Scratch cards in MBM

[Talon2]

Just received latest MBM. Found not one but three scratch cards inside. All three where jackpots winners with the required 3 cards being the ace of diamonds. On section one I have the won the first class prize which is a weeks holiday or a 28" digital TV or £25,000. On the second section I have possible won a Mercedes 220. Of course I have three cards so I have won all these prizes 3 times over. All I have to do is make a £10.00 telephone to collect!!!! Has anybody else won or am I just very lucky to have all the three prize cards??? Has anybody actual phoned to collect the prizes and if so what happened - did you get anything???

<hr width=100% size=1>Keith

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.mobiledit.co.uk>http://www.mobiledit.co.uk</A>

 

[barryjl]

You will get something, but unless you are unbelievably lucky it wont even cover the cost of your phone call! I've never played those scratch cards, but I do some work for a company which is involved in the 'Premium rate' telephone business. Those cards are perfectly legal, but a real bad bet! Apparently, the guy who promotes those cards, generates £1m plus per WEEK in premium rate revenue (wish I'd thought of it!!).

<hr width=100% size=1>There's no problems..just opportunities

 

[BrendanS]

Just read the small print. Awards are not guaranteed to be greater than the cost of the call. In First Class prizes, for the one or two of some electrical goods, and 3250 holiday prizes, for which there is a £49 per person charge. 'Further terms may apply' - Cheap flight, cheap room? and how many will take it up. Told their prize is holiday, and £49 each please (possibly very restricted dates) and don't bother claiming prize

Plus make money on lots of £10 phone calls to provide lots of sub £10 alarm clocks and camers?

Haven't phoned. I just bin the things as a total waste of time

<hr width=100% size=1>There is no such thing as "fun for the whole family."

 

[hagrid]

With these things I blame the editor of the publication, everybody knows it's a scam and yet IPC are allowing and endorsing their below the belt actions to the poor defenceless boat owner. How far will they stoop to generate cash? Why not take money of companies that would be of interest to the readership, or would benefit rather than con their loyal subjects, I have seen it all now, With the slack laws, if IPC are that hard up they could run their own scratch and sniff card promotion, maybe in conjunction with solly, or even a major boat manufacture they would generate huge revenue from the 0870 or 0970 numbers plus because it would be run by IPC it would be above board?


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[Talon2]

Kim could you fill us in how these card people work. It is obviously a scam of some sort. I presume the mag gets paid to distribute them but surely there has to be some sort of control.

<hr width=100% size=1>Keith

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.mobiledit.co.uk>http://www.mobiledit.co.uk</A>

 

[kimhollamby]

Answers to posts

These cards are inserted by a corporate ad sales team at IPC, not the marine bods. When questions arose of a similar nature I raised the issue directly with those people and was told that no complaints of fraudulent behaviour have ever been levelled and therefore they saw no grounds for not including them.

I have my own feelings about the inclusion of them which are not particularly positive, but on the other hand I draw some comfort from the fact that most readers I know are sensible enough to read both sides of the cards to draw their own conclusions.

I acknowledge this doesn't address the issue regarding opinions of the content but if anyone has a bad experience with cards of this nature then I will immediately follow-up with those responsible for selling in this end.

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[DavidP]

Hi
I whole hartedly agree with you Hagrid,

I have never yet to date not one first prize on any of these scratch cards from all kinds of magazines and papers, i only scratch them off to prove a point.

Dave.

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[longjohnsilver]

Re: Answers to posts

I think the biggest problem comes with youngsters who get hold of these things, they don't read the small print about it costing a tenner for the phone call, and they are delighted to be a winner. They assume a 6 minute phone call will cost a few pence. These things prey on those who don't know any better.

IPC should ban them from their magazines, they are a disgrace.

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[Strathglass]

Re: Answers to posts

They are a complete con. The 'Holidays' do not include airfare which must be purchased through them. They are often for only one person, additional people are quite expensive, sometimes the travel is by bus. If travel is included then it is from a place and at a time which makes it expensive to use. Everyone is told they have won a star prize.

They come with virtually every magazine those days. They automatically get binned.

No, I havn't used one but know someone who has, about three months ago. Cost many of hundreds of pounds extra to pay for flights and accomodation (four days in Paris) for her daughter and husband. She did go into it slightly open eyed and was aware that the costs would be high but was egged on by her sub-teenage daughter telling her that she should take the prize.

