Company wins their own Facebook competition

Menas

Dodge wrote: »

I don't think anyone is worried about it. Most find it funny, others not so much but not everything on an internet forum has to be serious discussion

And nothing on AH could be regarded as serious discussion...

robman60

Damn, people are dumb. If you're going to rig a competition, at least don't be dumb about it.

I'd guess this sort of stuff is rife. I've signed up for samples of products in the past (which require email address) and all I've ever received are emails about their products.

Most of it's just a marketing ploy, probably suggested by cowboy "media experts".

Morph the Cat

Madam_X wrote: »

Well that's totally fair enough - and pretty much what I'm saying; I'm not ruling out the possibility completely - I know of it happening in local draws and stuff. But sh1t like "I'm sure it happens all the time" is what's laughable.
I also think marketing experts might have the authority to debunk some of the whiny assumptions.

Like so many conspiracy theories: too much risk of being found out, too fantastical to be thought of as a scam beforehand and to go that smoothly, etc.

Ah, bless your naivety.

Ray Palmer

I can say that big companies prizes have been rigged as I know people who "won". Now it was only twice and not a draw in the company offices. Big enough prizes worth 1-2k. Not rigged by the company but employees and family.

There is no doubt this shop has been caught out. It will be interesting if fraud charges can be brought. No fee to enter and via FB so probably no precedent set

Madam_X

Morph the Cat wrote: »

Ah, bless your naivety.

Ok so Morph, bring on the evidence. Or is it just a "feeling" you have?

Dodge

Madam_X wrote: »

Ok so Morph, bring on the evidence. Or is it just a "feeling" you have?

A taximan or bloke down the pub told him/her

Noxin

Corkbah wrote: »

at this point its obvious that all the evidence points towards the whole thing being a setup.

information gathered from this thread:
1) local winner from over 9000 entrants

http://i.imgur.com/x0UAj.jpg

Morph the Cat

Madam_X wrote: »

Ok so Morph, bring on the evidence. Or is it just a "feeling" you have?

Eh, the evidence has been presented in glaring fashion already. e.g. Lynda accidentally forgetting to log out of the Jewellers account before posting as herself. She never shared & liked the photo in the first place - thereby not even entering the competition. Plus the Skillens are her relatives on FB - cousins, in fact. Then Skillen's "defense" statements not holding any water about the techincal end of how she was able to post as them.

But don't let all that evidence get in the way of being a gullible sucker. It's co-incidence, right?

In all seriousness though, PM me about some beans I have for sale - you won't believe the sh*t these things can do!!

Dodge wrote: »

A taximan or bloke down the pub told him/her

Yeah, either that or it's glaring obvious and only a gullible fool would buy their sorry excuse.

Madam_X

Morph the Cat wrote: »

Eh, the evidence has been presented in glaring fashion already. e.g. Lynda accidentally forgetting to log out of the Jewellers account before posting as herself. She never shared & liked the photo in the first place - thereby not even entering the competition. Plus the Skillens are her relatives on FB - cousins, in fact. Then Skillen's "defense" statements not holding any water about the techincal end of how she was able to post as them.

But don't let all that evidence get in the way of being a gullible sucker. It's co-incidence, right?



Yeah, either that or it's glaring obvious and only a gullible fool would buy their sorry excuse.

Ah... you mean just this case. I thought I made it clear I do think there's something dodgy about it.

Morph the Cat

Madam_X wrote: »

Ah... you mean just this case. I thought I made it clear I do think there's something dodgy about it.

Well, you are naive to think this doesn't happen regularly.

Annasopra

I thought it was really funny when he claimed she might have a heart attack

Dodge

Morph the Cat wrote: »

Well, you are naive to think this doesn't happen regularly.

And her point is that you're a cynic. Wonder which of the pair of you is happier?

Penn

mango salsa wrote: »

I thought it was really funny when he claimed she might have a heart attack

Yeah, that's a hell of a thing for a company to say about a competition winner they have no connection to.

Menas

mango salsa wrote: »

I thought it was really funny when he claimed she might have a heart attack

She could well have had one when she realised her error by posting on the company account.
Or soiled her pants.

Madam_X

Morph the Cat wrote: »

Well, you are naive to think this doesn't happen regularly.

Why? In fairness I don't believe it *never* happens but to believe... with no evidence and just for the sake of being a malcontent, that it happens really regularly... what's the point of that? Just smacks of teenage "Man, all businesses are out to get us" kinda thinking. Real "edgy" stuff.

Morph the Cat

Dodge wrote: »

And her point is that you're a cynic. Wonder which of the pair of you is happier?

Not a cynic - a realist. Would prefer the harsh truth over sticking my head in the sand any day.
"I don't hear about it or see it happen, so it doesn't happen - laadedadada".

K-9

Morph the Cat wrote: »

Not a cynic - a realist. Would prefer the harsh truth over sticking my head in the sand any day.
"I don't hear about it or see it happen, so it doesn't happen - laadedadada".

What evidence do you have that you are realistic?

