Scratchcard scams

[Dogtective]

Woof
I am sorry for not being about. My owner ficked off with his bit on the side to Bangor in Wales for a month and left me in this hell hole of a kennel where a got a does of fleas off some dirty bitch. With all that scratching I began to think about those poor mugs that think they have won something when they scratch a card they have found in a newspaper or magazine. So for anyone who is barking enough to think they have won something here is some info from the OFT

'Congratulations! You are a guaranteed winner!!!' Have you ever been tempted to call a premium rate hotline number after being told that you have won a top prize? You may not be as lucky as you think, warns the OFT following a recent survey.

Usually distributed in newspapers and magazines, the scratchcards and other prize promotions surveyed by the OFT were all so-called 'winners' and gave the impression that recipients had been lucky to win a top prize, gift or award. However, the items that consumers were entitled to claim were giveaways such as holidays or discount vouchers with stringent terms and conditions attached. These were included amongst the list of top 'prizes', even though they were unlimited in number and subject to restrictions on use.

To find out exactly what they had won, 'winners' were encouraged to ring a premium phone line costing as much as �10.50 in total. Details of the alternative postal claims route were generally set out in extremely small print on the reverse of the cards.

Almost all the 'prizes' had strict limitations attached to their use. The holiday prizes - which included a Caribbean cruise and trips to the Canaries, Barcelona, and France - were generally for one person only (with an option to pay for additional travellers) with no guarantee of preferred destination, and most had to be taken with as little as seven days' notice. There were also strict deadlines for completion of forms and acceptance of the holiday offered. Some also required an additional processing fee. Although mention was made of such limitations in the terms and conditions on the reverse of the card, those were lengthy, small and difficult to read.

Discount vouchers were typically time-limited, some required a minimum expenditure in order to redeem them and, in the case of holiday vouchers, could only be redeemed through a specified agent - therefore preventing the consumer from shopping around for the best deal.

The OFT's findings confirm previous surveys conducted by Lincolnshire and South Ayrshire trading standards departments.

John Vickers, OFT Chairman, said:

'These promotions tell everyone that they are winners. In fact most who respond end up as losers.'

George Kidd, Director of premium rate services regulator ICSTIS, said:

'Under our Code of Practice, call costs must be clearly given, as must details of the number of prizes available and any terms and conditions, including additional costs, associated with claiming those prizes. We will continue to take swift action against any company that breaks these rules.'


Hope this is helps, I hear next doors car starting and I feel the need to chase it, don’t know why but I do.


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