Coral withdraw free bet offer (for Grand National)

blackaqua

I signed up with Coral to place a bet on the Grand National yesterday and they were offering a free bet to match the first deposit, credited within 24 hours (http://www.coral.co.uk/football/30gp/).

After contacting them after I failed to receive this they replied

"Thank you for your message.

Please be advised that Coral have taken the decision to suspend all free bet sign up promotions during the Grand National period. I can confirm that any customers registering between 21.30 on 13/04 and 17.00 on 14/04 are not eligible for a sign-up free bet. Please note that this applies across the online, telebet and mobile platforms. Our respective terms and conditions state that promotions can be discontinued at any time without further discussion.

From looking at your account, unfortunately you signed up during this suspension period and as such will not be eligible for a free bet. I apologise for any disappointment caused.

Should you require further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact either myself or another member of the Customer Services team.

Kind regards,"

Any recourse here even if its just a moan to advertising standards? I appreciate the T&C states: We reserve the right to amend or withdraw any promotion at any point for whatever reason. I guess my argument is that they were still actively advertising this, when they could have removed the notice or otherwise publicised its withdrawal (its not like it was printed and couldn't be altered easily), and I would have chosen somewhere else to place a bet instead.

Apologies if this is in the wrong forum

Thanks

geewhiz

I've just had exactly the same response and told them it was completely unacceptable to sign me up with this offer then withdraw it after the event, I've also told them I will be contacting the Advertising Standards Authority and never ever using this company again.

Terrible example of lying to get customers, it's fine to remove the offer but not to people who are clicking on the advert on their site.

Nashbone

I too have had exactly the same responses from them on this with the latest one saying:

Please be advised that during the time frame cited, Coral was not advertising any free bets on our website and we are not responsible for any affiliate links that were still advertising this.! We understand your frustration but this was a company decision and as such I can only apologise for any disappointment caused.!

I'm a little confused as I definately saw an advert on their website when I Signed up!? Has anyone got a copy of it?

I'm not letting this one lie!

blackaqua

Yep same response here. I signed up through topcashback (I guess they'll probably refuse this too) but the fact is the referral link directs to their website, for which they have full and total control - its not like I clicked on a link that said free bet, click here, and then there was no reference to it on Corals side.

I also got the same generic response as you nashbone, but with the address to make a formal complaint:

Contact Centre Manager
Gala Coral Group
Globe House
Victoria Way
Woking
GU21 6DD

I'll be sending off a letter before the stamp prices go up and one to advertising standards today

Jimbossa

I've had the same issue clicking through to Coral from Quidco. I went straight to a page on Coral's website adverstising the £30 free bet offer, with a click through from there to sign up. There was nothing in the terms and condition displayed about the ability to withdraw an offer afterwards. I would not have placed my bet with them if I did not believe that I was getting a free bet.

I think is isn't just an issue for the advertising standards but also fraud. They are taking money from people with 'false representation' which is illegal under the 2006 Fraud Act.

ed67812

I have just had the same reply from Coral and I am really wound up about it. I am normally the "oh well, I should have read the small print" kind of guy
but not in this case.

The cashback has just gone onto my Topcashback account but I am going to complain to anyone that will listen about the free bet. Betting websites update all the time and could easily have taken the banner ad down advertising the bet.

Still any bookmaker that thinks it can lose the trust of its punters is very sadly mistaken...............

ed67812

Oh and I have saved the e-mail that Coral sent out after I had registered telling me to deposit and claim my free bet! This e-mail was sent after I had actually deposited so they were clearly still pedaling the offer.

blackaqua

Well i've submitted to advertising standards, would suggest you do the same. I swear it didn't have as many T&C as when I registered but they still should have notified

chocolatepennyfarthing

Phoned re this yesterday and was told same as everyone else plus given the address to complain to. This was a deliberate ploy to attract the "occasional" grand national better to them. If an offer had been better elsewhere we would have gone there instead, Coral were well aware of that and set out to decieve the public. Disgraceful!

ed67812

Had a second reply from CORAL.

They claim that the offer was not advertised Please be advised that during the time frame cited, Coral was not advertising any free bets on our website and we are not responsible for any affiliate links that were still advertising this. We understand your frustration but this was a company decision and as such I can only apologise for any disappointment caused.

I have replied that this is either a lie / serious error as I have an e-mail saved sent by CORAL advertising the free bet offer, stating that it was sent after I registered on the website. this was received 1042 14/4/12, when the offer was suspended.

I have told them that I consider this fraud and will update with their reply.

geewhiz

ed67812 wrote: »

Had a second reply from CORAL.

They claim that the offer was not advertised Please be advised that during the time frame cited, Coral was not advertising any free bets on our website and we are not responsible for any affiliate links that were still advertising this. We understand your frustration but this was a company decision and as such I can only apologise for any disappointment caused.

I have replied that this is either a lie / serious error as I have an e-mail saved sent by CORAL advertising the free bet offer, stating that it was sent after I registered on the website. this was received 1042 14/4/12, when the offer was suspended.

I have told them that I consider this fraud and will update with their reply.

I've already replied and they are not interested, here's their response which I guess you will get word for word!

Thank you for your message.

Please be advised that unfortunately we are unable to assist any further in regards to this free bet query and as such if you would like to escalate this further and make a formal complaint, please do so in writing to the following postal address:

Contact Centre Manager
Gala Coral Group
Globe House
Victoria Way
Woking
GU21 6DD

Should you require further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact either myself or another member of the Customer Services team.