To say this is Tombola CF

[FreshAprilStart]

Putting this up to see if it is CF and I'm right to be pissed off.

Our local nursery does a yearly open day. Partly to let parents mix together, encourage new parents to join, and also to raise funds for additional activities and work. All very jolly and nice. My kids are not nursery age anymore but I still go along with old nursery friends from back in the day to give support, buy a few cupcakes and so on.

So, the open day was at the weekend. Lovely weather and big turn out. Lots of Easter themes and fundraising stuff. All very successful.

One of the events was a Tombola. Usual prizes of wine, chocolate, bit of tat etc. However, one of the prizes was spectacular. A day out with tickets for two to a top of the league derby game with tour of stadium and meal and free drinks. Wow. So knowing DH would like this, and all for charity, I bought a few tickets, but no luck. Friends did similar. Later on we went back and the prize was still there. So, had another few shots and bought some more. Others were doing the same. All the tat was going but the prize remained.

Eventually we drifted off and left and I didn't think anymore of it.

Was chatting in a group chat about other things yesterday and someone mentioned the generous prize. People asked who had won it, anyone we know. Then a better connected parent let us know 'in confidence' that there was no prize and no winning ticket, it was just a way to get people to the stall and buying tickets!

I'm just feeling that's not on. Very sneaky. Or is it very clever as they must've made loads. I spent at least £15. Others more.

That's really dishonest. I'd be pissed off.

Cf =complete fraud
Bloody disgraceful and can't surely be legal?

That's appalling!

That’s awful imo.

Whaaaat? Oh my god, that's awful! The scummy bastards

They'll realise their mistake next year when no bugger turns up.

Errrr definitely not on, and not a usual Tombola prize either- that would go in a raffle

That cant be legal?

Contact them, act all innocent, ask who won the top prize. With those kinds of things they're supposed to keep that information, so that they can prove the prize existed and was won by a genuine participant. I'd be curious to hear what they say.

We all wondered momentarily why it wasn't a raffle prize.

Like someone said, won't be spending next year.

They need a raffle licence to run a tombola, and there are strict rules. You cannot offer prizes that don’t exist.

Contact them, act all innocent, ask who won the top prize.

I'd bet you a similarly amazing prize that they can't remember

It's a shit situation OP, do you have a local spotted facebook group where you could anonymously inquire about who won it?

It’s fraud and false advertising.

You should report them and ask for a refund.

Awful. If true, then that is fraud and the nursery manager / event organiser is accountable.

Woah! That is the very definition of an illegal tombola!

I would love to have a filed day with this. Yes to the facebook questions, yes to making a lovely, innocent fuss about it. And yes to seriously considering who you are going to inform... PTA, governors, charity commission etc.

Was there also a raffle on the go?

No raffle.

The prize had been typed up and framed so someone had gone to quite a bit of trouble to make it.

I did win an iPhone 6 cover, Baylis and Harding bath shit and a bottle of plonk.

You don't need a licence if all tickets are sold on the day, so can't follow this up with the council.

Is it a registered charity? If so, I'd contact the charity commission.

That's really not on. I have been involved in running dozens of these things over the years and honesty is key.

Do you know the Chair of the committee? I'd be emailing her/him to point out that this sort of thing is illegal and must not be allowed to happen again.

I can't believe this didn't ring alarm bells with any of the organisers at any point

If have to email someone who was on the committee about that- it’s completely dishonest.

Did they make up the entire gift off the top of their heads? Are you quite sure your friend wasn’t kidding you about it not being real?

Oh my, this is really not ok.

As someone said earlier, it is fraud.

I help organise our primary school fair every year, and someone warned us we were doing something wrong by saying if you buy raffle tickets before the day, buy 5, get one free.

That constitutes an unfair advantage apparently, and so we had to stop doing that.

No matter whether it is a competition on tv or a tombola in a church hall, there are rules about these things (just not sure where....). I would definitely don an innocent, quizzical mask and do a bit of digging and ‘oh, I don’t mind if course, but how awful if this was against the law and you got into trouble’

Wow. They shouldn't get away with this.

What the hell?!

If I was a parent with a child at that nursery I'd be concerned what else whoever came up with that scheme gets up to..

Someone (presumably a member of staff) has been very dishonest. If they are dishonest about this, what else are they dishonest about in the day to day care of the children??

I think I would contact the nursery, explain that I am involved with a local charity (I'm sure there's one that you are involved with in some way, just to ensure you are also not lying) and ask for a contact for the local football club, as you would love it if they could offer something similar again. mention that you will be contacting the football club anyway, marvelling at their generosity, and asking if they would do the same again, but it may help to know who they are in contact with there.

In fact I think I actually would contact the football club themselves, I don't think they would be too happy about it. Most clubs will do a lot for the local community, offer prizes etc, but I don't think they would be pleased at this being done in their name.

OK, this has to have broken a law, a rule, a something, somewhere. It’s wrong, really wrong.

However, it was done by some numpty at the local nursery, with good intentions, for a good cause. Not by a money grabbing commercial enterprise.

Do you know the manager? If so, and you think they’re decent, just give them a call and see what they have to say. If it’s a long the lines of ‘What?😳. OMG I’ll look into it’ then, job done. If it’s ‘Meh ‍🤷🏻‍♀️ s night not a big deal’ then take it further.