Morph the Cat

Madam_X wrote: »

Why? In fairness I don't believe it *never* happens but to believe... with no evidence and just for the sake of being a malcontent, that it happens really regularly... what's the point of that? Just smacks of teenage "Man, all businesses are out to get us" kinda thinking. Real "edgy" stuff.

Yawn - right, so it's now classed as a conspiracy wacko theory to believe something that's highly believable and very likely? Yeah, I'm must be just showing off because I'm an angsty teen...

Morph the Cat

K-9 wrote: »

What evidence do you have that you are realistic?

What evidence do you have that anything you have ever done matters in any way?

Madam_X

Morph the Cat wrote: »

Not a cynic - a realist. Would prefer the harsh truth over sticking my head in the sand any day.
"I don't hear about it or see it happen, so it doesn't happen - laadedadada".

No I never stick my head in the sand, nor do I just decide to believe stuff with no evidence.

What "harsh truth"?

Dodge

Morph the Cat wrote: »

Not a cynic - a realist. Would prefer the harsh truth over sticking my head in the sand any day.

You're only talking about facebook competitions possibly being rigged FFS, calm down with the rhetoric

hardCopy

DaDumTish wrote: »

this woman was just resting in their account

The ring was just resting in that woman?

They were just resting in that woman's ring?

K-9

Morph the Cat wrote: »

What evidence do you have that anything you have ever done matters in any way?

So you're a cynic then, fair enough. No need to be so defensive.

Madam_X

Morph the Cat wrote: »

Yawn - right, so it's now classed as a conspiracy wacko theory to believe something that's highly believable and very likely? Yeah, I'm must be just showing off because I'm an angsty teen...

Looks that way. And being all anti corporate and anti The Man.

So it's not "harsh truth", it's now "very likely and believable". Why? Because you just... have a hunch is it and you want it to be true?
You don't appear to know anything about business and marketing and the associated legalities... I do.

But yeh, all businesses are OUT TO GET US! Some of them even have the NERVE to expect us to pay for the goods and services they provide! :mad:

Seriously though, if you have a strong hunch competitions are rigged all the time (why though? To what ends?) that's your opinion and you're entitled to it, but please don't state it's a fact or call others naive for thinking more critically about it, without evidence. Until you have evidence, you don't know.

The_Minister

If people want to put their time where their mouth is : https://report.psni.police.uk/Default.aspx

On-line reporting system for the PNSI.

If you feel that strongly report it on-line and let the authorities know.
Something may happen.

I personally have too much to do over the next few days to deal with this, but if you really care, report it.


People bitch and moan about no one doing anything, but then they never let the people whose job it is to do something, know that the problem exists.

Ray Palmer

The_Minister wrote: »

People bitch and moan about no one doing anything, but then they never let the people whose job it is to do something, know that the problem exists.

You don't think this will hit the mainstream media? I think this will break open very quickly over the next few days.
It has all the desired story aspects and will be picked up. There is already bound to be somebody writing an article and the police contacted.
Business will probably suffer a lot. I would avoid the shop as would many others

The_Minister

Ray Palmer wrote: »

You don't think this will hit the mainstream media? I think this will break open very quickly over the next few days.
It has all the desired story aspects and will be picked up. There is already bound to be somebody writing an article and the police contacted.
Business will probably suffer a lot. I would avoid the shop as would many others

What makes you so certain that someone else reported it?

In fact, in circumstances where the shop are denying any wrongdoing, how do you know the papers will bother to report it?

Menas

The_Minister wrote: »

What makes you so certain that someone else reported it?

In fact, in circumstances where the shop are denying any wrongdoing, how do you know the papers will bother to report it?

If someone reported it to the police then there is a story for the media to go with.
Something along the lines of

"PSNI in Down have confirmed that they have received complaints about an alleged fraud in a competition run by a local jewelers on social media site facebook.
The allegation is that the competition run by Skillens Jewellers in Castlewellan was rigged and the winner, Lynda Speers was a family member of the owners. Furthermore the allegation is that the competition organiser was herself the competition administrator as she inadvertently posted in a personal capacity as competition winner using the company's facebook account. Neither the competition winner or the shop concerned were available for comment and their facebook pages no longer exist. The story went viral today and was widley commented on the highly respected After hours section of Boards.ie. PSNI continue to investigate."

PARlance

I think I've found some evidence in relation to this.
Am I allowed to put a picture of someone's facebook profile up here?

Ray Palmer

The_Minister wrote: »

What makes you so certain that someone else reported it?

In fact, in circumstances where the shop are denying any wrongdoing, how do you know the papers will bother to report it?

You could just answer with your beliefs rather than answer with a question. I have stated why and how.
Having lived long enough and reading papers I have a fair idea what is an interesting story. Half expecting it on the cover of the Metro tomorrow.

swiftman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wedymc7ll1Y

Yugioh

I work in the industry and know about competitions on Facebook and all that jazz.

Despite quite a few smaller companies doing it - these share and like to win a prize competitions are complete bs - they are against Facebook business page terms and conditions and Facebook could shut down their page if they wanted to.

Competitions advertised on Facebook need to be hosted outside of Facebook in order to prevent happening exactly what happened. PR disaster for the company but they've been doing wrong from the very beginning.

Pretty much out of all these competitions you see no one is winning anything as they can get away with it no problem...

