Unity Lotto: misleading information

rubee_red

MoneySavingExpert.com insert:

Sterling Lotteries has asked us to note here that the Unity Lotto discussed in this forum thread is unrelated to its "Unity Lottery" platform provided for charities and societies to run their own lotteries to benefit their causes.

Back to the original post...


Hi I need advice. I was stupid enough to sign up for a thing called Unity Lotto. They called me and I signed up for £37.00 a month and they said I could cancel after three months of playing.

They failed to send me terms and conditions and I had to keep chasing them to provide login details so I could see my winnings. They could not tell me my winnings over the phone because they claimed that "your winnings are yours to view and only you can see them, we do not have rights to access this" which suggests that when I login to my information I should be able to see MY winnings. However, though they did say it was a syndicate they definitely failed to mention that the winnings that I would see in my login area were actually the winnings of EVERYONE in the syndicate...not just "my winnings". They didn't tell me this. I did not receive terms and conditions. It does not say this anywhere on the website.

The login details is misleading suggesting that the amounts listed are your money rather than money which is shared with 150 other people in the syndicate. I have been mislead and I have emailed them but now they refuse to reply. I've stopped the direct debit going out of my account because they refused to accept my cancellation. Each time I tried to cancel over the phone they kept saying that I would lose my winnings and so 'would be denied of what is rightfully yours'.

They're getting away with this nonsense and there isn't much information about them online saying that they are a scam. I would really like to get my money back...They've taken (37 x 4) do you guys have any advice or suggestions for me.

Thanks for reading.

bris

The [EMAIL="T@C's"]T&C's[/EMAIL] clearly state you are part of a 150 member syndicate and all winnings are per syndicate.


Like any gamble you can't lose your money then claim it back because you lost.

mjm3346

So you and 149 others in each syndicate pay £37 each for 4 weeks of 150 tickets a week.

Money in = £5,550 Money spent on tickets = £1,200.

Money kept for promotions, costs and profit = £4350.

So of your £37 just £8 is spent on tickets.

Not actually illegal and pretty much on a par with every [STRIKE]scam[/STRIKE] online syndicate I have seen - most of them also offer existing members incentives to drag more victims in.

Good luck trying to get anything back and avoid online syndicates in the future.

agrinnall

rubee_red wrote: »

I did not receive terms and conditions. It does not say this anywhere on the website.

Perhaps you'd be better spending your money on a visit to Specsavers (other opticians are available).

https://www.unitylotto.com/terms

emmafifema

Just had a call from these idiots - couldn't get them off the phone! Repeatedly told them I wasn't interested and when asked why told them I'd read bad reviews about their company...still went on and on and on....told them I was not going to enter this scam, was not paying any money...still went on and on and on - asking why and what was being said about their company - told them I'm not getting into it, if they wanna know how crap their company looks google it! and hung up. These people just can't take no for an answer!!

George_Michael

rubee_red wrote: »

. I would really like to get my money back...They've taken (37 x 4) do you guys have any advice or suggestions for me.

They haven't simply "taken" £37 x 4. You gave them permission to take it.


I've been playing both the UK and Euromillions lottery on and off for many years and have paid in far more than I've won and I would also like to get my money back.
However, like you, the chances of this happening is zero.

harrys_dad

The Lottery is a tax on the poor and gullible. I am however enjoying watching The Olympics and seeing where some of that tax money went. People should only ever gamble with money they can afford to lose.

Jess2

I am outraged by Unity lotto. I am a single mum struggling to make ends meet. In good faith I trusted and bought into unity lotto just before Christmas. They have been taking £39 month from my bank acct. and have been emailing me twice a week with what I was led to believe was my personal account. I must say it did sound and feel too to good to be true. My sceptical and enquiring inner cynic got to work last night and was horrified, (in fact upon further reflection I wasn't) to discover that what I and had been led to believe was my personal account in fact had to be divided by 150 leaving me with less than £5. £39 × 6 = £234. I spoke with a the member of the customer care team, and was transferred to the alleged escalations manager who told me he will be going through all of the recorded Communications we've had and will be getting back to me within 5 to 7 working days. I will keep this forum and website posted. I would really appreciate it if anyone could please advise and give me some direction.

Jess2

I would be so grateful if anyone could advise me what direction to take with this Unity lotto scam. I'm so angry with myself for being so stupid to believe that is something that sounded too be good to be true, was true. I had started to think if it was true everyone would be on about it !

Fosterdog

There's not really any action you can take. If you were struggling to make ends meet you should not have signed up for a £39 a month service that you do not need. You agreed to sign up to a gambling syndicate, as with all gambling there is a chance of winning and a chance of losing. It looks like your particular syndicate hasn't done particularly well but that's just how gambling goes.

Just cancel your membership and mark it down as a poor judgement and bad experience and avoid similar things in the future.

lincroft1710

Jess2 wrote: »

I would be so grateful if anyone could advise me what direction to take with this Unity lotto scam. I'm so angry with myself for being so stupid to believe that is something that sounded too be good to be true, was true. I had started to think if it was true everyone would be on about it !

Sorry but judging by previous posts I don't think there is much if anything you can do