Won a prize draw at Homeshow....sort of.

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heylinb4nz

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#154511 30-Oct-2014 14:50

Got a call today to say I won a $450 photoshoot and frame package. On further digging into terms and conditions and their website I find

a) they offer the $200 photoshoot to anyone that signs upto their eNewsletter
b) the framed prints start at $499 for a tiny A4 size

Effectively I won the opportunity to buy an A4 framed photo for an excessive sum of $250....plus wasting 1/2 my Saturday in the process.....Ahhhhh no thanks.

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ChoiceCheapies

#1165059 30-Oct-2014 14:56

My aunty won one of those, same circumstances, she thought it was the best thing ever though and she is still paying it off...

Easier to stay away.

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heylinb4nz

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#1165064 30-Oct-2014 15:00

ChoiceCheapies: My aunty won one of those, same circumstances, she thought it was the best thing ever though and she is still paying it off...

Easier to stay away.

I bet everyone that entered the draw won :) basically a marketing campaign to drum up some sales in a fast dying business. I have 3 years worth of photos that I can pick from and print at Harvey Norman for $5.....whats a nice A4 size frame worth these days ?? $80 tops.

ChoiceCheapies

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ChoiceCheapies

#1165075 30-Oct-2014 15:06

heylinb4nz:
ChoiceCheapies: My aunty won one of those, same circumstances, she thought it was the best thing ever though and she is still paying it off...

Easier to stay away.

I bet everyone that entered the draw won :) basically a marketing campaign to drum up some sales in a fast dying business. I have 3 years worth of photos that I can pick from and print at Harvey Norman for $5.....whats a nice A4 size frame worth these days ?? $80 tops.

Of course, just like the call I got about the competition I was entered in to win a trip to Fiji, they had no intention of giving away a trip, and every intention of promotion their product, whatever it was.

In Aus they had a number of deals at a retailer, BigW if I recall, with ~$5 - $15 canvas prints, I cant recall exactly, but that would do, and just hang them nicely on the wall, or grab a frame for next to nothing at the next Briscoes sale, most likely the "Week after Labor Day sale".

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timmmay

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#1165088 30-Oct-2014 15:24

If you won a $450 package and the shoot is worth $200, you have $250 of credit. That should get you at least a few prints. You probably don't have to buy a frame - the markup on frames is probably pretty high. Having said that, you can get cheap frames, but custom made frames from a professional framer are VERY expensive, often hundreds of dollars.

But yes, giving away a shoot to sell prints is a common business model for photographers. You don't have to buy anything though, unless you think the images are worth what they cost. You usually have to go to their office/studio to see the prints in person and order on the day.

Don't think that photographers are making big money though - most struggle to stay afloat and many don't make a profit at all.

heylinb4nz

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#1165102 30-Oct-2014 15:42

timmmay: If you won a $450 package and the shoot is worth $200, you have $250 of credit. That should get you at least a few prints. You probably don't have to buy a frame - the markup on frames is probably pretty high. Having said that, you can get cheap frames, but custom made frames from a professional framer are VERY expensive, often hundreds of dollars.

But yes, giving away a shoot to sell prints is a common business model for photographers. You don't have to buy anything though, unless you think the images are worth what they cost. You usually have to go to their office/studio to see the prints in person and order on the day.

Don't think that photographers are making big money though - most struggle to stay afloat and many don't make a profit at all.

T&Cs say the $250 has to be spent on Framed Photos...which start at $499.

Essentially I have won a 50% discount which in my mind cant really be classed as a prize, a prize shouldn't cost you anything.

sleemanj

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#1165133 30-Oct-2014 16:09

Hmm. I have a vague idea in the back of my head (quite possibly incorrect) that this sort of thing may fall foul of a law somewhere. Internal Affairs deals with this sort of thing I think, if somebody felt energetic they might send them a query.

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richrdh18

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#1165162 30-Oct-2014 16:28

I randomly entered a completion that was in the Tv Guide (when the Comm Games were on) for 48" TV.
Well, about a month and a half later, a 48" Samsung smart TV (latest model) was delivered to my door. No mention as to who it was from, no phone call, no email or from what competition. But was able to recall vaguely entering a competition and worked out that it was from Radio Works in Akl and from The Edge. So, I guess someone does win those competitions.

johnr

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#1165167 30-Oct-2014 16:36

heylinb4nz:
timmmay: If you won a $450 package and the shoot is worth $200, you have $250 of credit. That should get you at least a few prints. You probably don't have to buy a frame - the markup on frames is probably pretty high. Having said that, you can get cheap frames, but custom made frames from a professional framer are VERY expensive, often hundreds of dollars.

But yes, giving away a shoot to sell prints is a common business model for photographers. You don't have to buy anything though, unless you think the images are worth what they cost. You usually have to go to their office/studio to see the prints in person and order on the day.

