Raffle off an apartment!! (Part 2)

fletch

As a follow on from this thread...does anyone know when we're getting our money back?

http://www.20euroticket.com/

It is with regret that we have had to cancel the competition to win my apartment.

The online payments company changed their terms and conditions and no longer accept monies from competitions. We have not been able to find an acceptable alternative and therefore we have not been able to accept any enteries for the past number of weeks.

We will therefore return the entry fees in due course and thank you for your interest in our competition. We hope to return soon!

RATM

hmmm I smell shenanagins. Couldn't find a new online payment system?

More like not enough tickets sold to pay for the apartment IMO.

bigneacy

RATM wrote: »

hmmm I smell shenanagins. Couldn't find a new online payment system?

More like not enough tickets sold to pay for the apartment IMO.

I agree... there's treachery afoot. Seems a bit unfair to withdraw a competition like this.

MrVestek

Haven't they ever heard of paypal?

fletch

I emailed him last week but haven't got a reply...

bigneacy

is there no phone number or email address?

winit

Anyone get any communication from ray hamilton who ran this competition. ?

fletch

Here's the communication I received from him

I'm working with the payments company to reverse all payments however its becoming incredibly fustrating and slow.
As they cancelled my account (after approving and setting up the account), i wish them to refund all monies at their expense. I hope to have the dispute resolved soon.

And then nearly 3 weeks ago

Yeah made some progress last week. The payments company are now playing ball and hopefully within the next week we can get the money returned.

Still no refund

Jesus Wept

lol. My cousin was hawking this on her facebook as a great idea and that she was friends with the guy. I'm glad I didn't bite.

I thought the idea was fairly retarded.
I'd rather get a lotto ticket than buy a ticket in an attempt to win an apartment which is depreciating in value and somewhere that I don't necessarily live.
Wasn't overly keen on the idea of him profiting from it but if people were willing to bite, then fair enough.
Obviously there weren't enough tickets sold, but he has to at least refund them or it's madness.

I imagine he sold f-all tickets and that hopefully (if he isn't a total degenerate) refunds will flow before too long.

mikemac

I would never sign up to one of these

It'd be a Father Ted job, wouldn't you know the brother or sister of the owner wins the apartment :rolleyes:

Scam central

blue4ever

The contact address for the domain is a PO box in Vancouver!

LionelNashe

Looks kind of scammy alright.
I wonder if the element of skill meant that its not a lottery so they didn't need a licence.

fletch

Anybody get their money back? This guy must have made a packet!

SD2010

I received the following email from him last week (including spelling mistakes)

This is no way a scam as you put it, thats a bit harsh. The problem is
the payments broke my agreement and i have had to chase them all the
way back to the US to get everyone refunded. This has cost a great
deal of money and fustration for everyone.

fletch

SD2010 wrote: »

I received the following email from him last week (including spelling mistakes)

This is no way a scam as you put it, thats a bit harsh. The problem is
the payments broke my agreement and i have had to chase them all the
way back to the US to get everyone refunded. This has cost a great
deal of money and fustration for everyone.

I'm confused reading this...did you organise the raffle?

SD2010

I bought a ticket last year,and sent him an email in looking for my money back as I believed it to be a scam.

fletch

I paid with my credit card....might give them a ring and see if they can reverse the charge?

SD2010

I thought about that too, but I think that it was too long ago to reverse. If it had been a couple of days we might have had a chance. But I suppose it's worth a try.

SD2010

I sent the following email to Ray Hamilton:
(The reason that I am suspicious is that you say that you are chasing all payments and yet in your webpage you state that for security reasons you do not keep records of credit card details.How are you going to give all the money back if you don't keep records.?
Why do you have to chase payments back to the U.S.?
All I know is that I paid 30euro in good faith thinking that I was entering a competition to win a prize but now the prize has been withdrawn and I am out of pocket.
Whoever has my money it's not me, so seeing that it's almost a year ago since I paid this money when am I likely to get it returned.?)

I received the following email from Ray Hamilton.

I dont have Correct access to individual payment records nor cc
details. This was all put in place so the competition couldnt be
rigged. All data is held securely with the payments company. The
entity i was using in the UK, their main office is in the US, so to
make things more fustrating i have to deal with them on this matter.
They have confirmed that there will return everyones money, however
they are looking me to sign a very one sided release clause. once this
is resolved payments will be released.
Sorry for the delay and i hope to have this resolved asap

fletch

Here's the latest reply from him

Dear Owen,
Sorry for the delay. I have been assured that the payments will be
released soon.
I have had my solicitor on to the payments company and i hope to know more soon

Regards
Ray

I think I'm just gona drop over to Santry and ask for my money back in person. I've had enough of this!

fletch

fletch wrote: »

Here's the latest reply from him

I think I'm just gona drop over to Santry and ask for my money back in person. I've had enough of this!

I emailed and asked for Ray Hamiltons for his address and low and behold he doesn't live in Ireland any more.

Eoin

blue4ever wrote: »

The contact address for the domain is a PO box in Vancouver!

That doesn't mean anything on its own; you'll see that the admin contact has the same address, it's just a privacy service for domain registrants.

AstonMartin

It doesnt take that long to deal with a payment processor regardless of any release clause conditions which would have been in place from the beginning. It would be good marketing for a solicitor to do some pro bono work.

MrVestek

I'm sorry but anyone who thought that they could win an apartment in a raffle is a ****ing moron and deserved to have their money taken from them.

Do you regularly send your bank account details to the Nigerian Lottot Syndicate too?

fletch

Achilles wrote: »

I'm sorry but anyone who thought that they could win an apartment in a raffle is a ****ing moron and deserved to have their money taken from them.

Do you regularly send your bank account details to the Nigerian Lottot Syndicate too?

No I am not stupid...the raffle received attention in the national media. It wasn't a scam...I just think things went very wrong for the guy running it and he is probably standing to lose a lot of money if he refunds everyone.

AstonMartin

fletch wrote: »

No I am not stupid...the raffle received attention in the national media. It wasn't a scam...I just think things went very wrong for the guy running it and he is probably standing to lose a lot of money if he refunds everyone.

if he even does refund the money it will be less an "admin charge" so he probably wont be out of pocket. The T&C should have been enough to turn people away but then again most people dont read them.

chillywilly

fletch wrote: »

No I am not stupid...the raffle received attention in the national media. It wasn't a scam...I just think things went very wrong for the guy running it and he is probably standing to lose a lot of money if he refunds everyone.

No offence but this doesn't make you sound any smarter

MrVestek

chillywilly wrote: »

No offence but this doesn't make you sound any smarter

No... it really doesn't.

Stupid cr@p gets attention in the media on a consistent basis.

mikemac

fletch wrote: »

No I am not stupid...the raffle received attention in the national media. It wasn't a scam...I just think things went very wrong for the guy running it and he is probably standing to lose a lot of money if he refunds everyone.

Even if it went ahead it would have been a Father Ted job, one of his relations would have the winning ticket

Southsider1

So, let me understand this. Ye lost, what, €30 each? And ye really thought you'd win an apartment for €30? FFS!:rolleyes: You've only lost €30. Forget it. Chalk it down to experience and stop raising your stress levels!:rolleyes: Some you win and some you lose...

macbrada

A cross reference should be made between those who bought a ticket and the current electoral register. Anyone who bought ticket should be barred from voting!!! They are obviously below average ability when it comes to making a good decision!