Gardening Express :(

Razzamatazz

Isn't this getting slightly out of proportion? I received the email too and assumed it wasn't a WEM from the ".........." at the end of the title; there was naturally going to be some kind of clause in the body of the email.

It automatically went into my filtered 'Win?' folder because of the "Congratulations" in the title -- yet so do many other non-WEMs, most of which congratulate me on just entering a competition!

If I understand what Gardening Express were trying to do, there were two copies of the email: one for the winners, and the other for everyone else. Their intention was to send the email containing "You've won our iPad competition..... that is if your name appears at the bottom of this email..." to the two winners only. And that would have been a really nice personalised gesture, to open the email and see your name there. Those who didn't win would have received the standard edited version we received later -- "Our winners for our recent ipad and book competition have been contacted..." And all would be okay, because at least there was the nice offer of a free orchid to make up for it.

Unfortunately there was a mistake and the two emails got muddled, and angry commenters took to the company's Facebook and Twitter, and I think Gardening Express are slightly terrified now. I don't think it was with malicious intent they sent the email; it appears to be a genuine mix-up. I do wonder, though, if this outrage would have been provoked if the prize hadn't been an iPad.

By all means complain, but I'm not sure what good it will do. Gardening Express aren't going to gift disgruntled subscribers with an iPad, and there are plenty more iPad comps out there. Chin up!

Angel_Eyes

I got the same, absolutely disgusted

barty1

I also received one, nice start to monday morning, I dont think.

mclaren2005

I received one too my heart skipped a beat!!!

NaughtyAngel2007

That was so bad . really got excited

new email to get a orchid for free ?? i

kbh4031

I agree...I think its a terrible thing to do

IdontMind

I get plenty of emails that before you even open them they say congratulations winner etc, this certainly isnt the first and certainly wont be the last! Would you be complaining if it had been a packet of seeds rather than an iPad???

ozma83

Razzamatazz wrote: »

Isn't this getting slightly out of proportion?

No, and let me tell you why:

Razzamatazz wrote: »

If I understand what Gardening Express were trying to do, there were two copies of the email: one for the winners, and the other for everyone else. Their intention was to send the email containing "You've won our iPad competition..... that is if your name appears at the bottom of this email..." to the two winners only. And that would have been a really nice personalised gesture, to open the email and see your name there. Those who didn't win would have received the standard edited version we received later -- "Our winners for our recent ipad and book competition have been contacted..." And all would be okay, because at least there was the nice offer of a free orchid to make up for it.

Unfortunately there was a mistake and the two emails got muddled,

So what you are saying is that the email that we all got was meant ONLY for the winner? So why did it say "I want to thank whoever entered, dont worry if you missed out this time there will be other comps...etc?" Also, I don't know how gullible the company thinks people are, but the wording of it makes it pretty clear that the email was intended EXACTLY like those who say, 'check if you are a winner at the bottom of the email'. The problem is it did NOT say that, instead it made a STATEMENT, announcing the recipient they had won an Ipad, and this statement was made (if not in the header of the email, if you want to stretch it so much as to say that there was an 'if' afterwards) certainly in the SUBJECT of the email. So yes, that was them announcing to me PERSONALLY (just like everyone else who got it) that I had won an ipad. Let me highlight that it did not say 'you are a POSSIBLE winner' - even scammers know not to take any risks with a badly worded email!

The email you are saying was the right one for the non-winners is the one they sent AFTERWARDS, when they realised that people didn't really take well to the 'nice thought' and when they realise it was a FALSE STATEMENT and therefore could get them into serious trouble. So again let me highlight that they did realise this - then tried to patch it up hoping people would just think it was a small confusion.

Are you really telling me you believe this?? Personally I would have accepted their apologies and understood it much more easily had they ADMITTED that the email was indeed meant for everyone and that it was just another way of making people scroll through their email (=marketing gimmick), albeit one which didn't take into account people's feelings on being falsely told they'd won a huge prize.

Razzamatazz wrote: »

I do wonder, though, if this outrage would have been provoked if the prize hadn't been an iPad.

Are you seriously asking this??? Of course not!!! Of course people got upset especially because it was an ipad - I for one can't afford one and will not able to afford one for a long time if ever, not sure about you, but you can clearly understand that an being falsely told you have won an Ipad is not exactly the same as being told you have falsely won a packet of crisps.


I am not complaining because I want them to send me the ipad, I am complaining because they acted in a completely unprofessional way, deleting comments, accusing people of acting defamatory and being shallow, and then STOPPING COMMENTS altogether.

I do not think this is a company I would want to do any business with (though the badly spelled newsletters should have given me a heads up already).

I_luv_cats

It was in my Spam folder so I was a little excited yet sceptical!!

I saw the "if" and the actual winner @ the bottom. I am glad I didn't open the email properly.


The only time when I was ready to tell all MSE'rs it was a false win!!

mp3duck

Yep. I got the same email.
Very very mean and unprofessional of them.

not impressed. I unsubscribed from their emails, and won't enter their comps any more now