Don't think that photographers are making big money though - most struggle to stay afloat and many don't make a profit at all.

T&Cs say the $250 has to be spent on Framed Photos...which start at $499.

Essentially I have won a 50% discount which in my mind cant really be classed as a prize, a prize shouldn't cost you anything.

What a scam

dclegg

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#1165169 30-Oct-2014 16:44

richrdh18: I randomly entered a completion that was in the Tv Guide (when the Comm Games were on) for 48" TV.
Well, about a month and a half later, a 48" Samsung smart TV (latest model) was delivered to my door. No mention as to who it was from, no phone call, no email or from what competition. But was able to recall vaguely entering a competition and worked out that it was from Radio Works in Akl and from The Edge. So, I guess someone does win those competitions.

Sure, not all competitions are scams, or discounts masquerading as prizes. Over the years, I've won:-

- 7 night trip to Hong Kong (fire and forget "fill in this form to enter" comp at Paddys Market in Australia)
- iPad 2 (Vonage comp hosted on a Kiwi blog)
- 3 laps behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 Turbo at Hampton Downs (Spark (nee Telecom) Twitter promotion)
- PS Vita & games (NZ gaming website)
- Acer Iconia Windows Tablet (Codemania attendee comp)
- iPad Shuffle, which I then sold on TradeMe for $5 more than its RRP, to someone who doesn't know how to Google (Tegal comp)

I've also won various other smaller prizes on social media (esp. Twitter) including phone credit, booze, chocolate, concert & sporting event tickets, and a signed Richie McCaw biography. My favourite was a limited edition Whittakers chocolate block, which we sold on TradeMe to help my daughter raise funds for Canteen (she had taken it upon herself to set up a stall selling chestnuts with all proceeds going to them). We ended up selling it for just under $500!

Social media is a veritable gold mine for prizes, as many of the competitions (especially the "retweet to enter" ones) have a very small pool of contestants.

toyonut

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#1165171 30-Oct-2014 16:53

Those are all the same. A company called Red Photography was offering them as a prize at all the baby shows, almost everyone we know who went to the baby shows won a photoshoot. Pro photoshoot, which was admittedly excellent and fun with our 6 month old, but then you get one free small framed photo and have to pay $100 for a small framed photo and up to $$$$$ for bigger photo's, books, etc. You also could not get the files. I wouldn't go so far as to call Reds one a scam as the prize was essentially a photoshoot and a free framed photo, but they are counting on you not only taking the free one, but also getting others as well and that stacked up really quickly. You could spend $1000 on a handful of medium sized framed photos.

Try Vultr using this link and get us both some credit:

http://www.vultr.com/?ref=7033587-3B

trig42

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#1165172 30-Oct-2014 16:54

I won a meat pack at the RSA a couple of weeks ago.

That's about all I've won in the last few years - never get me to buy a ticket or enter a competition for you :/

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timmmay

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#1165182 30-Oct-2014 17:18

heylinb4nz:
timmmay: If you won a $450 package and the shoot is worth $200, you have $250 of credit. That should get you at least a few prints. You probably don't have to buy a frame - the markup on frames is probably pretty high. Having said that, you can get cheap frames, but custom made frames from a professional framer are VERY expensive, often hundreds of dollars.

But yes, giving away a shoot to sell prints is a common business model for photographers. You don't have to buy anything though, unless you think the images are worth what they cost. You usually have to go to their office/studio to see the prints in person and order on the day.

Don't think that photographers are making big money though - most struggle to stay afloat and many don't make a profit at all.

T&Cs say the $250 has to be spent on Framed Photos...which start at $499.

Essentially I have won a 50% discount which in my mind cant really be classed as a prize, a prize shouldn't cost you anything.

Ah yes, I could definitely be talking to them, given you've only won a minor discount.

heylinb4nz

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#1165184 30-Oct-2014 17:20

http://www.dia.govt.nz/diawebsite.NSF/Files/PrizeCompgamerules04/$file/PrizeCompgamerules04.pdf

Section 4 : Subsection 13

Prize winners must not incur costs additional to the cost of participation in the prize
competition when claiming their prize.

timmmay

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#1165185 30-Oct-2014 17:34

Nice find. I'd definitely bring that up. When it's a prize most photographers would do the session and give at least a few prints, then hope to sell extra, rather than require people to buy something.

Could you PM me the photographer or business name? If they're an NZIPP member this may be worth pointing out to the society, which I can do quietly.

eracode

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#1165198 30-Oct-2014 17:56

richrdh18: I randomly entered a completion that was in the Tv Guide (when the Comm Games were on) for 48" TV.
Well, about a month and a half later, a 48" Samsung smart TV (latest model) was delivered to my door. No mention as to who it was from, no phone call, no email or from what competition. But was able to recall vaguely entering a competition and worked out that it was from Radio Works in Akl and from The Edge. So, I guess someone does win those competitions.

Love this - literal LOL.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

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