IOS "Details" competition

[jocon]

Has anyone had problems receiving prizes for the Details competitions in the Independent on Sunday? I'm still waiting after being named as a winner at the beginning of September. I can't get a satisfactory answer from them despite several 'phone calls and emails, and I'm wondering what to do next. It's no longer really about the prize - it's just so irritating to be ignored.

[squarebear]

Anything to do with the post strike perhaps?

[starmack]

Hi jocon - my experiejce over long years telles me that it is usually ****-up in newspapers rather than conspiracy.

Does IoS - which I used to read - have a Readers Representative, or a Readers Ombudsman. It should have!

All these 'quality' papers lecture politicians about shortcomings in 'accountability' and 'public access' etc etc and (inevitably) they are always inferior in such respect themselves. The worst "communicators" in the world are usually media and phone companies!

Is there a Jim 'ill Fix It type of column in ANY other local or national paper which you read. Supply them with details and see how fast problem is solved. Esther Rantzen would have sorted them out pronto.

[starmack]

hi jocon, that asterisk did NOT begin with F...as you might think. It began with rthe third letter of the alphabet. The final letter of the asterisk was a 'k.' Think farmyard, feathers and eggs.....

Hope I dont have to do a crash course in Bletchley Park!

[jocon]

Thanks for answers -

This has been ongoing for the past month, so can't be postal problems.

starmack - I think you're right in placing the, ahem, mix-up with the paper. It was after getting no response when 'phoning the IOS Review ("not at desk right now, please leave message") and completely ignoring the messages I left, that I emailed the "Readers' Editor", who passed that message to his pa, who passed that message to the person who I had originally 'phoned! I did manage to talk to him when he was at his desk and he gave me the "looking into it" brush off, with the promise to 'phone back the next day. That was a couple of days ago.
I'll must see if I can involve a third party, as you suggest.

As it is, I can only hope that I get my bottle of champagne in time for Christmas!

Regards

[croppy]

Hello jacon

I've won a prize in the IOS details competition several times but my win has never been proceessed correctly. I've been first out of the hat on 3 occaisions but have only received the art print once - I was never reimbursed for it and so ended up paying for it myself - On another occaision, I've won but received nothing - I've tried to email them with no response. I gave up as life is too short. I've stopped buying the IOS as it has descended into celeb filled tosh (just like most of the other rags) and only do the competition if I happen to come across it in a 'borrowed' copy. Best of luck with your endeavours!

[jocon]

Hi croppy - thanks for reply.

Your experiences are not very encouraging for me, and I share your 'life is too short' sentiments, but it does really bug me that they take so little notice of these, comparatively, minor complaints. I sent off another email yesterday, copied to their readers' editor, so I'll see what response, if any, that brings.

With regard to what you say about previous wins with no prize forthcoming, I wonder if this is happening a lot - if anyone else reading this has similar experience with IoS it would be interesting if they would comment.

If anything comes of my efforts I'll update this post.

[silvergirl46]

Both my husband and myself enter this competition on a regular basis. Often when we have won, we have to wait a long time for the prize to arrive. Friends who have also won have had the same experience, sometimes two months, sometimes after emails asking what has happened. Try contacting the customer service department. They are very good. Best of luck.

[YAQUEUES]

I know a score of people who have suffered lengthy delays. Contact customer services at the independent. If no joy after a week, state that you wish to make a formal complaint. I believe the staff wait for months, then make an order for the champagne. They claim that they have changed the supplier, the carrier, or there has been illness. The bring the newspaper into disrepute in my opinion. I once received the prize, though, before the result was published. My brother received two prizes when he had only won one. A friend received the prize although she was never published as a winner, though she had entered.