Television Wordsearch

Avdav

I entered a competition shown during adverts several months ago! You had to identify a well known television soap to win several thousand pounds. If you could also identify a 5 letter colour in the allotted time then you could win extra money.
A monkey 🙈could have answered these questions but I thought I would have a go anyway!
I received a letter in the post telling me that I had got the answers correct but did not win the prize! There was another competition attached which I also sent off. "More fool you I can hear you cry"! Surprise surprise, I didn't win that one either!
I have binned several letters from them to date without even opening them! However, they are persistent and I have received a Certificate of Achievement titled Television, Newspaper & Puzzle Wordsearch Awards declaring that I have successfully solved the £17,000 TV Challenge Competition. There is yet another puzzle on the back of the certificate and if I complete the puzzle by Friday the 1st of February I will have the chance to claim a further £15,750 prize!
It seems that the only people making any money out of this competition is The Organisers!
If anyone on Earth is aware of any winners, I would love to have my faith restored. I look forward to hearing from you on this site.

mjm3346

You can see the winner of the £17,000 prize here (we are not allowed to name winners of any competitions on the forum)

https://puzzleplayonline.co.uk/

That does not change what poor value the competitions are and generally it is a site not worth looking at.

linneymint

Anyone doing the word search competition on tv .. hosted by wynningtons ? It’s a free call but you end up having to pay something beware! 

linneymint

I don’t know why the television doesn’t get who’s advertising but alas they get paid to .. but nobody wins a prize 

Davidth0mas

Interestingly - if you read the smallprint on the 'certificate' they send when they start to ignore you...it states 'actors may be used to represent genuine winners'..... which seems strange. 

They also called me up and said I could subscribe to monthly competitions for a fee saying 'what are you going to spend the money on if you win'. The calls are timed and scripted very repetitively in the phone line so you are likely to spend £7 approx. Per call.

Can someone please investigate these and shut them down - they advertise on TV and known newspapers. It clearly is a con and I don't believe anyone ever wins

Ijit01

I entered this competition by phone. Received a call to say I was through the first stage and was entered into the big prize draw. By getting through first stage they would be sending me free lotto tickets and puzzles books, but I needed to pay postage off £1.95. Thought this a scam but considering ITV took a chance. Now they take £19.75off my bank every month. I had card blocked and new issued but somehow I see they managed to take it again this month. No idea how to block them. Be VERY careful. Some how we should be able to report this 

JamboDP

Never Never pay to enter a comp 99% will be a con.

Scorpioangel

Ijit01 said:

I entered this competition by phone. Received a call to say I was through the first stage and was entered into the big prize draw. By getting through first stage they would be sending me free lotto tickets and puzzles books, but I needed to pay postage off £1.95. Thought this a scam but considering ITV took a chance. Now they take £19.75off my bank every month. I had card blocked and new issued but somehow I see they managed to take it again this month. No idea how to block them. Be VERY careful. Some how we should be able to report this 

Have you contacted your bank/card issuer to report unauthorised transactions? You certainly should be complaining and flagging them as fraudulent

scotslad77

Ijit01 said:

I entered this competition by phone. Received a call to say I was through the first stage and was entered into the big prize draw. By getting through first stage they would be sending me free lotto tickets and puzzles books, but I needed to pay postage off £1.95. Thought this a scam but considering ITV took a chance. Now they take £19.75off my bank every month. I had card blocked and new issued but somehow I see they managed to take it again this month. No idea how to block them. Be VERY careful. Some how we should be able to report this 

I got a call today and they wanted £1.95 from me too for my bonus prize to be posted and said I’m in the final draw for the £11k. 

Who actually are they and how can they use your bank details to sign you up? 

I did enter the competition and think I got something through the door asking me to sign up to something for a better chance of winning. 

How can ITV put this in their ad breaks and get away with it if it’s a scam. 

I didn’t have my wallet with me and asked him to call back later, but he hasn’t. 

Very dubious I must say. I will tell them that if I’m a winner they should be posting and I shouldn’t have to pay. I’ll see what they say. 

Comping_Rich

If you have been affected by entering this “competition” you might want to also make a complaint to the ASA/CAP - https://www.asa.org.uk/make-a-complaint.html

mjm3346

scotslad77 said:

Ijit01 said:

I entered this competition by phone. Received a call to say I was through the first stage and was entered into the big prize draw. By getting through first stage they would be sending me free lotto tickets and puzzles books, but I needed to pay postage off £1.95. Thought this a scam but considering ITV took a chance. Now they take £19.75off my bank every month. I had card blocked and new issued but somehow I see they managed to take it again this month. No idea how to block them. Be VERY careful. Some how we should be able to report this 

I got a call today and they wanted £1.95 from me too for my bonus prize to be posted and said I’m in the final draw for the £11k. 

Who actually are they and how can they use your bank details to sign you up? 

I did enter the competition and think I got something through the door asking me to sign up to something for a better chance of winning. 

How can ITV put this in their ad breaks and get away with it if it’s a scam. 

I didn’t have my wallet with me and asked him to call back later, but he hasn’t. 

Very dubious I must say. I will tell them that if I’m a winner they should be posting and I shouldn’t have to pay. I’ll see what they say. 

Commercials don't have to have anything to do with the stations that show them and showing one does not imply any type of recommendation. If a company can afford to pay for a legal commercial that's all the broadcaster needs to know.
It's unfortunate that some of the people who enter don't really understand the competition and by entering what they are letting themselves in for - as previously posted in this thread the winners are listed on their website.

(just to be clear I wouldn't touch these with a bargepole and remain astonished that anybody, particularly  MSE users, do)