UPDATE! Would you let the $250 go?

kugelEater

Tue, Sep 24 2024, 2:47 am

amother Cobalt wrote:

How did she take advantage?

Because she said that she lost the certificate so she will be paying with cash. Since she was paying cash, the sheitelmacher agreed to the rush job.
Then when she came to pick up, she said yay I found my gift card, so the sheitelmacher had nothing to show for the extra work she put in to make sure the wig was ready on time.
It seems like some here think that businesses are paid for the gift cards they donate. This is sometimes true, but sometimes they themselves are making the donation. In that case, when they are not making any money off it, I think it's perfectly understandable for them to have conditions on when/how the prize can be redeemed.

imaima

Tue, Sep 24 2024, 2:57 am

amother OP wrote:

I attended a customer appreciation event a few months ago. I was lucky enough to win the grand prize in a raffle, a $250 gift certificate to a choice of stores. I clearly heard my name called, and it's not the type of name that's all that common. I went over to the business owner to thank them after but there was a whole crowd around them so I figured I'll just wait for them to call me about it. Well, they never called. I meant to give it a few days and call myself and it slipped my mind completely, and I would only remember at times I couldn't take care of it, like Shabbos or in middle of the night. Finally I managed to call them and spoke with a receptionist and she took down the info and said someone will follow up. No one ever did. I called again a little bit later, different receptionist told me "Oh, Malky in marketing will handle it, I'll transfer you, leave a message." Do you think anyone ever called me back? Shocker, no. I called again later, they took down my info yet again. Still nothing! I called again later, they took down my home address and email address and said a gift card would be mailed or emailed to me.

It has now been 3 weeks since then, and absolutely nothing has showed up. On the one hand, I'm upset at the principle of it- I won fair and square, why are they not giving me the prize? On the other, I'm starting to feel like a bit of an idiot. Like, this shouldn't be happening, are they just planning to spin me along endlessly with no plans of ever sending me the gift certificate?

I'm going to call again tomorrow and make a bigger fuss. I HATE confrontation but I'm going to do my best and get aggressive if I need to. But like, what if they still never send anything? What then? Do I call every day just to harass them? I'm tempted to cuz I'm that annoyed. Mad

But at the same time it's making me feel really weird. $250 is not petty change to me though so I'm still reluctant to just give up.

What would you do?

Imagine you never won anything.
I don’t think the money was ever yours
What are you gonna do? They are just not giving it

amother

Copper

Tue, Sep 24 2024, 3:10 am

kugelEater wrote:

Our shul gave out to all the women (very small shul)a wash and set to 2 local sheital machers but they put on it terms and conditions with an expiration date. If there is no terms and conditions don't be upset if they want regular service.

OP when we won something after a week of not hearing anything we called the organisation and they said someone will reach out to you. Took another week for DH to see them and mention we still didn't hear anything. After about a month we met him again and he said he will let someone know that we are waiting. It's very awkward but we did finally get the store certificate, when we went that same week to redeem it they were laughing at how old the certificate was and that with prizes people usually come straight away. We told them we did we only got it now. BH they treated us nicely and have enjoyed the item. Something we needed but don't have the money to buy that price and would have bought an off brand.

Mayflower

Tue, Sep 24 2024, 3:15 am

amother Birch wrote:

I know who you are and what business your speaking about. First of all the raffle was for $200 not $250 and I believe you were called after the event. Second of all, the last time you called was the only time you specified what gift card you wanted. (Toy store) They know about it. It's being taken care of. No need to call again. It wasn't forgotten about and should be sent to you this week.

I cannot believe you are trying to shame OP for wanting to claim her prize and getting frustrated by the lack of communication on your end. Not OK at all. You are in the wrong here, not OP.

kugelEater wrote:

I get what you are saying, but really, once you decide to donate a gift card, it's only mentshlich to treat the winner the same you would any paying customer. True, you won't make any money out of it, but you knew this when you decided to donate this prize. I don't think the scenario the sheitel macher posted is taking advantage at all.

