One person who started getting unwanted random texts from the Tampa Bay Rays has decided to actually do the thing you always threaten to do: he’s suing the team over it.
Per WTSP 10News, Chad Fernandez says he started getting “unsolicited promotional” SMS messages from Tampa Bay Rays Baseball Ltd. Presumably, each message came with the ability to be deleted but that didn’t sate Fernandez’s pain. According to the lawsuit, the text messages “invaded his privacy, intruded upon his seclusion and solitude, constituted a nuisance, and wasted his time by requiring him to delete the messages.”
Here’s a sample of the texts he received from the Major League Baseball franchise:
- Opening Day is one week away! Get your tickets now and join the Rays for the start of the 2018 season. http://atmlb.com/2HTrLoi Text STOP to cancel
- Happy Opening Day 2018! The Rays season begins today at 4:00 p.m as they take on the Boston Red Sox. Game info: https://bit.ly/ly2GXec8h Text STOP to cancel
- Today only: $20-Press Level tickets for Blue Jays vs. Rays matchup on Saturday, May 5, at 6:10! https://atmlb.com/2qYO85D Text STOP to cancel
Those are some really aggressive tactics there.
Fernandez also says in the lawsuit that the texts made him “incur tangible harms such as loss of cell phone battery life and financial losses in requiring him to recharge his phone.” Say a prayer for this man.
Fernandez is seeking up to $1,500 in damages for the texts, which he claims violate the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. He also wants $500 for every text that he says violated that act.
Trying their best not to laugh, the Rays responded to an e-mail for comment by saying, “We don’t have any comment. Thank you.”
We’re not sure what’s sadder. This lawsuit or the fact that it’s not the first one to be filed against the Rays. Earlier this year, another man filed a federal lawsuit against the team, claiming they violated Federal Communications Commission rules with their marketing messages.
Sorry Rays, if you’re going to set up shop in Florida, you’re going to have to deal with some Florida Men from time to time. That’s just part of the deal.
[WTSP]
