This weekend a competition was posted on the forums. By sending a text message with the code HOTPOINT you could instantly win 1 of 100 Hotpoint Eco Friendly Washing Machines. The promotion, from Sainsbury’s, has a closing date of August 31st. No doubt this competition will be spotted by many eagle eyed compers and also by every day shoppers who, for the price of a standard price text message, might fancy winning one of the prizes.
You Could Be Wasting Your Time
According to comments made to Loquax it is alleged that there have already been almost 100 (if not over 100) winners of these prizes. Keep in mind, that the promotion is merely a couple of days old yet is meant to run until 31st August. You’d think that he instant win mechanic would fairly spread out the winners over the whole period. Surely something’s not quite right? Firstly, if (as we’re told) another comping group has scooped all the prizes then fair play to them for jumping on the bandwagon early doors. Who knows if they will get their prizes – if they’ve been won fair and square during the promotional period then you’d assume that the promoter has to fulfill their obligations.
Random Prize Generator
However, what is more concerning is that it seems incredibly odd, based on randomness, that all those prizes can be won at the start of the promotion. You’d think that they’d be a few machines won every week. It suggests to us that the “random prize generator” was possibly over zealous – or even set up incorrectly? Also slightly concerning is if it is the case that all prizes are now won then surely no one else should be allowed to enter? When you send in a text the message back should be along the lines of “sorry, there are no more prizes on offer, you have not been charged for this text”.
Is It A Level Playing Field?
As is for the next 8 or 9 weeks, people – many who probably think this Sainsbury’s competition is on a level playing field – will be bitterly disappointed, if (as it may well be the case) that all prizes went in less than a week of the promotion. The only “good thing” is that the entry cost is a standard SMS message – and not a premium rate one. It does make you wonder how many other promotions run their course with people entering with perhaps zero chance of winning? One further point worth mentioning at this juncture – entry for the competition is one per mobile. We’d really like promoters start changing this to one per household. Hopefully we can get some verification from Sainbury’s about the status of this competition.