Strange phone call from 'That's Life'

catelionis

Hi guys,

I'm wondering if you can shed some light.
I've just had a phone call from someone from 'That's Life' magazine thanking me for entering one of their competitions and asking if I ever read their magazine or ever had done.
I replied that I've cut back on my spending and so don't really buy magazines any more. She then simply replied with 'ok, well thanks for entering anyway' and that was that!

I'm just a little confused as it seems she wasn't trying to sell anything.

Has anyone else ever experienced this?

Thanks!

JessicAhh

Hmmm, hope they're not checking up on who is buying the mag before awarding prizes...

Maybe if you'd said you do read the magazine regularly, she would have gone on to offer a subscription? Saying you can't afford it might have shut her down before the marketing spiel...

catelionis

Yes that's what I'm worried about, that they were about to offer me a prize? But surely they can't do that just because I don't read the magazine?!

I hope it's the second option, just a sales call that I managed to wriggle out of before she got the chance to sell something?

jeddentad

That's life t&c say they contact winners by postal mail on that's life letterhead. So I don't think it was a lost win.

JessicAhh

jeddentad wrote: »

That's life t&c say they contact winners by postal mail on that's life letterhead. So I don't think it was a lost win.

Playing devil's advocate... I guess one could argue that they were checking by phone, before sending out a letter. It's not like they can take back a letter once it's sent...

Is there a 'no purchase necessary' condition in the Ts and Cs?

BlueBella

I had a similar phone call from The Source magazine the other day - said thank you for entering one of their comps and asked if I was a subscriber. When I told them I wasn't they asked if I would like to subscribe and I said no thanks because my sister passes her copy onto me so I read it anyway!

wiogs

I had a similar thing and it was just a scam to get me to sign up for a subscription.

Not for either of the magazines mentioned I add but same idea. Except I hadn't entered any competition.

catelionis

Aaah good-o. Hopefully it was just a sales call and nothing else!! Although the woman was a pretty rubbish sales rep if she didn't even TRY to get me to subscribe!

And according to their terms and conditions, no purchase necessary.

JessicAhh

Think you were lucky you managed to put her off her subscription marketing spiel before she started! :rotfl:

I find the magazines I've had a subscription for and then cancelled the absolute worst - especially craft magazines...
"We see you have a subscription for PaperCrafting..."
"Yes..."
"Would you like to take out a subscription for a very similar magazine?"
"Which one?"
"Cross Stitch Gold."
"Similar? About as similar as football and rugby."
:rotfl:

BlueBella

Mmmm might be an idea to tell a little white lie and say, 'No I don't subscribe but I buy every issue!' and if they then start the sales patter... 'Well we have an offer on so if you...bla bla bla' you just wiggle out of it by either:

crackle paper in front of your mouth piece and say 'sorry...you are cracking up, they have gone off????' then hang up....

or you tell them you fancy your the lad/lass in you local newsagent so like to have an excuse to go in once a week/month.....

or you say your dog goes for most of the mail put through the letter box and would hate their mag to get shredded!....

catelionis

Haha! Brilliant excuses!
It has worried me slightly that they now know I don't buy the magazine and may affect my chances of winning their comps, you never know what goes on behind the scenes with these companies I suppose!
I think if anyone else calls and asks the same sort of question, I'm going to take a leaf from your book and say my friend/sister/mom/nan hands me over their magazines when they're finished!