Toys 'R' Us Baby Contest Sparks Fuss ( rules first baby has to have American parents

[wakeme2008]

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-First-Baby-Dispute.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

January 6, 2007
Toys 'R' Us Baby Contest Sparks Fuss
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 11:47 a.m. ET

NEW YORK (AP) -- Toys ''R'' Us Inc. has come under fire for denying a Chinese-American infant a $25,000 savings bond prize in a contest for the New Year's first baby because the company said the girl's mother is not a legal U.S. resident.

The company's decision -- which came less than a month after it opened its first mainland China store, in Shanghai -- has infuriated some Chinese-American advocates.

..cut..

The Wayne, N.J.-based company had said the prize would go to the first American baby born in 2007.
..cut..

The prize went instead to runner-up Jayden Swain, born 19 seconds after midnight at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville, Ga.

..more at link

Fuck this is going to be a PR nightmare and the "saving bond" does not even cost them $25,000....

[bluedeminredstate]

1. IDIOTS!!!

The child was American the instant she was pushed from her mother's illegally-residing womb onto American soil - er, well, you know what I mean. That make her an American baby. It says so in the Constitution. So what's the problem?
Why does Toys R Us hate America?

:patriot:

[MADem]

2. I agree with you. Talk about lunacy. You either ARE the first born or you are not.

Where your parents came from doesn't matter. Gee, why don't they have a segregated contest, with lesser prizes for the "lesser" categories of newborn babies born right after midnight? They could give out smaller bonds for the "less desirable" babies....while Chubby McWhitekid gets the big check!

Insane. Stupid, stupid company. What a PR mess.

[rocktivity]

3. Sorry, but she shouldn't have been a finalist anyhow.

Yuki Lin was born at the stroke of midnight...according to hospital officials...

If she was born on the stroke of midnight between Dec. 31 and Jan 1, she was born ON December 31. Anyone born AFTER the stroke of midnight was born on Jan. 1! So she shouldn't have been eligible in the first place.

...The Wayne, N.J.-based company had said the prize would go to the first American baby born in 2007...

Although promotional materials called for ''all expectant New Year's mothers'' to apply for the contest...eligibility rules required babies' mothers to be legal residents...

...Attempts to reach Yuki's parents...were unsuccessful...Their immigration status was not clear.

And that's the REAL problem here. Had Yuki been born after midnight, and her mother was in America LEGALLY, then they'd have a leg to stand on. Being "not a legal resident" does NOT equate to "being in the country illegally."

The rules should have said that the mother had to be an American CITIZEN. And as MADem says, babies born on American soil are BY DEFINITION American babies. If Yuki had been born eighteen seconds later, Toys R Us would be in a legal minefield, and deservedly so. This contest wasn't well-planned at all.

:headbang:
rocknation

[rebel with a cause]

7. Note that it was a three way tie.

There should have three saving bonds given out in the first place. I doubt if $75,000 would cause a dent in the Toy R Us war chest. Remember, they are one of the top companies to profit from the Iraq war. (I don't know how so don't ask me)

But then again, the third babies parents are from EL Salvador. Toys R Us just got themselves a PR nightmare, because they elected to give all the marbles to the one baby from the good ole south, and I'll bet it is just as white as I am. (If it is not, then I will admit I am wrong on this part.) The other two were both born in NY, and to immigrant parents who are probably considered non-white. Just like the good old days. How I have missed them-not.

[Gormy Cuss]

10. I agree. Toys'R'Us just bought itself more than $50,000 worth of trouble

by deciding it this way. Rules or not, they look like xenophobic if not bigoted jerks.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

19. "Look like?" More like "are."

At least the freepazoid who decided to disqualify the "non-American" (factually wrong too because she IS) baby.

[Gormy Cuss]

20. I don't have the facts to say that for certain, which is why I used that language.

Of course it smells pretty bad since someone put the stipulation in the contest rules about the parents having legal residency as a qualification. Why make that rule if the contest is about the first American baby born in the year, after all? The savings bonds could be held in trust if for some reason the company didn't want to convey it to the parents.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

22. Did anybody actually SEE such rules? I suspect they calvinballed them in. -nt

[rebel with a cause]

25. Ask and ye shall receive

This is copied from a post that I did on another thread, hope I am not breaking any rules.

