omaze - what is this nonsense

spencer999

Forgive me if this is well trodden ground but nothing came up in a forum search.  I see expensive adverts all the time from OMAZE saying LAST CHANCE TO BUY tickets to win a £3million house... the draw is "tomorrow" or something - are they REALLY selling so many tickets in such a short space of time that they can make a profit on a three million pound house?  Who wants to live in such a nightmare gaff anyway (that's another question)

Jazmeen

Hi Spencer999
The omaze Cornwall house  competition has been running for some months now and it closed last night. 
They definitely sell alot of tickets and £3000000 is just probably a small percentage of what they take in. Only saying this as I spoke to the independent people who collect all entries and the guy said they has sold over 25million tickets (this was on a different house at the time I asked)and baring in mind minimum is £10 for the tickets. 
My question to them was regarding the postal entries and he advised me that they receive them, number them and just put them in batches of 100 in number order. He hadn't seen many win from postal and its only 1 or 2 from all the postal entries that win small prizes like vouchers etc. 
Personally I wish they could do live draws so we could see all the entries paid and postal entries  being in the draw 

AC55

Just seconding Jazmeen's point above and wanting to add that the people who win have no obligation to live in the house, they can choose to sell it or rent it if they do feel fit.
Its kind of on the person entering to do their research before entering though, I was reading an article online saying that one of the houses that was won was built on a flood plain, which obviously would cause a lot of issues. Likewise if they're on a cliff then you have issues around erosion etc too.
I guess a lot of the pull is around the charity element of it too, as a vast % of their profits does go to charity. I decided to enter this months one as the charity was blood cancer uk which I can relate to due to family member experiences, so even if I do lose, I'm happy that some of my money will be going towards them. 

Also there are other prizes which people can win such as vouchers and cars. 

mjm3346

I know search is what it is so here is one of the previous threads

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6185705/omaze-thoughts-my-suggestion/p1

as to the closing soon/enter by tomorrow etc on the ads that generally refers to the numerous addons (cars etc) that can be won during the course of the house draw that are used to get more entries.

The lotto, the postcode lottery and various other charity draws all donate higher percentages to charity than this lot (I have seen 15% as the figure quoted for the house draws)

They offer the free entry route simply as it's loophole that allows them to run the draws "for profit"

Under the Gambling Act 2005, Lotteries can only be run by charities and good causes who have obtained a Lottery licence and not for commercial gain. There are also additional CAP Code rules about who can run them, and how they must be run and promoted.

eyeballpaul

From today's Daily Mirror ...

A couple says they've been left 'physically shaking' after winning a £2.5-million beachfront home in a raffle, complete with a gorgeous rooftop terrace, bar, and hot tub. Jade and her unnamed partner won the incredible coastal property as part of a raffle by Omaze, plus a cash prize of £50,000.

The modern 9,000 sq ft house is situated in Kingsdown, near Deal, Kent, and boasts unparalleled views of the iconic White Cliffs of Dover. On a clear day, you can even see as far as France. A tunnel at the bottom of the cliff leads to a glass lift, which can be used to access the dream home.

The property boasts extraordinary views ( Image: 

Omaze)

Inside, the striking property features four bedrooms, one of which has its very own lounge area, plus a luxurious spa-like bathroom.

Speaking with KentOnline about their good fortune, Jade described the win as 'life changing', adding: "It's beyond our wildest dreams. There will never be quite enough words to describe how this whole experience has felt to me and my family.

"I never thought this could happen to us. I can't believe it. I'm actually physically shaking because it's unbelievable."

The couple say the win has been 'life changing' for their family ( Image: 

Omaze)

The couple, who are from the Midlands, were among thousands of people across the country who entered the Omaze draw which reportedly also raised £750,000 for charitable causes. The house, which has floor-to-ceiling windows, was originally built by US couple Garfield and Vanessa Spencer, who used it as a holiday home before selling it.

mjm3346

A publicity piece across numerous outlets (pics in the Mirror and Sun credited to Omaze)

SpanishBlue

eyeballpaul said:

It looks like it's about to fall off the edge of the cliff!

Due to coastal erosion, I would be very nervous about living there.

baser999

Like AC55 I’d read somewhere that the prize properties were ones that builders/agents etc had had trouble selling for one reason or another. The property that was built on the flood plain was a classic example; when it had been won, the local residents announced it’d been on the market for ages, no one wanting to buy it as it was constantly flooded. 

janE1956

SpanishBlue said:

eyeballpaul said:

It looks like it's about to fall off the edge of the cliff!

Due to coastal erosion, I would be very nervous about living there.

isn't that the one where the couple from the midlands (Leicestershire) are now selling it as want the cash?