Grayson

How long till someone famous says this is cyber bullying and they need to regulate against it?

derfderf

ajcurry123 wrote: »

I think I've found some evidence in relation to this.
Am I allowed to put a picture of someone's facebook profile up here?

Mod: yes.

(probably not)

ajcurry123

ajcurry123 wrote: »

I think I've found some evidence in relation to this.
Am I allowed to put a picture of someone's facebook profile up here?

Read the charter

WoollyRedHat

Look, I've done a bit of Sherlock Holmes on the matter, and after careful and meticiolous consideration, it is clear it is a fix, as judged by the expression of the womans face in the photo. I present to you a person who has just won a 2K ring, one would be rather elated, wouldn't you say? Yet the person in question looks quite glum and not at all excited at the awarding of said ring. The person must have expectated winning in advance, is not a good actor, and hence, a lack of surprise in her facial expressions.
Case closed.

J Bourke

:eek:

swiftman

new statement from the company about the fixed competition

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSHaCzb3yYk

Ryu Hayabusa

I will never make a purchase at Skillen's Jewellers over this scandal

happyoutscan

Not the smartest by the jewelers - if they are indeed guilty which I think they are based on what I've read - but the level/amount of hate being thrown at them I find surprising. I mean seriously, who cares?

BobLoblaw77

I was following the comments on facebook, and for most of the day the breakdown was about

70% genuine sympathy for the woman
20% either couldn't care less or thought it was suspicious.
10% thought they acted in a fraudulent manner.

Once a radio station got involved, that 10% started going up. Then the owner started digging... and didn't want to stop. Said the customer was going through a mental breakdown, and could have a heart attack. Then changed tact and started threating everyone with legal action. At that stage very few comments were in support. At which point the page was pulled.

Although the situation (not the woman's predicament) was funny, people just started getting angry at the comments from the owner. They'd have been better off just deleting the facebook page immediately and saying nothing. Instead by trying to justify it, it's gone viral. Who knows whether their version is true. I very much doubt it, but a degree of cop on is required at times.

RossFixxxed

Is there any legal issue around a company giving a member of the public admin rights? Could there be customer information stored there she shouldn't have access to? Does it violate Data Protection Act?

If it isn't a scam, they've still broken Facebook T&Cs and I find giving her admin to their site to be very ethically dubious. That would be enough reason not to shop there or engage with their company in and of itself for me.

Dodge

Facebook pages hold no customer information at all. You can see who liked the page, and no more

LuvSpudz

dark crystal wrote: »

I honestly assumed it happened quite a bit too. You almost never hear about the people who win any of these competitions. Are these companies who set the competitions legally required to publicly release the results and winners?

Most people who enter and don't win usually just forget they even entered and would never check up to see who actually won.

I have won a similar competition but for a local theatre, 13 people liked but I was the only one to share as well so I won by default lol

RossFixxxed

Dodge wrote: »

Facebook pages hold no customer information at all. You can see who liked the page, and no more

Cool, thanks for that. What if someone sends on information via PM or similar?

Is there anything ethical about giving admin to a member of the public for a private business?

EDIT: On Jan 2nd Skillens posted:

“This promotion is no way sponsored, endorsed, or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. You understand that you are providing your information to Skillens and not to Facebook.”

It's the 'providing your information' part that has me concerned.

grenache

TeddyTedson wrote: »

The statement seems plausible although a very strange thing to do.

It does in it's boll0x seem plausible!

No company would give a complete stranger access and log-in details to their Facebook account. A total cock and bull excuse if ever I heard one.

Dodge

RossFixxxed wrote: »

Cool, thanks for that. What if someone sends on information via PM or similar?

Yeah, admin could see that. But no business would use facebook like that IMO

Is there anything ethical about giving admin to a member of the public for a private business?

Yes, but it didn't happen

EDIT: On Jan 2nd Skillens posted:


It's the 'providing your information' part that has me concerned.

Don't be too concerned, they're clearly lying.

runawaybishop

grenache wrote: »

It does in it's boll0x seem plausible!

No company would give a complete stranger access and log-in details to their Facebook account. A total cock and bull excuse if ever I heard one.

You dont their need login details to be an admin.

RossFixxxed

Cheers Dodge! I'm just curious more than anything. It just seems no matter what they did that there is imporper practices. I'm assuming innocence until proven otherwise, but even still they have done a lot wrong here.

I can see this being taught in media classes for a while!

I would have thought no business would use Facebook THIS way let alone in the hypothetical I mentioned.

Madam_X

Madam_X wrote: »

Well that's totally fair enough - and pretty much what I'm saying; I'm not ruling out the possibility completely - I know of it happening in local draws and stuff. But sh1t like "I'm sure it happens all the time" is what's laughable.
I also think marketing experts might have the authority to debunk some of the whiny assumptions.

Like so many conspiracy theories: too much risk of being found out, too fantastical to be thought of as a scam beforehand and to go that smoothly, etc.

"Marketing experts" who advise on running such competitions? The competitions are run against facebook's rules for a start so any "marketing expert" suggesting such a competition straightaway isn't too worried about things being done properly.