Still awaiting a prize...1 YEAR LATER?

queenlizard45uk

I won a prize with a company via facebook june 2013!!


I am still awaiting my prize!


I have contacted them several times and they keep fobbing me off saying 'we have sent it, but we will re-send another one out tomorrow'


Obviously nothing arrives.


I have just emailed trading standards, but can they actually do anything?


Im wondering whether just to give up with it. After all, its only some dog biscuits, a collar, a food mat (oh and she did state a £20 voucher for Tesco for the 'trouble')


Is it worth the trouble or should I just forget about it.

wingobins

Unfortunately this does happen! I've lost out on prizes that were apparently sent too such as a hot choc galaxy set, film merchandise and some others. I've sent numerous emails too but to no avail. However, I have heard of folk getting prizes months on so maybe you might get your prize yet! Good luck

BlueBella

I have had it up to here with chasing up prizes lately! I emailed complaints@theipm.org.uk and got an email back the next day from someone called Hina saying:

Thank you for contacting the IPM. We are sorry to hear that you are unhappy with this promotion.

We would advise you to contact the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) who can investigate your complaint. The ASA is the UK’s independent regulator of advertising across all media. You can submit your complaint online via the ASA website - http://www.asa.org.uk/Consumers/How-to-complain.aspx

Many thanks for contacting us.

Kind Regards

Hina

I have contacted ASA and submitted a complaint, but from what I have heard, they take a while!

QueenL, I know your prize isn't huge but it is the principle and you won fairly and have been fobbed off - so worth chasing just for the satisfaction! The company who failed to send you prize will just think they got away with it and may do the same to another future winner!

brightonman123

I would give up, after this long.


if comp needed a twitter retweet / facebook like etc, maybe worth deleting that, or even do a 'name and shame', if it makes OP feel any better..


plenty other comps gong, with genuine promoters!

BlueBella

If I do start to chase up a prize that is worth chasing up (and I usually give them at least 35 days) I take screen shots of my announcement as the winner and also any conversations I have had with the promoter on Twitter/Facebook etc and I always save any wems and correspondance anyway until my prize arrives. Then I have all the evidence I need, should I wish to take matters further with the asa.

gholmes724

You and me both BlueBella. I'm waiting for nine prizes at the mo, and they are all nudging towards 28 days when on principal I will chase them up be it a sherbet dab or a Car

I'm beginning to think it's best to go straight to the ASA and politely advise the 'advertiser' that you feel have no choice due to the delay. I find this resolves most missing prizes but sadly nearly always causes bad feeling and stress.

The ASA will go after the comp advertiser (blogger or whoever) not the sponsor, this hopefully causes them in turn to put pressure on the sponsor to resolve it but some take this as a personal attack rather than 'due process'

I think a lot of bloggers have no idea of their liabilities in running a comp. They have a blog which may have become a bit of a money spinner, but still view themselves as amateurs with no responsibilities to prize winners, then get a nasty surprise if something goes wrong and then some of them externalise their anger towards the prizewinner who they see as the cause.

I have had that exact same email from the IPM, I think it has become their standard cut and paste response to any complaint of a missing prize. As if they cannot be bothered anymore - even their website has changed recently to appear less helpful to customers.

I keep an evidence file for each win too, always relieved when I get to just delete it.

BlueBella

gholmes724 wrote: »

I have had that exact same email from the IPM, I think it has become their standard cut and paste response to any complaint of a missing prize. As if they cannot be bothered anymore - even their website has changed recently to appear less helpful to customers.

I keep an evidence file for each win too, always relieved when I get to just delete it.

Yes - completely with you there Honey! I think it is harder to chase bloggers, especially if the prize is supposed to be provided by the promoter because the poor blogger then gets caught up in the middle. I think it is worse though to chase bloggers who originally stated that they would be posting out the prize! Luckily I have only been in that situation once! The thing is, if you ordered an item online and it failed to turn up, you could demand a refund, but with prizes, it is not the same and you feel like you have to grovel for something you didn't pay for in the first place!

I am really fed up with chasing prizes lately. Same old excuses....we are out of stock, sorry, the person dealing with it is off sick/on annual leave, it was posted out but obviously never arrived.....:mad: Worse still when they lie and say 'I'm posting it this afternoon'....then a week later you email them to say it has still not arrived and they say 'Oh I still need to post it off sorry!'

Looks like there is no point in contacting the IPM for missing prizes if they are just going to tell you to contact the ASA direct?

crayola88

The first competition I ever won back in May 2012 still hasn't arrived!