Don't know where else to put this - the BBC owes me £1300 and I want it paying!!

okidoodle

I am in the odd position of being owed money by the BBC - just over £1300. I basically appeared on a quiz show last year which I won, and I was paid my travel expenses but never got paid the prize money. I could really do with the cash to clear some debts, and clearing out some paperwork last week I found the remittance letter for my travel expenses and realised I never had anything for the prize money.
Now I am in debt largely because during a bad time I was not checking bank accounts and credit card statements, and last year before christmas was a particularly hard time for me personally, and I just assumed I had received the money and spent it.
This week I have checked with both my banks, and nothing (I have one account which I don't do any everyday spending out of that I asked for the prize money to be paid into). The expenses were paid into my ordinary current account but nothing else.
I contacted the BBC payments department with my contract number and they said nothing apart from the expenses was shown as having been paid to me.
I called the contact person who I had from the show and he told me he no longer worked in that department so couldn't do anything and so I should contact BBC HR. Getting hold of their number was a complete nightmare as it's absolutely nowhere to be found.
After being passed to about the 5th person in the BBC I managed to get to an HR person, to whom I explained the details and then forwarded all of the emails which showed I had sent my correct bank details and forms, and an acknowledgement that the prize was to be paid. That was over a week ago and I have heard............ NOTHING. I lie, I had one email with a case number shortly after the call, nothing to acknowledge all the email evidence I sent.

Now, the question is, if they refuse to pay up, where shall I take it next? I am considering a series of increasingly threatening letters saying someone will call round, that they may be subject to court action, yadda yadda, basically just for fun.
OR, option 2 is take it to a financial problem column like the daily mail, because basically they hate the BBC and make them chase it up for me.

What do you reckon?!

worried_jim

Small claims court.

https://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/web/mcol/welcome

okidoodle

Small claims court is my option 3, as that will be less fun and will require more effort on my part.

Buzby

I think you’ll find the BBC will not be liable. I do not believe they have administered any prize games since the early 2000’s. Invariably, the production company is responsible for contestant selection and (if a winner) payment of any reward due. On the shows I participated in, I received a cheque immediately at the conclusion of the recording once the amount was known. You will have signed a release agreeing to the terms of your appearance - the fact the BBC may have shown it as an irrelevance to any liability to pay you. You will find you have waived all appearance rights in perpetuity (so it can be sold on to other broadcasters - like Challenge - without further fees being due. You need to recall who your contract was with, then pursue them.

Smellyonion

Do you have a recording of the show?

okidoodle

What I do have is an email saying this:

Dear Okidoodle,



I hope you enjoyed your appearance on [quiz] and are excited to see your show on television. I am happy to inform you that the transmission date and time for your show is:



[date] at [time] on BBC One



Please be aware that the schedule is sometimes altered at short notice so we suggest checking the Radio Times or online nearer the date to confirm. Your winnings of £1,332 have been processed in due course and set to be released on the date of your transmission.



Please note, these funds will be released on the date of transmission and should be in your account within one working week.



I am now no longer going to be responding to emails for [quiz] as I am no longer a part of this production.

For any further information please get in touch with the Production Manager (email address) and they will respond to your email accordingly.



Best wishes



logo

[name], Production Management Assistant

BBC Studios | Religion & Ethics

1st Floor Dock House, MediaCityUK, Salford, M50 2LH

okidoodle

Basically because I was going through some personal issues at the time I assumed because the expenses were paid without an issue that this would be too, and as it was going into my savings account that I don't regularly use I didn't check it. I think this clearly shows though that the BBC has agreed to pay this sum. My contract (which I still have a copy of) is definitely with the BBC and not with an external production company.

Robin9

What was the show ?


I wonder if the BBC don't pay the production company until the show has been on the air and then the production company pay ot the prize money.

okidoodle

What was the show ?

Keeping that one under my hat, what with the internet being the internet and all... You never know when someone wants to dox you.

okidoodle

The production company wasn't paying out the prize money - all the prizes for the show were processed through the BBC payments department under a BBC contract and/or contributor number

kazwookie

I suggest you head straight for social media, FB or intersgram or similar and put the details up there in all their glory. Making sure you mention the BBC and the name of the quiz show several times, making sure your facts are correct, then sit back and wait.

BBC & co hate bad publicity