when the guy tried to sue Joey Greco when he was exposed on Cheaters. The judge threw the case out; citing that it was a waste of taxpayers' money.

Andre said...

@ Heiress: "proof of what's done in the dark will come to light!"

No doubt! Even when we're are able to duck and dodge others, God's eye is always on us (for good or for bad...). God is sort of like...uh...Big Brother. :)

@ KC: "This dude is giving all of us a bad name."

Not all of us. Just those of us interested in being in committed relationship. People cheat all the time. And don't think it's just men. It's just that men are the ones always getting caught.

@ Cyn: "Unless this man can prove that his wife is somehow a "third party", I don't think he has any legal leverage."

Good point. I was thinking the same thing. Just by the wife being able to so easily get a copy of the receipt lets me know that the purchase was made on some credit/debit card and likely had her listed as a joint holder on that account. And two, the thank you note came to house address to the man. I've ordered from 1-800-Flowers before and I did get a thank-you note sent to me.

I'm curious to see how this thing shapes out.

Anonymous said...

I think it's ironic that while this man is talking about a company breaking it's contractual obligations, this man did the SAME thing when he broke his contractual obligation to his wife AND God.

He doesn't deserve a penny for this.

Anonymous said...

Maybe I'm in the minority, but I don't think this case should be a moral issue. Yes, he was wrong for messing around on his wife. But the issue here (the ONLY issue that should be on the table) is the clear breach of contract 1-800-Flowers made by revealing information to a third party. Adultery is not the issue here.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous, morality aside this couple IS still married. With Texas being one of the few community property states, half of the flower purchase technically belonged to the wife. So she wasn't a third party. She was half of the purchaser.

Anonymous said...

This case is too funny for words!What most people (including this Greer moron) don't get is that most business' policies on privacy protect the buyer's financial information. The business promises not to sell the buyer's information to 3rd party agencies to keep other companies from (1) obtaining personal information and (2) using that information to aggressive solicit the buyer. 1-800-FLOWERS simply sent a thank you note automatically as a courtesy to the purchaser. The thank you note they sent has nothing to do with this privacy policy. It's pretty unlikely that a conservative, business friendly state like Texas will make such a distinction.

The reality is this situation is about the stupidity of a bad husband and NOT with an irresponsible company. Maybe Greer should've read that part of contract that covered using their services to commit adultery.

Anonymous said...

J.Alex Said: "The reality is this situation is about the stupidity of a bad husband and NOT with an irresponsible company. Maybe Greer should've read that part of contract that covered using their services to commit adultery"

/agree. This appears to be yet another example of some schmuck that is willing to bring just about anybody to litigation for just about any reason possible. Man puts his own life in the toilet, then places the blame elsewhere. Man then files a lawsuit.

It's so very typical it's almost a cliché.

-n

Anonymous said...

Cynthia: Arguably, since when a man and woman get married they become one, she legally is the purchaser, not a third party, not a half of the purchaser.

Nit picky? Maybe, but it seems to me saying half starts to lend credibility to this guys argument, even if a little bit. I would have like more information about the divorce, and if it was before this whole ordeal (or caused by it even... lol).

Andre said...

@ Joanne: "...while this man is talking about a company breaking it's contractual obligations, this man did the SAME thing when he broke his contractual obligation to his wife AND God."

Shazam!

@ Anonymous: "But the issue here (the ONLY issue that should be on the table) is the clear breach of contract 1-800-Flowers made by revealing information to a third party."

I think the point a few people made is important here. If the wife was also a bearer of that account, any inquiries she made would not be of a "third party". As far as I can tell, the wife and husband lived at the same address. The florist had no reason to believe that the wife shouldn't be involved in the transaction.

@ Cyn: I see where you're going. The whole "what's mine is yours, what's yours is mine thing." Using that as the foundation, the wife actually becomes the full purchaser as well. Then again, I'm not married so I'm not exactly sure how that works legally.

@ J. Alex: Thanks for clearing up what a third party is. Still, I can't help but wonder if there could ever be a circumstance where even a wife can be a third party. I mean, none of us would've been allowed to access information about this guy's purchase. Under what conditions (if such conditions do, in fact, exist) can even a spouse be disallowed from obtaining information under privilege?

@ Nic: We undoubtedly live in a litigous society; where everybody and their momma try to sue people for everything. Case in point.

@ Will: Oh. I guess you already made the half versus whole point. Good call. As for me, maybe I should read more, respond less.

heiresschild said...

hmmmm, i missed the bus just now because when it was coming up the hill, there was no pavement for me to walk on so i couldn't cross over to that side of the street yet to walk up to the bus stop. i wonder who do i sue--the bus company or the city. what? it's no different than this man or the lady at mcdonald's. ok, that's my humor for the day, but like you said andre, we live in a litigous society where everybody and their momma tries to sue......

Andre said...

You might have a pretty good case, Sylvia. Since I feel like I was the one who got the litigous wheels turning in your head, I should be compensated 40% of whatever you get.

If not, what the heck. I can always sue you for it...

Anonymous said...

*Shaking my head at Heiresschild and Andre*

Anonymous said...

Wouldn't it be funny if this were all a scam; concocted by the husband and wife to get a bunch of money from 1-800-Flowers?

Lest we forget the chick who tried to pull off the finger-in-the-chili hoax against Wendy's.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/04/22/national/main690210.shtml

If it's not a scam, I stick to my guns and say this guy's an idiot. If it IS a scam, they're the smartest people on the planet. Ha!

Andre said...

@ Cynthia: What? I'm just tryin' to pick up a quick buck. Can't fault me for that, right?

@ KC: Speaking of quick bucks:

"Wouldn't it be funny if this were all a scam; concocted by the husband and wife to get a bunch of money from 1-800-Flowers?

Lest we forget the chick who tried to pull off the finger-in-the-chili hoax against Wendy's.
"

Hmmmm....

Anonymous said...

I must admit that I'm enjoying the humor that everybody's finding in this story. I can't help but laugh myself sometimes. But on a serious note, there are a few things that people have either slightly brushed or ignored altogether about this story:

1. What of the girlfriend? I've known women who were unknowingly dating married men who's lives were destroyed when the truth came out. Did she know this man was married or did she have to be embarrased in front of the nation as it was all being revealed.

2. No matter what happens, a sacred trust has been broken. For everybody to be in such a frenzy to "protect marriage", people are breaking their marriage oaths left and right. It's become more tabloid than anything. SAD!

3. Finally, what of the children? With an unfaithful father and a greedy/bloodthirsty mother, what types of lessons are being taught to their children? Worse yet, are they of the age, mind, and maturity to understand what's going on? These parents have made a national spectacle out of something that could have a lasting impact on their children.

heiresschild said...

andre, 40/60 split sounds good, especially since my lawyer will do it pro bono should i decide to sue. maybe i'll wait and see how this guy fares first.

joanne, definitely not discounting or downplaying your points because this situation really is serious.