The companies make their money from the premium rate phone calls.

Iain


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[c_j]

Re: Answers to posts

Kim, take a moral stance. You know and I know that these cards are designed to trick people into giving money to the promoters. Helping the perpetrators does nothing for your Magazine. Without your publication to carry these cards they would be stuck. The argument that most of the readers you know are too sensible, makes no allowance for the many who are taken in by this scam, as obviously they are. I see this as no better than aiding and abetting. Get them out.

<hr width=100% size=1>CJ
cjs@stone.uk.com


<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.stone.uk.com>http://www.stone.uk.com</A>

 

[BarryH]

Hang about a min. All the replies to this post are about what a scam these things are. Obviously IPC get a fee for putting them in the mags.
Now the people who buy the mag, ie you lot, are not stupid. You've realised that they're a scam of sorts. So if the scratch cards are dropped by IPC its less revenue for them. They'll need to look else where to regain the loss of that revenue. Where will that come from? Do what I do, just bin the things without a second thought, along with the rest of the inserts.
These mags are not published for the benefit of you or me. They're a business. There is loads of easier ways to make money than producing a monthly mag aimed at what is rather a small readership.
So come on people, let IPC rake in the squillions for including these things. None of you are stupid and quite a few in business for yourself. So you know what its like!

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[barryjl]

I agree with you completely, but I doubt that the mag get big bucks for putting the cards in, they're more likely to get a % of the telephone revenue generated by the cards.

<hr width=100% size=1>There's no problems..just opportunities

 

[tico]

Re: Answers to posts

As usual a calm & measured response from Kimatollah.

some of us appreciate the voice of sanity

<hr width=100% size=1>Been there, done that, got the oily T shirt

 

[jon_bailey]

Re: Answers to posts

I am sure that no-one considers 'tacky' scratch cards, that at best try to deceive, add to the credibility of such a prestigious magazine. I am therefore slightly surprised that IPC, in their wisdom, consider that the financial rewards outweigh any negative affect on their target audience.

Just my opinion and perhaps the rewards are so great that any other business in the same position would take the same decision! What a pity that we all cannot adopt the moral high ground and forget commercial reality.

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[PhilF]

Cant agree with this point of view.
We shouldnt condone poor practice just because of the financial benefits.
A lack of complaints does not mean some folk have been ripped off, they are just too embarressed to say so.
Leave em out I say
PhilF

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[Blue_Blazes]

It's about time these scratch cards were made illegal. It's all very well Kim saying that the readers are switched-on enough not to phone in, but some of us have children. Kids rarely, if ever, read the small print on anything. They scratch off and see they've "won" a prize, if Mum and Dad aren't about they are likely to phone the premium rate number. Result= Dad gets ripped off despite being clever enough not to be taken in by the scammers. All junk mail is a pain in the arse, but these cards are downright immoral.

Bill.

<hr width=100% size=1>One of these days I'll have a boat that WORKS

 

[Andrew_Fanner]

Rip 'em up and bin 'em. Been my policy for years. I have also made a point to make sure my children (those old enough to use a phone) know that these things are a legal fiddle.

Fill in the blanks.

A [blank] and his [blank] are soon parted.


<hr width=100% size=1>Two beers please, my friend is paying.

 

[kimhollamby]

Repeat message

I say again...if anyone has a bad experience with cards of this nature then I will immediately follow-up with those responsible for selling in this end.

I will also report this thread to the commercial director responsible for the marine titles (who also happens to be the publisher for the two motorboat titles).

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[Dave_Snelson]

No PR on my phone

I disabled Premium Rate services off my phone years ago because my kids used to phone these things in all innocence. Its just another time share scam.

<hr width=100% size=1>Madoc Yacht Club
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.madocyachtclub.co.uk>http://www.madocyachtclub.co.uk</A>

 

[Talon2]

Re: Opened can of worms

Hi Kim
Never meant to start a rumpus. Only wanted to make an observation to see if anybody out there had won anything on these cards. This site is certainly very lively.

<hr width=100% size=1>Keith

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.mobiledit.co.uk>http://www.mobiledit.co.uk</A>