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Radio Cash Register - Ripoff?

Not sure if this is the right place for this? Is there a way of finding out what revenues are made by the organizers? They claim they are 'giving away vast sums' which is obviously rubbish. They will only be giving back a percentage of what they take. They also don't advertise the fact that it's a joint event over many radio stations and not just your local station. Many people believe the entrants are local only. It all stinks a bit imo. I'd love to know how it's regulated and if this lottery style competition is even legal. Add to that the possibility of the result being manipulated which imo gets much more likely when talking about large cash prizes of multiple tens of thousands.

All seems a bit shady to me. Can it be trusted 100%?

Comments

  • pate-ci0
    pate-ci0 Posts: 2,605 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 28 November 2019 at 10:45AM
    It's fine with me, I won back in March this year, money in the bank within 24 hours; online web entries only, no cost to me at all.

    This should be in Compers Chat Corner however....

    BTW, check out the I've Won!! section -
    https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6062719/the-perseverance-finally-paid-off-32-000-kiss-fm

    https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6040440/i-won-50k-thanks-comping-rich

    and a couple of others, I'm pretty sure, have also been lucky. To me, no different to any other online comp; instead of a fridge or a DVD prize, if you're lucky you win big bucks. What the promoting company makes out of it is none of my business as long as they run the competition properly.
  • mjm3346
    mjm3346 Posts: 47,045 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 27 November 2019 at 9:26PM
    cottlad wrote: »
    Not sure if this is the right place for this? Is there a way of finding out what revenues are made by the organizers? They claim they are 'giving away vast sums' which is obviously rubbish. They will only be giving back a percentage of what they take. They also don't advertise the fact that it's a joint event over many radio stations and not just your local station. Many people believe the entrants are local only. It all stinks a bit imo. I'd love to know how it's regulated and if this lottery style competition is even legal. Add to that the possibility of the result being manipulated which imo gets much more likely when talking about large cash prizes of multiple tens of thousands.

    All seems a bit shady to me. Can it be trusted 100%?

    Perfectly legal (they have a free entry route) and they probably give away a far larger proportion of the money they take in from paid entries than, for example, ITV do on their competitions.

    (The prizes are not big enough to be worth the risk of manipulating the competition results)

    If you look at the T&Cs details of all the linked radio stations are given.

    (Physical and internet Bingo and casino sites claim to be giving away sums but of course that is just a percentage of the money they take in, rather like the National Lottery)
  • Good Lord...
    Why do mice have such small balls?
    Because so few of them can dance.
  • If you're paying for entries then it's much the same as the lottery or any other form of "gambling" (where you exchange something (usually money) in return for a chance to get more things back (usually money)).

    So, it's only a "rip-off" in the same sense that all gambling is a rip off ... unless you win.
    I think the Terms on these are pretty clear, but I ... like you, haven't read them so not really sure :)
  • cottlad wrote: »
    Not sure if this is the right place for this? Is there a way of finding out what revenues are made by the organizers? They claim they are 'giving away vast sums' which is obviously rubbish. They will only be giving back a percentage of what they take. They also don't advertise the fact that it's a joint event over many radio stations and not just your local station. Many people believe the entrants are local only. It all stinks a bit imo. I'd love to know how it's regulated and if this lottery style competition is even legal. Add to that the possibility of the result being manipulated which imo gets much more likely when talking about large cash prizes of multiple tens of thousands.

    All seems a bit shady to me. Can it be trusted 100%?

    Not sure how long you've been comping but they are perfectly legit and have been running comps for years. Lots of people on here have won with baur radio comps from all over the country. I won one with a manchester based one and i'm in devon. Also so what if they make more profit than they pay out. Do you understand the concept of a business? l They're supposed to make more money than they pay out lol. That said, in what way as most of us here enter for free online we would be losing nothing at all. I suggest you cheer up, put on some xmas music and pour yourself a stiff one. Remember though, you have free will. I suggest you use it and don't enter. Give the rest of us a better chance. Cor blimey, Ebeneezer get a grip.
    August-September 2017: Lots of stuff :)
    :beer::beer::)
  • grannybiker
    grannybiker Posts: 12,128 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    I won £1,000 on the Glasgow based one when they first started appearing a couple of years back, (Maybe longer...!)
    I live in Gloucestershire.
    I vaguely remember the phone call, (Not a live-on-air one,) where the caller took my details and remarked, "Crikey, you're a long way off!" I replied that I travel around the country a lot, but may have entered online. I find the slightly forgetful lady-of-a-certain-age works well in such situations ;)
    Worse things will have happened in the world today...
    "The only thing that really matters, it to love and to be loved."
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