Can anyone help - magazine not paying up :(

spiddy100

I don't really know where's the best place to post this but please please can anyone advise.

Back in August I had a picture printed in a magazine - one of those 'send in your pics and if we print them we will send you £200'. Great I thought - I sent one in and heard nothing more but then got an email from a friend saying she had seen my picture in the mag!

Since then I've been waiting for my money. I spoke to someone about two months ago who said she would chase it for me with accounts. Since then, nothing. Every time I call the numbers printed in the magazine I get voicemail and no-one ever returns my calls. Ditto my emails. I've tried the Deputy Editor of the magazine (a very well known weekly BTW) and she's not responded to me either.

I don't really know where to take it from here. Has anyone got any suggestions please?

Thanks
Very frustrated Spiddy!

chickaroonee

sorry to hear you're having probs. Not sure who to suggest contacting, sure someone else will have some tips tho. Hope you get it sorted.

DUKE

My Mom had same problem but her prize was only £20 and I managed to get it sorted for her by emailing the magazine. Apart from saying keep emailing them then I don't know what to suggest

perc

I usually find numerous phone calls to the same person work a treat

Good luck

spiddy100

Thanks perc and everyone. I have been phoning and emailing this woman at least once a week for the last 6 weeks or so and she is simply not responding. She won't even pick up the phone so I am just leaving messages on her voicemail I eventually decided to escalate it, as I said above, and her boss won't speak to me either.

I've been reading some of the other threads about unreceived prizes - I will try the ASA, ISP and the PCC (blimey, all those acronyms!) on Monday to see whether any of them have any jursidiction. Trouble is I don't think it counts as a competition exactly so I don't know who would regulate these things, if anyone.

hjb123

Have you got a copy of the magazine with your picture in?

Hope you get it sorted soon

debsy42

Sound like Heat Magazine ??

libra10

I would definitely advise contacting the ASA at
http://www.asa.org.uk/asa/

They're brilliant as resolving these issues. I have asked them twice to chase prizes when a website or newspaper has failed to send them out. I had been emailing and phoning The Sun for a prize and getting nowhere. I filled in the form on the website and received phone calls from 'someone high up', followed by the prize the next day.

Fill in the form and get it sorted.

Good luck

Loz

spiddy100 wrote: »

I don't really know where's the best place to post this but please please can anyone advise.

Back in August I had a picture printed in a magazine - one of those 'send in your pics and if we print them we will send you £200'. Great I thought - I sent one in and heard nothing more but then got an email from a friend saying she had seen my picture in the mag!

Since then I've been waiting for my money. I spoke to someone about two months ago who said she would chase it for me with accounts. Since then, nothing. Every time I call the numbers printed in the magazine I get voicemail and no-one ever returns my calls. Ditto my emails. I've tried the Deputy Editor of the magazine (a very well known weekly BTW) and she's not responded to me either.

I don't really know where to take it from here. Has anyone got any suggestions please?

Thanks
Very frustrated Spiddy!

Was this from heat mag (unposed celeb photo)? I had mine published a few years back and received the £200 + mobile phone within a couple of weeks. I presume you have a copy of the mag from your friend or request a back copy to be on the safe side. Good luck!

spiddy100

Yes it is Heat - didn't know whether I could name and shame! I don't have a copy of the magazine unfortunately - when I got the email from my friend I went out the shops but it had rolled over to the next issue. I didn't think to ask her to keep one as I didn't foresee any problem getting my money

Glad to hear that you got your money Loz, hopefully this is just a blip and mine will arrive eventually!

debsy42

Let me know which edition as I have a few old copies hanging about, might still have it