Accused of Theft for Trying to Get a Freebie with $200? Shop Owner's 'Genius Logic': 'You Get It When You Catch 200 Items,' and

🔵 Incident Origin: On September 3rd, in a claw machine store in Changhua City, two teenagers saw a sign above a machine that read 'Catch 200, Get Freebie.' They interpreted this as receiving a solar Bluetooth speaker for spending $200, so they deposited $200 and took the prize. 🔵 Owner Reports: The store owner noticed the speaker was taken during a routine check. After reviewing surveillance footage, he believed the teenagers hadn't met his self-set prize threshold and reported them to the police. When the teenagers' parents learned of this, they questioned the unclear signage, arguing that 'Catch 200, Get Freebie' could easily be understood by consumers as receiving a gift for spending $200. 🔵 Point of Contention: The owner explained that 'Catch 200, Get Freebie' meant they had to catch 200 dolls or items to receive the speaker. He also stated that other machines in the store had signs like 'Catch 20, Get Freebie' and 'Catch 15, Get Freebie,' implying consumers should have inquired first. 🔵 Product Value Dispute: During communication between the parents and the owner, the owner claimed the product's value could be 'stated as $6,000, or it could be stated as $60,000,' raising external questions about whether the prize had a clear basis for its value. 🔵 Consumer Protection View: A consumer protection officer pointed out that the universal unit in the claw machine market is 'dollars.' If owners want to calculate by 'attempts' or 'items,' they must clearly indicate it, otherwise, it violates consumer protection laws. This reminds me of unscrupulous vendors at the wet market. The sign says $100/item, but when you pay, it's way more expensive. Then they point to the 'starting from' tiny print on the sign that's almost invisible. If you don't buy, they'll even call people to threaten you into buying... Seriously, scams are everywhere, and these scummy merchants aren't afraid of jail or fines at all. 😠😠