Won a competition and just been told prize has now gone to someone else

JessicAhh

Watto30 wrote: »

Hi thanks again for the helpful advice I really do appreciate it, just a small update the lady I emailed at bodyfit yesterday responded to my email stating that apparently I was disqualified due to it being an automated entry...yesterday I was told it was because I effectively forfeited the prize by questioning it with the delivery company... seems like they are coming up with different reasons now but it does state on their website about automated entry so from the sounds of it I would not have a valid case

Unfortunately, they may have seen it on here

In her email yesterday, did she state the reason why you had been disqualified as being because you questioned the prize's origin? If so, that's written and good evidence.

You can point this thread as evidence that the company may have read this to find out it was automated, and hence changed their story.

You also still have a case if the Ts and Cs do not ban automated entry.

If the automated entry disqualification stands, I would be inclined to contact the subscription service you use, and complain to them for the time they've wasted in your emails / telephone calls to chase the prize...

jeddentad

It could be that things snowballed.

One of a zillion possible scenarios:
When you called about the prize, they took a look at the entry

Something about the entry, that hadn't been noticed before, was now noticed, showing that it was automated.

Someone decided to tell part of the truth (they haven't seemed to lie to you), rather than accuse you of anything.

They may have now seen this thread and are telling the entire truth.


You'd probably be best to contact the company who's services you're paying for. I'd hope they can provide you with proof that the T&Cs were followed.

surfboard2

It's possible someone reading the thread informed them you use automated entry.

Someone posted recently that a company they had won a prize from, received a message from someone reading the forum, directing them to a thread he/she created regarding what they intended to do with the win.

So, it's possible someone messaged them OR as said above, they saw this thread through google/google alerts.

Watto30

Many thanks Jessica unfortunately I am now wondering the same thing if I have shot myself in the foot by posting it on here and that they may have seen it.

In my email to her yesterday I did state everything that happened and that they were saying I had forfeited the prize but all she replied was that she would look into it and get back to me so really I dont think I have much evidence, unfortunately the T's and C's on their website state about the automated entry but if they had said that outright I could have accepted it instead they told me a lie yesterday and have now changed the story, as I say the communication has been pretty hopeless


I have emailed the subscription service to question it with them but have learned a lesson from this and wont be renewing, guess you were all right to have your warnings and doubts, thanks again for all the support and helpful info on here

Watto30

simply_tash wrote: »

It's possible someone reading the thread informed them you use automated entry.

Someone posted recently that a company they had won a prize from, received a message from someone reading the forum, directing them to a thread he/she created regarding what they intended to do with the win.

So, it's possible someone messaged them OR as said above, they saw this thread through google/google alerts.

Am wondering the same thing, oh well some you win and some you lose I guess am, sorry to hear that someone else on here had a problem with a prize all because someone decided to message the prize supplier mentioning the forum


Think I will have to take time out from the competition game for a while as wont be subscribing anymore so will just have to enter the odd comp as and when I can.


Thanks again to everyone for the help and good luck for some great prizes

JessicAhh

Watto30 wrote: »

Think I will have to take time out from the competition game for a while as wont be subscribing anymore so will just have to enter the odd comp as and when I can.

Don't let it put you off entirely... Here are a couple of suggestions for speeding up comping, just in case.. ;-)

1) Use Roboform - it can automatically fill out name / address / date of birth etc.
2) Make a list of the things you really want / need to win, and create a bookmarked search for each of them on the main comping forum on MSE. That way you can access and refresh them quickly when you have a spare moment.

pesky_princess

Oh dear.. Well something good has come out of this scenario - you have learnt that paying a subscription service that enter competitions for you is not the way to go... You've lost out on a £1000 prize because you trusted a bunch of crooks! :cool:
And um... Whoever informed bodyfit magazine about this thread (if that's what happened) then I say good on them :T no offence but someone needs to take a stand against these companies.. I would be interested to know if you are going to complain to the company you paid because they took your money and made promises based on breaking rules... I dread to think how many people have been taken in by them. Like I said before.. There's very few competitions nowadays that allow automated entries - so you are paying to get disqualified from competitions or you not being entered at all... Either way it don't look good does it :eek:

Jezzamk

Whilst I don't agree with the subscription services I really hope someone on here hasn't contacted the competition organisers.

The comment re all the correspondence being from a company other than Bodyfit magazine is normal. Most of these companies get a third party to run and administer the competitions.

I suspect that once a complaint was made they examined the entry to see if any rules had been contravened. If not then they were possibly going to have to give away 2 prizes.

It is also not unheard of to receive big prizes with no notification. I won a Nexus 7 table a while ago. I knew nothing about it until it turned up in the post. No email, phone call or anything. It wasn't even sent recorded delivery. The postman left it with a neighbour.

I worked out who the prize was from by looking back through the comps on here. I emailed them to thank them and expressed my surprise that they trusted ordinary mail for something as expensive as that. Also surprised that there were no clues as to who it was from as I would have thought they wanted publicity, even if it is only me telling people what I had won and who from.

Finally, if a credit card is scammed why would the goods be delivered to you as the scammer would not gain from it. Just a thought.

Watto30

Jezzamk wrote: »

Whilst I don't agree with the subscription services I really hope someone on here hasn't contacted the competition organisers.

Finally, if a credit card is scammed why would the goods be delivered to you as the scammer would not gain from it. Just a thought.

Thanks, tbh I would not be surprised, it seems I have ruffled a few feathers on here, of course one can only speculate and it could be that like someone else said they double checked the entry etc but if that is the case that someone took it upon themselves to contact the magazine then I hope the person got a great deal of satisfaction from it.

With regard to the credit card thing I see what you mean but have heard of a few people who have got calls similar to the one I received on friday regarding delivery of items and its all a scam to confirm your identity etc so am a bit dubious about these things. My debit card was skimmed at a cashpoint not long ago and someone in america tried buying stuff on it so you just dont know what scams are out there these days

Am surprised to hear that you had such an expensive prize sent through to you normal mail and with no notification or any clue to who it was from!! but sounds like a great prize to win!

I will be taking this up with the subscription company and cancel it and stick to entering comps when possible, thanks very much to Jessicawhsocombe for your tips about roboform and doing the bookmarked search

Am going to step away from this thread now and leave you all to your comping chat, good luck to those nice people who deserve the great wins and to the others I shall leave you to your sour grapes lol! :rotfl:

chrissie57

I came on here prepared to snigger (:eek:) at the OP for using a subscription service. However, I was really impressed by the way they stuck to their guns and, if they have in writing the rather odd excuse that delivery was refused, I feel they should continue to pursue the matter.

Surely if they have gone as far as arranging delivery it's a bit late to fall back on their T&C? I think someone at the company has made a mistake of some sort (not phoning them? arranging delivery before call was made?) and, what I think of subscription services notwithstanding, it seems wrong that you lose out. We also don't know for sure it was an automated system that sent in the entry? I feel more and more forms are blocking things like AutoFill, although I don't know if it's affecting Roboform.

IF the company found out info from this board, I can only hope it was through a Google search or something - I would hate to feel anyone here would 'sneak' on someone :cool: (God, I'm 57 years old, for heavens sake:rotfl:)

I hope the OP does not give up entirely - either on the prize or on this board. I think they could be a real asset to the community:)