A cycle shop in Mississippi accidentally gave away an ATV ten times in a row during a promotional contest, when all ten of the people who were randomly selected from over a thousand turned out to have working copies of the same key. The store’s owner still doesn’t know how it happened, but he held firm to the intent of the original promotion and gave away only one ATV, which has angered at least one non-winning winner.

“It’s just a big disappointment because my key worked, and that’s what we were promised – if your key works, you get the ATV,” said Cheri Reus, who was second in line and whose key worked just fine. She’s since complained to the attorney general, and a spokesperson for the office said they were investigating the issue.

The other nine contestants apparently agreed to let the cycle shop owner draw the winner’s name from a hat, which we think shows a remarkable level of customer compassion for the store owner.

“Hattiesburg business accidentally promises 10 free ATVs” [The Clarion-Ledger via Metafilter]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.