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Previous: Rose sign | Main | Next: Arby's sign
February 16, 2005 12:01 AM
Broken: Obfuscatory language
The Golden Bull awards are given "for the year's worst examples of gobbledygook."
One of the 2004 winners was British Airways, for "NOTE – CANCELLATIONS – BEFORE DEPARTURE FARE IS REFUNDABLE. IF COMBINING A NON-REFUNDABLE FARE WITH A REFUNDABLE FARE ONLY THE Y/C/J-CLASS HALF RETURN AMOUNT CAN BE REFUNDED..."
Probably makes perfect sense if you actually work for the airline...As far as the rest of us....well......
I think that in English it means something like this (but please don't take it as correct; I made some assumptions and a few Google searches for jargon):
===
CANCELLATIONS
If you cancel your flight, some fares may not be refundable; if this is the case, this will be noted on the receipt.
If your flight consisted of both non-refundable fares and refundable fares, your refund will be limited to half of the return amount on a non-discounted/non-promotional economy or business flight.
Rares can NOT be refunded after departure.
===
That's my best guess at deciphering it, anyway. Now, why they couldn't have said that in the first place, I don't know...
Er, that should be "Fares can NOT be refunded after departure", of course. (I did use Preview - honest!)
Oh, and I just saw the page and there's more to it than that. So ignore that sentence above completely. I thought what was here was all of it. :D
I have seen a few companies that include 2 copies of their contracts in mailings to their customers: A legalistic copy for use in court, and a plain language copy that can be understood by the average person.
Gary Edstrom: I hate to be cynical, but I'd be worried about that - how do you know the version they've given the customer to read isn't missing some important information?
fuzzy: I did, but that's possibly because I've looked at obfuscated programming contests. :)
I rather like the Bank of Scotland one:
"We hereby give you notice that Bank of Scotland have retrocessed, reponed and restored Executors and Assignees, in and to their own right and place in the undernoted policy of Assurance by our Office, Videlicet."
I've heard of legalese, but that's just plain ridiculous.
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Previous: Rose sign | Main | Next: Arby's sign
So what did that mean in english lol
Posted by: Timmie at February 16, 2005 06:51 AM