€25k invested in prize bonds

Hibernicis

Fridays have become a lot more interesting recently……

Congratulations!

Your saved Prize Bond numbers have won €225.00 since you last logged in.

tuisginideach

Well, I did receive last week's €75 after all. However State Savings are positive that no emails were sent c4pm but I am equally positive that I saw 2 emails from them at that time - there is no reason for me to have imagined them.

Nothing this week.

Sligo Quay

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121237977#Comment_121237977

That's absolutely incredible, I've never seen that before, 2 bond numbers in sequence and going to the same person, what are the odds of that happening, did they come out one after the other, how does this draw actually work, from my bonds in the 1980s I used to purchase maybe IR20, 4 bonds in sequence, but I'm not lucky, well spotted.

Nothing as usual for yours truly, last win 22nd May 2023 €50euro

I purchased 100 bonds between 1985 and 1990, AF------ to AN------ in 2012 €75euro won and 2013 €50euro

I have 60k now, had 100k but cashed in 40k 2 years ago

dxhound2005

The odds are the same for every serial number with each "spin of the wheel". So two very close numbers have the same chance of happening as two numbers millions apart every time. But it would be extraordinary for two consecutive numbers to come out together in a draw choosing 9,500 numbers out of 700 million. As it happens VR 190732 came out as winner number 2,187, and VR 190733 was number 5,564. The default on the site is the sequence in which the numbers were drawn, with the 50K / 500K being first.

While looking around at the Unclaimed/Uncashed prizes, there are no VR's. But it looks like someone with about 2,000 VS bonds has been remiss with keeping their details updated. Although "Uncashed" does mean that the letters with their cheques were delivered to someone, and they failed to cash those cheques. There is only one other VS in that million VS102227. Bonds bought about 10 years ago would not feature as often as bonds from decades ago.

Nothing for me this week.

For VS785000 - VS787000

Prize Bond Number Prize Value Status

VS785229 €50.00 Uncashed i

VS785611 €50.00 Uncashed i

VS785731 €50.00 Uncashed i

VS786281 €50.00 Uncashed i

VS786566 €50.00 Uncashed i

VS786577 €50.00 Uncashed i

VS786667 €50.00 Uncashed i

dxhound2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121262580#Comment_121262580

For what it's worth the algorithm (probably not the right word) is published, Conduct of Draws. I think the coding involved in implementing that on the software would be beyond my understanding. Before 1993 it was a manual draw. The regulations do say that the timing of the draw can be changed.

https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1993/si/337/made/en/print#:~:text=(1)%20A%20bond%20shall%20be,being%20selected%20for%20a%20prize.

https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2014/si/136/made/en/print

dxhound2005

From the website:

17:00, 22nd October 2023: We wish to inform customers that the State Savings website will be temporarily offline tomorrow from 08:30 due to scheduled maintenance. We anticipate full service will be restored by 11:00. If you need assistance or have any queries you can contact us at 0818 20 50 60 / 01 705 7200 (lines open Mon-Fri, 08.00 - 20.00). Thank you for your patience and we apologise for any inconvenience.

dxhound2005

Congratulations!

Your saved Prize Bond numbers have won €150.00 since you last logged in.

Five €75's in October.

pbwinner

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121266691#Comment_121266691

It's the method in 10.(1)(b) I would be interested in seeing published:

(b) the system shall be capable of generating at random and recording, in the order in which they are generated, a series of any size of bond serial numbers;

pbwinner

Winnings on 27th October 2023: €0

Last win 7th July 2023: €50

Total winnings on €25k from Feb 2011 to date: €3300

2011: €75 x 4 = €300

2012: €75 x 6 = €450

2013: €50 x 12 = €600

2014: €50 x 9 = €450

2015: €50 x 5 = €250

2016: €50 x 5 = €250

2017: €50 x 4 = €200

2018: €50 x 2 = €100

2019: €50 x 6 = €300

2020: €50 x 5 = €250

2021: €50 x 1 = €50

2022: €50 x 1 = €50

2023: €50 x 1 = €50

pbwinner

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121266691#Comment_121266691

This one is interesting as they give the actual bond number cut-off in 2004, concerning bonds denominated in punts:

(a) in the case of a bond to which the serial number DL000001 or a subsequent serial number has been allocated pursuant to Regulation 5, €6.25;

https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2004/si/582/made/en/print

pbtracker

Unfortunately no upturn in my luck since the change of interest rate on my €120K investment.

€150 total won so far this year with 2x€50 on the same day back in May and one more €50 in June. I'm hoping there will be some more return before the end of the year!

The Continental Op

Nothing on 5k this week - my one €50 three weeks back is probably it for the year.

dxhound2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121290259#Comment_121290259

The DL thing has been mentioned a few times before. The Regulation is dated 2004, but it came into effect on 01 January 2002 to match the date of the circulation of Euro currency.

https://economy-finance.ec.europa.eu/euro/eu-countries-and-euro/ireland-and-euro_en#:~:text=The%20euro%20banknotes%20and%20coins,ended%20on%209%20February%202002.

I hadn't thought of it before, but there was a process needed to match the first application received in Euros to number DL000001. They did not use the full DK series, having to save some numbers for late applications in IR£5? So if you look at the winners in the last six months for DK000001 to DK200000, there are loads up to around DK197000. But if you look for DK200000 to DK999999, there are zero winners. Which is pretty much impossible if they had been allocated.

tuisginideach

Second €75 in October

Hibernicis

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121290091#Comment_121290091

Ha. Five also. One on 6th, three on 20th and one on 27th !!

