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AIBU?

to think DS1 is being fobbed off here

11 replies

Saker · 01/10/2012 12:39

Ds1 won two heats of the WWT photography competition. They had a separate heat for each season of the year and for each centre, and he was in the under-18s category so I realise there would have been a few winners and it's not like he's been chosen as photographer of the year or something.

But the prize for winning a heat is, according to the rules, a photography workshop worth £120 run by a company called Wild Arena. I have requested him a day off school to go on this workshop next week and I now find that it is a 2.5h session in the afternoon consisting of an hour's presentation and a question and answer session and a critique of the competitors' work. There isn't even an opportunity to leave the visitor centre and try and take some photos outside. Wild Arena are advertising a similar workshop the same morning, only with an outside session, and that costs £29, so I know that it's not worth anything near £120. Of course it's a prize and probably he should be grateful for what he's got, but he was really looking forward to this and now it really feels like he and the other winners are just being fobbed off with the absolute bare minimum. AIBU?

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HereLittleKitty · 01/10/2012 12:41

Does seem a bit of a shitty prize, but not sure what you could do?

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LadySybildeChocolate · 01/10/2012 12:41

Sounds naff to me. Do you have to go?

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Saker · 01/10/2012 12:44

No he probably won't bother going now as it means arranging childcare for Ds2 getting home from school, missing or rearranging his dancing lesson (which also affects his dance partner) and trailing 45min to get there and then me hanging around for 2h while he does it. I don't think there is anything I can do really - I will probably grumble to the WWT but I wanted to check I wasn't being unreasonable before I do.

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LadySybildeChocolate · 01/10/2012 12:46

No, you're not being unreasonable. What does the winner get? A 3 hour lecture?

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Saker · 01/10/2012 12:53

Grin
The overall kids' prize is a week's adventure holiday but it will probably turn out to be a SAGA weekend or something!

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LadySybildeChocolate · 01/10/2012 12:55
Grin
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CandiStaton · 01/10/2012 12:57

well done to your ds though saker!

you must be proud Smile

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Saker · 01/10/2012 13:03

Yes I am proud, he did well. Only thing now is that he's eyeing up very expensive digital slrs for Christmas.

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GoEasyPudding · 01/10/2012 13:04

There is something you can do.

Reading up on a competition site they advise you copy in the original wording of the prize advertising in an email and politley remind them of what they promised.

They also advise putting something nice on facebook and twitter if you don't get anywhere with the first email.

Finally you can complain to ASA: Advertising Standards Authority - www.asa.org.uk or the IPM: Institute of Promotional Marketing - www.theipm.org.uk

Really hope this helps as your DS should be able to enjoy the prize as it was advertised to you.

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Saker · 01/10/2012 13:11

Ok thanks, I will email at least in the first instance. I would have thought that some of the other winners might be complaining also. The woman in charge sent the email out last thing on Friday and now is on annual leave for a week, so I wonder if there was anything significant in that timing!

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digerd · 01/10/2012 14:37

Don't believe in coincidences !!!!!!

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