Source of Screenshots: http://imgur.com/a/XU9BM
In 1996, 11-year-old James Barnard bought a package of Polo mints, which are made by Nestlé. That year, Nestlé ran a contest called “The Golden Polo.” Anyone who found a golden Polo mint in his or her package of white Polo mints would win £1,000. A red Polo mint would win £100. James found a green Polo mint, which at first he thought was a moldy mint, but his mother informed him that he had won £10 — a fortune for a boy his age! He followed the instructions and sent in for his prize — but his prize never arrived. In the summer of 2013, Mr. Bernard decided to complain about never receiving his prize. He wrote an interesting and entertaining letter to Nestlé. An excerpt:
“Ten pounds of entertainment to an 11-year-old boy is utterly priceless. You robbed me of a chain of countless childhood experiences, that ultimately could have led to a successful career in French film, or seen me develop the Mario franchise to global domination. Careers worth tens of millions of pounds.
“Instead, you left me with a subconscious feeling of loss; a void in my life, like the void in the centre of your sweet.
“I write to you today, openly, to make sure that this kind of thing doesn’t happen to anyone else. To make you better understand your responsibility to children, and in turn, the world. You are not just fashioning sweets, you are fashioning a child’s development, you are shaping memories and therefore ultimately influencing potential world leaders. You are shaping the future.”
He also wrote a Postscript:
“P.S. I WANT MY BLOODY £10!”
Nestlé sent Mr. Bernard a cheque for £10 — and this kind note:
“We sincerely apologize that it is 16 years late. We appreciate that it may not give you the excitement that it would have given you as an 11 year old child, which is why we’re also sending you some Polo mints as a gesture of goodwill.”
Kudos to Nestlé for making things right, and kudos to Mr. Bernard for writing well.
For Further Information: Nadine Kalinauskas, “Man’s disgruntled letter to Nestlé gets sweet reply.” Ca.news.yahoo.com. 16 August 2013
For Further Information: James Barnard, “Nestlé.” Imgur. 15 August 2013
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