Prize bonds - ever won or know a winner?

Danbo!

Found some old prize bonds that I got as a present in 1993 to the value of £10. Straight onto the web assuming i'd have €50k or something waiting for me, but alas, I did not. So, after asking some mates, turns out a few people have them but never won a cent nor do they know anyone who has won anything.

Anyone here ever won anything with them at all?

Waltons

Won three or four times, minimum or next to minimum prize. Don't worry about checking for winnings, they post you out the cheque

connundrum

Nope, nor do I know anyone who has won anything over €100 on the Lotto. Everyone 'knows of' someone who won something, but mysteriously no one knows them directly

Its all a scam IMO. I'll believe this until proven otherwise.

Karoma

Poll edited to better reflect your original post. Hope this is OK, OP?

Danbo!

yep, should have included that meself considering its the answer i need to choose

themadchef

Have never won (i have about 20, presents for birthdays etc), don't know anyone that has, and i know loads of people that have them.

I heard though that you will be notified in writing if you ever do win, can't wait for that letter to drop in my mail box.

cazzy

My sister just asked me the same question tonight and neither of us know anyone who has won.

They have been around 50 years - there is millions upon millions in issue as people dont normally cash them in. Many of the winners are probably dead or moved house etc so assume unclaimed prizes/uncashed cheques go back into fund ? Or do they ?

monkeyfudge

Yep... gotten a bunch over the years as presents too...

Never won anything..

gurramok

Bought €100 worth about 4 yr ago i think. Never won or heard of anyone winning.

I suppose the only good thing about it is that you get your money(deflated due to inflation) back as well as a chance of winning unlike the lotto where you have a similar chance of winning but it all goes to good causes allegedly.

Guess buying and cashing in and then buying every few years is the safest bet to win and get your money back

Agamemnon

Have about €30 worth for years and never won a cent. Don't know anyone who has either. Now that I think about it, they're probably the worst possible present you can give someone. It's like saying "I'm giving you €20 but you'll never be able to touch it for fear of missing out on a win that will never happen. This bond will sit in a drawer gathering dust and taunting you for ever."

GhostInTheRuins

I was thinking the same thing when I heard an ad on the radio for them last week, it said something about a million euro jackpot for christmas or some such. My gran won some money on them years ago. That's about it though.

Rhyme

Was bought a set for my Confirmation all those years ago and another for my 21st, I think about 40euro worth altogether. A cheque arrived in the post at the end of the summer holidays for a crisp 250euro.

I really thought it was fake. Tw'asnt.

aequinoctium

hopefully some day...

bohsman

I won 75euro, have had 50euros worth for around 6years.

luckat

I've won €75 a couple of times - both times I was buying €100 worth about once a year.

Wonder if they're audited?

jester77

I've had some for over 20 years, won nothing thus far. It's a bit of a scam, think of all the Mars bars I could have gotten back then compared to what I would get now if I was to withdraw the money! An Post must make some nice interest off us!

kev_s88

i won £200 back in the day.i was only 13 at the time and they had been both for me by my Granny.

£200 + 13 yr-old boy = bad thing*








*i spent about £100 on Premier League Stickers

ferdi

my family has prize bonds my grandpa bought when the scheme started. 50 years on and still nothing

Terry

I have about €65 worth dating back to the early '80's.
I don't think anything was ever won on them.

l3LoWnA

D'nt have any prize bonds, don't know any winners either (have "heard" of people winning)


My friend was working in a newsagents/florists back in January and has a massive row with his boss on the phone. He quit and before he left the shop he bought an all-cash scratch card. he won 10K on the flippin' thing. Nice!

Dreamer 7

My dad told me a few weeks ago he has prize bonds the last 20 yrs and never won anything. He called them last jan complaining about that fact and now he has won 8 TIMES this year!!!!!!!!!!

Total fix IMHO

cooperguy

haha ringing up to complain that you havent won a random competition. Though it did seem to work so who am I to judge!!!

L1011

My brothers won a few hundred quid on them

I've won ~1300 euros on the lotto on one ticket, so people do get more than 100 on that too..

