Advice needed - short notice prize

liz545

Need a bit of help with this one - got a WEM from this competition from the Guardian; I've been picked as a winner for the trip to Portugal, but the departure date is fixed at 26 October, and I can't go at such short notice. The comp closed on 06/06 but it's taken them nearly four months to contact me. It states in the T&C's that winners will be notified within 6 weeks. Is there anything I can do in terms of getting them to move the dates, or should I just chalk this up as a loss and move on?

toniq

Email them and say how gutted you are they took so long to email you that you wont be able to give sufficient notice for time off at work could they help as you would love to go and would have been able to make those dates if the required notice from them was given.

Can't hurt to ask, I've had holiday dates amended by asking a few times.My other half has major clients and can't take breaks of any sort whilst on their projects as it will financially impact his company as he is in a very niche field and is called for by name for these projects so we have to be very careful with hol prizes.

Touchwood we have been able to move the dates by liaising with the company in a friendly manner.

Good luck
x

snakepilsen

Let them know if you are rejecting the prize so they can select another winner.

TravelExplorer1001

I guess it depends on whether you were the original winner as it could be that someone was contacted within 6 weeks but has now pulled out. It can't hurt to ask though, I have found most companies to be very flexible with regards to holiday prizes in the past and have changed dates and added other family members when prizes were for 2 people etc. Good luck xx

Squina

I won a holiday with one of the big newspapers last year. They couldn't do the dates I could, even though they were meant to be flexible (I could choose any dates over a 3-month period), so I was allowed to pass to a family member. However, they did say this was exceptional circumstances, so I am not sure how flexible they will be for you.

snakepilsen

13. The prizes are non-exchangeable, non-transferable, and are not redeemable for cash or other prizes.

DUKE

Hope they can sort something out for you liz!

amylou161202

It looks like maybe fixed dates, but it is definitely worth asking if can be transferred to another rambler holiday at later date because of the short notice. You got nothing to lose by asking

Good luck, I will keep my fingers crossed for you

liz545

Well, I've emailed them to ask, so we'll see what they say. The chap I spoke to said they'd already offered it to a few people who couldn't do it on short notice, so I don't think I'm the first person they've tried! Even if the answer's no, it's nice to get this close!

Squina

My t&c's for the comp I won said non-exchangeable and non-transferable, but they still allowed me to pass to someone else as they had breached the t&c's their end.

So, as they have not notified you in the timeframe stated in the t&c's they may then be more flexible. Good luck.

mjm3346

Squina wrote: »

So, as they have not notified you in the timeframe stated in the t&c's they may then be more flexible. Good luck.

Not the original winner or even one of the first alternates just being offered it because no one else has taken it so far - better they do that than let it go to waste.