Roll on November

lordleitrim

Wow some decent frequency of wins there! I had hoped to have seen an uptick in luck since the new probability rate and increased prize amount but no joy so far...

dxhound2005

From the Independent:

Eoin Kelleher Yesterday at 13:08

One lucky punter from Kildare is laughing all the way to the bank after scooping €500,000 in Prize Bond money. The monthly Prize Bond Star Prize of €500,000 goes to lucky Prize Bond number AOB 861008 held in County Kildare, it was announced today, Friday, October 27. The lucky bond was purchased in 2019.

The weekly prize of €50,000 goes to Prize Bond number KJ 888167 held in County Wexford. The bond was purchased in 2009. There were over 9,510 prizes awarded in this week’s Prize Bond Draw, amounting to over €1,290,100.

dxhound2005

October count. The same 10 million bonds all under 13 weeks old in each of the 4 draws. BEQ to BEZ, not including 1 x €1K and 3 x €500 won by these bonds.

Friday 06. 121 prizes. Highest BEY 20. Lowest BEQ, BER & BEV 9 each.

Friday 13. 118. BEY 18. BEZ 7.

Friday 20. 127. BEV 17. BES 6.

Friday 27. 149. BER 23. BEX 10.

Highest overall BEY 72 (20,18,16,18). Lowest BES 40 (12,11,6,11). Next best after BEY 72 was BEX with 54.

40 million bonds won 515 prizes, average per million 12.875. x 52 x €75 = €50,212.50. Divided by 62.5 to get what €100K would win in a year with the same luck = €803.40, nearest to 11 x €75.

What is left of the first one million bonds issued in 1957 won 10 prizes in the month (2,3,1,4)

dxhound2005

Going back to the DK numbers, the last issued in IR£. 37 unclaimed/uncashed prizes, but none of them higher than DK255402. So probably less than 300,000 bonds issued with that prefix. That allowed the first application received in Euros to get serial number DL000001.

cloudatlas

Hi How do I check the draw results? https://www.statesavings.iem/prize-bonds/results Search Prize Bonds

Do I enter my prize bonds customer number? Do I enter my state savings customer number? Do I enter the numbers marked From and to ?

What the hell do I enter to check?

Signing up for this from abroad was painful enough. The website is not intuitive at all and the whole thing has been a pain in the hoop.

Edit: If I enter any info into the search it says 'no spaces allowed' There are no fecking spaces.

carrickbawn

Delighted to see that some of you are benefiting from the increased prizes. Unfortunately my bad run has continued. After 40 years of enjoying the "Friday feeling" the joy has gone out of it. When I checked last week my winnings in 2022 yielded a return of 0.22% and this year to last week was 0.12%.

So last Sunday night I decided to significantly reduce amount tied up in bonds and was very impressed with the efficiency of the transaction. At 11.30 on Sunday night I went on state savings website and requested a withdrawal. At 8.30 on Monday morning I got a phone call to verify my request. At lunchtime monday got notification of transaction and on Tuesday morning the money was in my bank account.

Still have some and not giving up on a change of luck but happy to be getting a guaranteed return on some of my hard earned funds.

dxhound2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121299264#Comment_121299264

Unless you are putting a space after the last digit? which would not show on screen. If you like post a range of numbers you would like checked, and I will ask for the draws in the last six months. E.g. AAA100000 to AAA200000. But if you have not been notified about winners, you probably have none.

Hibernicis

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121299264#Comment_121299264

The "no spaces allowed" message is very frustrating. I've seen it many times.

State Savings have two ways you can check your numbers for winners, The Prize Bond Tracker and a Registered Account. It sounds like you are using the the Prize Bond Tracker and I've seen this "error" appearing hundreds of times. It happens when you enter part or all of the prize bond number and then press enter/return/search (as in the search key on your keyboard), which is entirely instinctive behaviour. But apparently that's not allowed. Instead you should enter part or all of the prize bond number then then click on the magnifying glass. That should return the search results.

Any normal website would treat the enter/return/search keys as a valid entry method, but the "special people" in state savings live in a different world and have their own way of doing things.

cloudatlas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121299344#Comment_121299344

Thanks I'll try that. I have registered but then I found out that they now have to send me another form from Ireland. Heaven's above Killorglin will it ever end!

Hibernicis

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121299378#Comment_121299378

The registration process is bizarre. It's like something designed by public servants detached from the real world with too much time on their hands. Which when you think about it is a reasonable description of the jobsworths in State Savings and The Prize Bond Company.

snor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121299271#Comment_121299271

Do you mind me asking, Are you going to invest elsewhere? I am thinking of doing similar and looking for a low risk option. Thinking state savings.

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121299271#Comment_121299271

Yeah, will be joining you - nothing for 5 months. I guess the state doesn't really want the savings.

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121299378#Comment_121299378

They were told to digitise the registration service but instead of setting up a proper online registration system, being An Post they decided to instead digitise the postal way of doing it!! So everything relies on letters in the post still.

lordleitrim

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121299264#Comment_121299264

Why would you attempt to check the status of every single prize bond you hold? Can you imagine someone holding 1000s of bonds attempting to do that individually against each bond they held? Don't you get an email alert every time one of your bonds win? Alternatively, you can check the prizes/transactions tab online within your holdings to show if there has been any new prize activity across your holdings.

cloudatlas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121299777#Comment_121299777

Yes will fill in yet another form and post it to get an online account.