To think - this isn't really a prize is it?

[SuzysZoo]

Just won a prize at my DS school's Christmas Fair. Second prize. Lucky me. Says it's worth £200. However it is a voucher for a session at Venture Photography (worth £50, it says) and then £150 off anything I buy. Except that the other threads on here seem to say that the photos cost 100s. So this isn't really a prize is it? It looks like I have to spend 100s to "get" my £200. AIBU to be annoyed? I wish I'd swapped it for a £10 voucher much further down the list of prizes......... I don't think it's really a "prize" is it, if you have to spend money on getting it?

EIGHTY FUCKING QUID? for a 7"x5" print?

I have lots of clients with huge debt collector problems caused by signing contracts that committed them to huge sums from this company as well as another one that does the same thing

ugh rubbish prize. give it back and make it clear why you are.

They should be using local photographers- not these evil chains.

I am still seething about this and I have also checked the "small print". The voucher says that to be valid at least two generations of my family have to turn up - WTF? Ok, so I would take my children anyway, but what about if you are a couple with no kids who win/want a photo? Do you have to take your mum/dad along with you? What if they are old and in a nursing home - would I have to wheel them along?!!

That is shit.

Set fire to it, film said fire, and post it on YouTube.

DH says "eBay the fucker". He is evil.

Both those are tempting ideas Horatia! However, I'd feel too bad to Ebay it, and I don't think anyone would buy it!!

Ok so by way of update I phoned Venture today. My £200 prize entitles me to a studio session worth £50 and £150 off their wall product range which starts at £259. This means I have to spend a minimum of £109 on my prize. I have emailed the PTA not because I blame them but just because I think that they need to know (for future raffles) how this works. I don't think that they should really offer a prize that costs money to redeem. I hope that they don't think that I am being critical because I know how hard they all work and I am sure that they just didn't know this is how the voucher would work. At least I may save someone in the future from disappointment/debt!

Don't go!!

Venture are a nightmare. They chased me across town at 16, after frogmarching me to the bank because they didn't believe I couldn't afford £1400 for a CD of photos, and my debit card declined. I ran out, and they chased me to the train station.

It was utterly petrifying to be stuck in a tiny room with a man making you agree that every picture is lovely, and you should buy them all...He positioned himself very carefully so that I couldn't leave.

I wasted hours of time and £100 getting two horrid pictures of my DS, after supposedly winning one of these offers.
I didn't even like any of the ones they showed, all except the two I chose had bits of him missing.

When I went to collect the framed pictures, the frames covered up his smile on one and his feet on the other. They made out that this was "their style". Basically I just cried and left, wiser but poorer.

What bastards, Caja.

Thanks for update, OP. I think you are right to ask the PTA not to accept "prizes" from Venture again.

This was discussed just the other day.

We should start a campaign. Beware this rip off merchant and his so-called prizes front for finance company.

Flog it on ebay. Got to be worth £50 to someone planning cheesy family studio session some sucker.

So, finally, spoke to the PTA. They were sent these "prizes" unsolicited in sealed envelopes so they didn't know all the terms and conditions. They agree that they won't be offered as prizes again. School PTAs beware then, as this is just a marketing ploy by Venture - they send these "prizes" out to school PTAs at Christmas time, it seems, as a marketing tool........ I wish there was someone to report this to- it seems so wrong.

Would the Office of Fair Trading be interested?