Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think this raffle was rigged?

22 replies

santasbluebaubles · 06/12/2010 13:51

There was a raffle at stay and play this morning to raise money for the group. The group consists of 'the clique' (7 or 8 very irritating women, including the 2 who run the group) and the rest of us (I guess around 20 people.)

There were 6 raffle prizes. The 2 group leaders won one each, 3 were won by other clique members and only one by anyone else.

Very suspicious if you ask me Hmm

And no I'm not bitter and twisted...I was the one not in the clique who won Grin

OP posts:
whatdoiknowanyway · 06/12/2010 13:55

Could be that they bought more tickets than anyone else?

MorticiaAddams · 06/12/2010 13:57

YABU. It's not in their interest to rig it as it does look suspicious and could stop people buying tickets next time which wouldn't mean much money would be raised.

They probably just bought more tickets than the others.

ShatnersBassoon · 06/12/2010 13:58

Unless the prizes were really amazing, I doubt they'd go to the trouble of fixing a raffle.

merlin · 06/12/2010 13:58

If it was me the two who run it should have put their tickets back in and let them be drawn again!!!

madsadlibrarian · 06/12/2010 13:58

could try asking for a refund as your ticket was clearly faulty?

don't know what stay and play is, but if it is a privately run thing - why are they asking you to make more "donations" anyway?

MrsDaffodill · 06/12/2010 13:59

At our playgroup we were accused of rigging the raffle because one granddad won nearly all the prizes. He'd bought £20 of tickets when everyone had bought £1 - £2 worth!!!

Original poster
santasbluebaubles · 06/12/2010 13:59

I suppose it's possible. There didn't seem to be a huge number of tickets in the hat though.

The group leaders also picked the best prizes - a voucher for a beauty treatment and a bottle of champagne. I don't know why, but I thought that was a bit off tbh.

I'm enjoying my box of choccies though Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
santasbluebaubles · 06/12/2010 14:02

Oh x-posts

I'm loving the faulty ticket idea mads Grin

it's just a toddler group. I don't mind the donations, although it is a pretty expensive group to start with (£3 for my 2yo)

OP posts:
nancydrewrockinaroundxmastree · 06/12/2010 14:09

To be fair they probably bought more tickets.

Although to be honest if I was organising a raffle I don't think I would take a prize, it's the downside of being an organiser, not getting to win.

MorticiaAddams · 06/12/2010 14:14

Why shouldn't they pick the prizes they want?

Do you really believe they should be penalised because they put effort into running and keeping going the group going?

PrettyCandlesAndTinselToo · 06/12/2010 14:16

They probablybought more tickets.

With all the playgroup and pre-school raffles that I've been involved in or bought tickets for, there was an unwritten etiquette that organisers put their tickets back if they drew any of the top prizes. Also, anyone doing or assisting with the actual draw never took a prize. Similarly, if more than one of your tickets was drawn, you did not take any prizes after the first. Tho this 'rule' doesn't seem to be important for the large PTA affairs at big-school.

PaisleyLeaf · 06/12/2010 14:20

I've spent more on raffle tickets at a playgroup than I normally would. As I care about it I bought a fivers worth of tickets. It was only when I had to keep saying "no draw again" on winning that I realised my mistake.

moomaa · 06/12/2010 14:20

Our toddler group has had this sort of scenario before. The 'clique' were generally the people that supported the group by preparing crafts at home or putting chairs out/away etc. I bet they bought a lot more tickets than anyone else. Last time we did a raffle myself and the other organiser agreed not to buy any tickets ourselves.

ps ours was £1 per family if that makes much difference. The organisers were all volunteers.

Lonnie · 06/12/2010 16:11

Last Raffle I was involved in running we drew out 3 tickets of the same name straight after each other. On checking this grandfather had bought only 5 tickets (£1 worth) so it is possible by sheer luck with the 3rd prize he said to redraw something I thougth was incredibilly good of him

I would feel it was suspecious if it happens again at next raffle but unless so I think it was a fluke

Original poster
santasbluebaubles · 06/12/2010 16:31

I don't think they should be penalised morticia, it just didn't sit right with me. I think they've probably shot themselves in the foot a bit because it will put people off buying tickets in future raffles IMO.

I don't know if it was actually rigged or not, but the result is that most of us there thought it was.

If I was one of the organisers I would have either drawn again or chosen one of the cheaper gifts.

OP posts:
MerryMarigold · 06/12/2010 16:35

Weren't the tickets chosen in front of everyone?! By someone random? Who wasn't looking at the tickets, but just put hand in? I agree that the clique bought more tickets!

Original poster
santasbluebaubles · 06/12/2010 16:45

They were chosen in front of everyone by one of the women who runs the group. She had them in a hat and they were all folded in half. She wouldn't have been able to see the numbers on the tickets before she picked them I don't think.

I guess maybe she could have put certain people's tickets on top or to one side? Everyone had to write their name on the stubs so that could have been possible.

OP posts:
MerryMarigold · 06/12/2010 16:54

In that case I think YABU

panettoinydog · 06/12/2010 17:02

Since raffles are completely chance things, it is impossible to say if it was rigged.

It's a bit churlish to moan about it.

Original poster
santasbluebaubles · 06/12/2010 17:07

I'm not moaning panettoinydog, merely pondering. I don't actually mind whether it was rigged or not, tis really not important in the grand scheme of things Smile

My post was prompted by much discussion between other attendees in the cafe afterwards.

OP posts:
jade80 · 06/12/2010 17:07

If they were allowed to buy tickets then they should be just as entitled to the prizes as anyone else.

MerryMarigold · 06/12/2010 21:22

So there's now a clique of 'non-clique' stay and play mums who go for coffee after the group and who take pleasure in slagging off the clique...[sigh]

New posts on this thread. Refresh page