Bnei Berak 10 ↓

Tue, Sep 24 2024, 3:17 am

OP, don't give in. There is no reason you should give in.
Phone the organization. Get the full name of the person responsible for the prizes. Get his email address.
Get Malky's email address too.
Send Malky an email with the organization person as CC. That way you are keeping the organization person in the loop what is happening.
Does this raffle state that there is a lawyers office That is responsible that the raffle is conducted in a fair and legal manner? In Israel this is usually so. I would never participate in such an event if there isn't a legal body to oversee it.

↑ Bnei Berak 10 ↓

Tue, Sep 24 2024, 3:27 am

kugelEater wrote:

So it needs to be clearly stated in advance which dates prize won't be applicable.

amother

↑ Clematis

Tue, Sep 24 2024, 5:56 am

amother Babyblue wrote:

If the certificate has no terms, expiration date, or limits- that is on the store.
"No rush jobs"
"Not valid between Purim and Pesach or 2 weeks before RH"
All valid terms.
But if there are no terms, the recipient can use it.

Yes that's what I've been writing the last few years...
I think it should be self understood but nothing wrong with putting it in writing. Wink

amother

↑ Anemone

Tue, Sep 24 2024, 9:16 am

amother OP wrote:

This goes against all of my classical-feminist sensibilities. Queen

If he can call every day, I can call every day. If he can get aggressive on the phone I can get aggressive on the phone. I can do this!

My plan is as follows- call again tomorrow. Be MUCH tougher on the phone. Be very clear about how many times I've called by now with no results, and ask what their plan is and why they haven't sent it til now. Assure them that I'll be calling every day until it happens. Ask for the email addresses of all relevant parties and follow up with an email. Report back here with what happens. Wink

I know it’s not relevant anymore but my point is that they’ll respond to him faster even if you talk exactly the same way as he would. It’s true everywhere and especially in the Jewish world. As a fellow feminist it makes me mad but I’ll have dh call if I think it’ll help.

amother

Impatiens

Tue, Sep 24 2024, 9:17 am

I work for a company that sell luxury goods wholesale. We donate yearly to 10-15 auction raffles.

For years, there were some organizations that put us in the booklet and thats were it ended. I would have winners contacting us a year after winner, sometimes not being able to prove they won.

This is what we implemented. The morning after an auction, the organization must email us the name and address of the winner. We then immediately ship via UPS the auction prize.

This also eliminated the winners sometime driving us nuts by asking for different products than they won

Win-win

amother

Melon

Tue, Sep 24 2024, 9:31 am

My young nephew won a prize in school for a contest, and he didn't get the prize till over a year later when he was already in the next grade, and only because his Mom kept asking them when he would get his prize....they kept pushing him off. This is a school that supposedly prides itself on its expert Chinuch, people consult the Principal for Chinuch issues, etc....

Mom wrote her experience in to the Chinuch Roundtable (Yated), and you wouldn't believe the responses, one Rabbi wrote that his wife still feels bad about a bike she won and never received from an organization when she was a child, and had worked hard to collect on their behalf...and other such.

It's sad that people dangle prizes that they never pay up.

amother

Emerald ↓

Tue, Sep 24 2024, 9:55 am

amother Clematis wrote:

I give out certificates to schools all the time for wash and sets. Unfortunately some ppl are just not menshlich that's why ppl have rules. If you have a free wash and set didn't bring in your wig the week before yom tov when sheitel mâcher is swamped with work.
I also had a lady tell me "I had a certificate but I lost it but I anyways wanted to come to you."
Me:Ok.
Can you please have it ready tomorrow?
Me:Ok
At pick up: "oh ty, I just found my certificate!"
Obviously bh not everyone but some ppl really take advantage!

Sorry I'm not seeing anything wrong here...

amother

↑ Tan

Tue, Sep 24 2024, 10:03 am

amother Clematis wrote:

Yes that's what I've been writing the last few years...
I think it should be self understood but nothing wrong with putting it in writing. Wink

To a regular consumer not in the business I would never think there would be “blackout dates” to a gift certificate as long as the SM is open for business. So may seem “obvious” to you but I wouldn’t have thought of that myself.