Wossack

I'd have voted 'Dont own any, or even know anyone that has em', but there was no option for that, so voted 'Never Won'

pd101

Dont even know how they work. Is like the lotto or does 1 prize bond do forever?

Ice_Box

Ive won €75 twice. I have €1,000 worth which I bought 3 years ago.

Creature

I have £5 (ye olde money) worth since I was a nipper. Nowt won though .

Kess73

Don't know anybody who has ever won anything with prize bonds. Know someone who won a share of the jackpot in the Lotto plus one.

starn

I worked for a long time as a Finacial Advisor. In that time I met a grat many clients who had "Invested" In prize Bonds. Prize Bonds are not a Investment. There a black hole that good money is sent to, to do nothing. Better off blowing it on scrath cards and hidding it under your matteres

constitutionus

my ma has prize bonds since she got married in the 1950s

hasnt won a single thing. whole things a scam if ya ask me.:)

littlemizz

na i bought some bout 3 years ago, still waiting to win! :rolleyes:forgot all bout them for ages until someone reminded me bout them......i better go check the letter box....just incase!:D *scurries along*

cson

They basically just devalue your money.

Afaik, I think I have €100ish of them. None of which were bought by me. Much better investments out there.

stardust_dublin

Yep. I personally know someone that won £140,000.

oleras

From the prizebond site :

What are the chances to win a prize if you have for example €1,000 invested?

A customer with 1,000 invested has a 3.4 to 1 chance of winning a cash prize in a 12 month period.

Might be a nice experiment to buy say, €10,000 worth and see what you have after the year !

manc

from breakingnews.ie


Prize bond holder wins €1m
21/12/2007 - 14:39:48

A Prize Bond holder from Dublin today received a Christmas present of €1,000,000 from the Prize Bond Company in the first ever Prize Bonds Christmas Jackpot draw.

The winning bond was purchased in 2004.

This is the first time in the 50-year history of the Prize Bonds scheme that it has paid out a top prize of €1,000,000.

The winner will be notified by the Prize Bond Company. An additional 2,790 Prize Bond holders also won prizes in today’s draw.

Lpfsox

my baby nephew (2 months old) received some as a gift from a neighbour when he was born. He got a cheque last week for €50.

jameshayes

As far as i know you can spend them in argos!!! Way better than sitting in a drawer!

Moonbeam

Maybe confused a little there with Bonusbonds?;)

jameshayes

I dont think so, i remember seeing the pic in the catalog..


Edit/ i think i'm wrong - just checked!! OOPS!

pureirish

Spend them in Argos.... very funny

I have €1,200 worth, been buying them over the last yr and a half, still waiting to win.

Marksie

I won 75 in the 21st december draw, first time in 8 years

euph

I've won €75 once, I have about €75 worth.

From their homepage right now: last month they paid out 1.9million in prizes.

They must be making a fortune in interest!

sam34

ive about 50 quids worth, got them as a present 16 yrs ago, never won. my parents have about 5k worth and win approx 300 a year.

pureirish

6% return p.a., not too bad, you could do a lot worse I guess

I'm not planning on keeping mine for too much longer if I continue to win nothing

Super Sidious

It would be interesting to find out how many prize bonds are unclaimed every year, for example someone is dead or moved house and never notified them...

Whats the odds of winning etc. the lotto is 8 million to one... is there a way of workin out prize bond draws?

Plus have some for 20 years or so, never won anything, my gran won a couple of hundred pound a good few years ago...

stacky

Hey Guys,

Just bought a grands worth. (Had some cash doin nothing).
Anyways, your comments are'nt exactly inspiring. I'd like some confirmation
on some simple maths i've done. (School was a while back so bear with me)

Prize bond site says that if you buy €1000 worth your odds of a prize is 3.4 in 1.

Calculation
€1000 = 160 bonds @€;6.25 ea

if i buy 160 bonds at 3.4/1 odds
then total bonds available in draw pool = 544
=> 160 X 3.4

Like i said, either my maths is banjacksed or something is seriously wrong here

I think i'll keep them there for a little while anyway. It's a good way to keep some money out of harms way for a while (PS3 is too tempting )

Stacky