FAO Nigel Donnelly - Unfair Free Draw Conditions

[WoodlandsCamper]

I see the magazine is up to its usual tricks of penalising people who are not allowed mobile phones at work - re free draw for 22 items of essential equipment:

" Winner(s) will be notified by mobile phone the following morning. If uncontactable within a reasonable length of time, they will lose their entitlement and the prize will be awarded to a reserve."

What is wrong with a landline number???????

 

[ValA.]

Is that legal? I thought competition law had to offer everyone an equal chance of winning, and this doesn't! Surely a name should be picked, and that person contacted by whatever means is possible, either mobile, landline, email, or even letter! A prize winner should be just that and not subject to 'withdrawal' of the prize because they aren't instantly available. Some people don't even have a mobile phone (and some, like me, only give the number to the few people I want to have it!)

 

[Parksy]

I've got a mobile phone but unless I'm about to travel a good distance or need to take the thing to the pub for a taxi home I either forget it completely or don't switch it on

 

[FrintonMike]

Parksy, I cannot agree more. Unless I am reminded the phone stays on the table at home. Even when I am at home I do not always hear it unless I am in the same room.
It looks as if I did enter I would not win as most of the time I am not contactable by mobile phone.

 

[ProfJohnL]

I'm not condoning restrictive practices. BUT

It is your choice whether to enter or not, it is not a compulsory thing, so the competition organiser is not required to make the entry arrangements or the terms and conditions universal.

You will make your choice on whether to enter or not based on the criteria the organiser sets. If you want to win the prize you have to accept the terms and conditions.

The only thing they must do is to ensure the the competition runs according to the rules. in other words say what they do and do what they say.

It is not uncommon for a manufacture to have a competition where the prize is some of their products or related services, and they may filter the entry requirements to center on a particular demographic usually to gain some market research.

 

[Raywood]

It would be interesting to know what is meant by "contact within a reasonable length of time". Presumably if the phone is not answered a voice mail will be left and the rules also refer to an e mail being used so it looks like a reasonable effort will be made to contact the winner rather than just ringing getting no reply and giving the prize to someone else.
I assume the phone call is only for the parger prizes as I did get one of the glue prizes and this just arrived without any warning.

 

[JohnGriffiths]

Interestingly it's only in the small print about needing a mobile number, the actual input box just says "phone" so I've entered a landline number. Be just my luck if someone rings to say in a Jim Bowen voice "Look what you would have won..... but you didn't give a mobile no. unfortunately"

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

Possible groups of people excluded from the competition, if needing a mobile phone:-
teachers and classroom assistants
bank and building society counter staff
bus drivers
oil refinery and chemical plant workers
supermarket checkout operators
office workers where personal phones are not allowed

 

[Mel]

Pl add, the majority of NHS clinical staff.

Perhaps that is there so that if the "reasonable length of time" is "reasonable", and they then move onto the next person, there can be no come back. These days it is always about covering one's backside against litigation.
mel

 

[NickinFrance]

<Cynical mode>
Could it be that you can't send spam SMS messages to landlines?
</cynical mode>

 

[MichaelE]

You couldnt possibly mean they sell on the mobile number database to fund the so called free prizes ???

 

[Parksy]

The implication in this thread over the past few posts seems to be that Haymarket are behaving in a disreputable or underhand manner which is certainly not the case.
The terms and conditions including the privacy policy are available to view on the website at the bottom of the web-pages, including this and every other forum page, by clicking on Privacy Policy
which is in red text in the page footer margin (or my URL above)

All that anyone has to do is to read the information provided, all the red text notices are in fact URL's which when clicked will open an information page or website.
Participation in competitions automatically permits Haymarket and it's partners to contact the participant with details of other offers or products, this is stated on the competition entry.
There are however postal addresses, UR links and telephone numbers shown on the Privacy Policy which enable the participant to find out what information Haymarket holds and what cookies are in use which promote goods and services.
There is also a link to an opt out form which, when completed, will allow any website user or competition entrant to opt out of the marketing of goods and services.

 

[NickinFrance]

You couldnt possibly mean they sell on the mobile number database to fund the so called free prizes ???

I've got no idea what conditions are applied to competition entrants but I do know that qualified mobile phone numbers are worth a lot more than landline numbers or even e-mail addresses.

 

[NickinFrance]

The implication in this thread over the past few posts seems to be that Haymarket are behaving in a disreputable or underhand manner which is certainly not the case.

My comment was made rather 'tongue in cheek' & was a statement of fact.
I certainly didn't mean to imply that Haymarket were 'behaving in a disreputable or underhand manner', I'm sure they aren't but having been involved in the technical side of SMS marketing I know how how much a qualified mobile phone number is worth

 

[Parksy]

Email addresses or mobile phone numbers are commercially valuable Nick and I understand that your post was tongue in cheek but is nevertheless factual, SMS message marketing strategies are only effective when mobile phones and email addresses are provided.
Your comment gave me the opportunity to make forum members aware that although some URL's are not always obvious many snippets of information are available from this website if one knows where to look or what to click the mouse on but perhaps I could have phrased it better, sorry

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

Email addresses or mobile phone numbers are commercially valuable Nick and I understand that your post was tongue in cheek but is nevertheless factual, SMS message marketing strategies are only effective when mobile phones and email addresses are provided.

Perhaps I don't want to enter the competition after all

I'll keep my mobile number safe from spam, etc.

 

[Parksy]

If you looked at the privacy policy from my link Sir WC you'd see that you can opt out of advertising sms messages from Haymarket.

 

[NigelDonnelly]

Dear all,

Glad you are all so keen to enter the competition and sorry you all feel so troubled by the T&Cs.

Good news - There is no need for it to be a mobile phone number. In fact, it is being changed as we speak. And I won't lie to you, we do collect the data, but we abide by a very strict set of rules of what we do with it, and the instructions on opting out are there on the page. The reason a mobile is selected is because people are more likely to have them with them during the day. But it is no longer compulsory. That's the power of the forum right there...

We really aren't evil or trying to raffle off your details to the highest bidder.

We love you all...

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

We love you all...

Nigel - thank you for listening to our concerns.
We all love you as well

 

[Parksy]

Feelin' the lurve...............