the rules for the contest are here http://www.firstbabyoftheyear.com/rules.html


"ELIGIBILITY: Sweepstakes only open to women who are pregnant and could plausibly give birth in a U.S. or D.C. hospital, at or after 12:00 am (local time in registrant time zone), on January 1, 2007 and who are legal residents of the 50 United States or Washington D.C. Additionally, U.S. hospitals and OB/GYN offices may enter on behalf of themselves, their obstetricians and their pregnant patients who are legal U.S. residents and who give birth in a registered U.S. hospital. For purposes of this Sweepstakes, "obstetrician" shall include obstetricians, certified midwives or family practitioners who perform the delivery in a registered hospital. Patient consent will be confirmed when winner(s) are determined. Entrants must have Internet access and a valid email address as of the start of the promotion. Void in Puerto Rico and where prohibited or restricted by law. Employees and immediate family members (parents, children or siblings, whether or not the individual lives in the same household) of Babies"R"Us, LeadDog Marketing Group, and their respective parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, participating vendors, promotion or advertising agencies, or any other company involved with the design, production, execution or distribution of the Sweepstakes (all of the above, together with Sponsor, collectively referred to as "Promotion Entities") and immediate family members and household members of each of the foregoing are ineligible to enter. "Household member" shall mean people who share the same residence at least 3 months a year. All federal, state, and local laws and regulations apply."

If I understand it correctly", both the parents or the hospital can enter the baby into the contest, but the hospital must send the birth certificate into the contest on Jan. 1st, 2007. It seems we may all have been right/wrong on this matter as far as the contest is concerned.

These are the rules and it is a contest, but is the contest fair? I don't know, it can be argued both ways I guess, but for me it is not. I don't like contest very much anyway and this is why. And I don't like rules that discriminate. That is just the way I am and I am too old to change now. I can admit a mistake, I have made quite a few, but I will not compromise on my ideals.

[Mutley]

36. $75,000 wouldn't cause them a dent.

One store made that in about three hours during the Christmas season.

[Longhorn]

11. Midnight is 12 a.m., not 12 p.m. So I'm curious why it is considered

the last second of the day before, not the first second of the next day?

Thanks! :hi:

[rebel with a cause]

12. There was only 19 seconds inbetween the births.

So they were all born in the same minute.

[pitohui]

14. yeah that's the way it goes in contests

many a race is lost by a fraction of a second, that's just the way it is, everybody can't be a winner

the prize should be awarded in accord w. the rules, period, end of sentence

[rebel with a cause]

15. We will just agree

to disagree. Life is not a contest to me, and never will be. Fairness does not always fit the rules set up by some. Say, the right not to serve some people because of who they were. Those signs hung in windows of businesses all over the country, and they were the rules for some people for many years. You see, you think in terms of fairness in a contest and I think of fairness of in the terms of humanity.

Ok, end of sentence. The way it is.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

16. Right on

"The Wayne, N.J.-based company had said the prize would go to the first American baby born in 2007."

Tell me now HOW that baby was "against the rules".

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

17. Delete

Meant to reply to the OP

[rocktivity]

24. I think that has to do with the invention of LED clocks.

Technically, noon and midnight are neither AM or PM, but I guess there needed to be a point from where the morning and afternon could start being counted.

:headbang:
rocknation

[daleo]

26. Are all hospital operating rooms linked to a central atomic clock?

And is there a photo taken, so that the precise time of birth can be recorded. Is there a referee present to declare the birth "finished"? Do only vaginal births count? What if forceps are used to hurry things up? Cesareans?

It seems to me that these baby contests are full of operational difficulties.

[NashVegas]

33. Uh-Uh

23:59:59 represents one day. 00:00:00 represents a different day.

[depakid]

4. Try finding something in Toys R Us that's not made in China

Why not just give out 2 savings bonds and be done with this mess?

Nope- that's too easy.

[AzDar]

5. The rules (whether 'fair' or not) seem pretty clear to me. n/t

[wakeme2008]

6. Do you read all the fine print on all contests

First Baby Born... to me is simple.

[pitohui]

8. contests always hold to the fine print

you have to

in any sweepstakes, tournament, etc. that i have ever participated in and i have participated in many, those who broke the rules were eliminated

the child was not eligible for the prize because the rules weren't followed, the prize goes to the first child who is eligible

these parents are angle shooters trying to steal a prize they're not entitled to under the rules, and i got no use whatsoever for angle shooters as i've had them try to rip off a prize i was entitled to (a mere $2500 by comparison but it was still mine -- and i still got it -- and the angle shooters got eliminated but i had to get nasty and threaten to file a complaint w. the gaming commission that had jurisdiction over the tournament)

if you enter a contest without bothering to read or follow the rules, you don't deserve ANY prize, that's just stupid-ass to give any prize to people who aren't playing by the rules when others are playing by the rules

sheesh

am i the only person in this thread who actually tries to win stuff honestly?

don't enter contests you're not eligible for, you're wasting your time and mine

[rebel with a cause]

9. Wow, so you had a bad experience with a contest.

First of all, I doubt that the mother entered the contest. Or do you think that three women intentionally went into labor at a certain time to win a prize. It was all a big race to see you could have the baby at just the right time to win the prize. I guess I am just not greedy enough to think like that.

