ITV Comps Questions

JessicAhh

snakepilsen wrote: »

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=66482214&postcount=3

Thanks, I had read that, but then became even more uncertain of how companies can get away with saying it's a comp rather than a lottery...
" ‘free’ will include any method of communication (post, telephone or other) at a ‘normal rate’. ‘Normal rate’ is defined as ‘a rate which does not reflect the opportunity to enter a lottery’ "


I don't class £1+SNR as a normal rate for text entry, which surely must be defined by the standard network rate for each consumer. The act also states that it doesn't matter who benefits (comp organiser or telecoms operator) from an inflated payment, it is still a payment for entry. So maybe they class themselves as lotteries rather than competitions. I'm not sure.

snakepilsen

JessicAhh wrote: »

Thanks, I had read that, but then became even more uncertain of how companies can get away with saying it's a comp rather than a lottery...
" ‘free’ will include any method of communication (post, telephone or other) at a ‘normal rate’. ‘Normal rate’ is defined as ‘a rate which does not reflect the opportunity to enter a lottery’ "

In prize competitions, success depends, at least in part, on the exercise of skill, judgment
or knowledge by the participants. This distinguishes them from lotteries.

jaibaby

cagsd wrote: »

afford stamps etc .

But can afford the bill for the internet?

A 2nd class stamp costs 50p (or it was the last time I bought one), you can make postcards yourself from cereal boxes. If there are no post boxes near maybe complain to RM?

I actually prefer the postal method than the free online entry - it deters those who feel like entering using 70 different phone numbers

I will only be entering using one postcard, I am still a true believer that if it's your turn to win, you will! And, at the end of the day, it's only one entry that will win

mjm3346

JessicAhh wrote: »

Thanks, I had read that, but then became even more uncertain of how companies can get away with saying it's a comp rather than a lottery...
" ‘free’ will include any method of communication (post, telephone or other) at a ‘normal rate’. ‘Normal rate’ is defined as ‘a rate which does not reflect the opportunity to enter a lottery’ "


I don't class £1+SNR as a normal rate for text entry, which surely must be defined by the standard network rate for each consumer. The act also states that it doesn't matter who benefits (comp organiser or telecoms operator) from an inflated payment, it is still a payment for entry. So maybe they class themselves as lotteries rather than competitions. I'm not sure.

It's the other way round, if it's a "lottery" they must offer a free entry route or they need a licence to run them.

"Prize competitions" do not need a free route providing there is enough skill/knowledge required in entering the competition - the Planet Rock competition has a multiple choice question that not everyone will know the answer to (unlike most ITV ones where the correct answer was almost always obvious although now they have dropped the pretense so most of them don't even have a question to answer).

mjm3346

jaibaby wrote: »

But can afford the bill for the internet?

A 2nd class stamp costs 50p (or it was the last time I bought one), you can make postcards yourself from cereal boxes. If there are no post boxes near maybe complain to RM?

I actually prefer the postal method than the free online entry - it deters those who feel like entering using 70 different phone numbers

I will only be entering using one postcard, I am still a true believer that if it's your turn to win, you will! And, at the end of the day, it's only one entry that will win

Most people already have the internet so there would be no additional cost involved, if they didn't then it would still be cheaper to visit a local library and enter from there rather than paying 53p for every competition entered.
Also with web you know your entry is in the draw, with postal you don't even know if the entry has arrived never mind knowing if it is in the draw or not - this was in the news last year for just an area of South Yorkshire "Since 2010 dishonest postal workers have withheld 180,000 items of mail – a staggering 86,000 of them by one postie alone".

snakepilsen

mjm3346 wrote: »

Most people already have the internet so there would be no additional cost involved, if they didn't then it would still be cheaper to visit a local library and enter from there rather than paying 53p for every competition entered.
Also with web you know your entry is in the draw, with postal you don't even know if the entry has arrived never mind knowing if it is in the draw or not - this was in the news last year for just an area of South Yorkshire "Since 2010 dishonest postal workers have withheld 180,000 items of mail – a staggering 86,000 of them by one postie alone".

I find it astonishing that anyone would even consider the postal route these days.
They must have more money than sense.

davetrousers

I entered the Good Morning Britain competition online for free this morning.

rumcake

snakepilsen wrote: »

Not just the free ones.
Where I worked we used to use postcard entries to get the boiler room fire started in the morning.

Eye-opener :eek:

Don't think I'll be sending anymore postcards!

Housewife41

I have won a few competitions in the past from postcard entry - when there has also been a premium rate text entry. So don't assume they all end up being used to fire up the boiler!

rumcake

Housewife41 wrote: »

I have won a few competitions in the past from postcard entry - when there has also been a premium rate text entry. So don't assume they all end up being used to fire up the boiler!

I guess they're not all bad but this is a little disheartening. How to know which ones are genuine and which are the fire starters? I will be sending considerably less.