Edwina Bones explains why you must be careful with your competitions if you want to be Queen or King of the Castle
Competitions or prize draws can be a very attractive way to raise money, or to sell unusual properties. However, when you launch a competition, how much thought goes into the terms that apply or the laws governing these promotions? The rules surrounding competitions can often be forgotten about, but a recent ruling by the UK's advertising watchdog reminds us how important they are.
The £5 castle
Mrs DeVere offered a Scottish castle (pictured) as a raffle prize in an online competition. Entries cost £5 per ticket and were advertised as ‘less than the price of a pizza’. She valued the property at between £1.5m–£2.7m.
However, when she did not sell enough tickets she awarded the winners cash prizes. These were at the value of £65,000, £7,000 and £5,000. She was investigated by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) when one of the entrants complained, claiming that the competition had not been carried out fairly.
When responding to this complaint, Mrs