This type of thing is usually done by the hospital. The corporations make them aware of the contest and the hospitals, who always enjoy having the PR of having the first New Years baby, then enter their baby into the contest. I am sure the parents of the baby were happy to have their baby born healthy and then were told that they might have won the contest. They did not cheat as you imply, the baby is American as much as you and I are. If they had wanted the parents both to be American citizens, it should have not been in the fine print but in the bold print. FIRST BABY BORN IN USA TO USA CITIZENS.

By the way (and this is not meant for you personally), I sort of hate the American thing and people who point it out so much like we are so special. Because everyone who lives in North, Central and South America could just as easily claim to be Americans. We are actually United States of Americans. ;)

[pitohui]

13. no i had a good experience, i followed the rules and i won

in fact i've won a LOT of contests but never once have i won doing an angle shoot, i win by playing an honest game -- and people who don't follow the rules don't deserve to win as often as i do because they haven't made the effort, it's that simple

the parents who are not legal residents of the usa don't get to play, any more than a kid under age 18 gets to sit down and try to win my money at texas hold 'em

no sympathy here for angle shooters, they knew all along they weren't entitled to any prize, they knew their own immigration status just fine, pretty hard to forget which country you're a legal resident of, sorry -- if the hospital misled them, let the hospital award the $25K but there's the strong smell of angle-shooting trying to put the bite on toys r us for this one

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

34. Hey, did you take a look at post #27?

I'd really like to know your opinion on that.

(Ooooo mama, I already can hear the wailing & gnashing of teeth from here in Brazil!) :rofl:

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

18. Please read this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=3058400&mesg_id=3058467

Pay double attention to the fruit business.

[rebel with a cause]

23. I'm sure glad I don't have a problem with it.

I'm allergic to pineapples. :7

[truthisfreedom]

21. Lunacy! This is so wrong on so many levels.

They'll never disentangle themselves from this unless they pay out to everyone involved.

They should reverse their decision and apologize furiously for their gaffe.

[Gormy Cuss]

27. UPDATE: Toys'R'Us changes its decision

Yuki Lin to get the savings bond after all.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2007/01/06/national/a162550S31.DTL

Toys "R" Us Inc. agreed on Saturday to award a Chinese-American infant a $25,000 prize in a New Year's baby contest after the company came under fire for disqualifying the girl because her mother was not a legal U.S. resident.

Chinese-American advocates said they were infuriated by Toys "R" Us, which opened its first mainland China store less than a month ago, and launched an e-mail campaign on the issue.

The company responded by awarding each of the three babies in the grand prize pool of the "First Baby of the Year Sweepstakes" a $25,000 savings bond. Toys "R" Us is the parent company of Babies "R" Us, which sponsored the contest.

"We love all babies," the company said in a statement. "Our sweepstakes was intended to welcome the first baby of 2007 and prepare for its future. We deeply regret that this sweepstakes became a point of controversy."

[MissB]

28. Wised up, did they?

[rocktivity]

29. I'll bet it's because it turns out that the mother IS in the U.S. legally!

They've practically her her a wetback, after all.

:headbang:
rocknation

[rebel with a cause]

35. From what I read it is because of

several factors. I will try to list them out, because I did not copy the article.

1) The outcry from the public, especially from Asian advocacy groups.
2) The legal aspect. (due to points 3&4)
3) The prize was for the baby (American) and not the mother.
4) The official brochures that were handed out to hospitals and the pregnant women stated that the contest was open to all women. The only place that the legal residency of the mother was listed was in the official rules at their official web site. If the mother did not have a computer, or no access to one, she would not know the official rules.

So to anyone that said that these women knowingly cheated, no they did not. They thought the contest was open to all mothers that were expecting babies in the first of the year. Also, unlike earlier years when the parents entered the baby in the contest by sending in photos of them, in this years contest the baby could be entered by the parents or by the hospital with the mothers consent.

[rebel with a cause]

30. I'm glad they listened to me.

See post #7.

It's about time I got the respect I deserve. This is said with a whole lot of humility and :sarcasm: .

[Gormy Cuss]

31. Damn, you're good.

It was either you or the brazillion other people who saw the same logical solution to the mess.:-)

[rebel with a cause]

32. Now don't rain on my parade.

I thought I had the power of the universe in my fingers. I was about to go out and buy me a Teela outfit and a green tiger to ride on. (He-Man reference) I don't know how I would get an outfit or tiger big enough, but after this I 'humbly' thought all things were possible. ;-)