'Illegal lottery' rocks Vodacom

[Abe]

There needs to be a line drawn in the sand regarding this blatent profiteering that these guys (and others) are getting away with. I can't imagine the amount of money they have made from this but it must be running into hundreds of millions.

 

[ginggs]

i thought it was R10 per sms. but now i'm not sure.

From TFA:

According to the Vodacom website if a user sends a "YEBO" SMS to a certain number, they are automically entered in the daily draw.

This could be taken to mean that one SMS could automatically enter you into every daily draw.

This could go some way to explaining how someone who sent 1040 SMS messages ended up with a R50K bill.

 

[JK8]

And (as I understand it) you receive an SMS back urging you to enter in order to increase your chances of winning. (That's what I understand happens, you send an SMS in, and receive one back).

No thats an acceptance sms like a reciept of your entry. And yes 2 entries are better than one. If you retarded you can send 5000 like that other lady...

 

[bekdik]

This could be taken to mean that one SMS could automatically enter you into every daily draw.

If this is the case, then Voda should not have accepted multiple entries from same cell number!

Damn, even web sites running a poll get this basic kind of check right.

 

[DJ...]

As per the R50k bill - is it true that the most number of entries wins the car or is it really a draw?

 

[ToxicBunny]

They have a daily draw, which is a lucky draw.

But every sunday, the person with the most entries wins a car.

 

[JK8]

As per the R50k bill - is it true that the most number of entries wins the car or is it really a draw?

Theres a daily draw and a weekly draw, the daily draw is random, the weekly draw is the the person with the highest entries. They give away 8 BMWs a week.

 

[threegee]

I never support these damn competitions because they are NOT competitions anymore. A competition is something you enter free of charge and stand a chance of winning just like anyone else. Nowadays everything is turning into pay-as-you-go you can't even listen to radio without being tempted into sending in an SMS @ R1.50 for a keyword which will help you to stand a better chance of winning a competition. This is the latest trend and companies with these SMS competitions are raking in obscene amounts of money and a lot of the time enticing people to send in more entries and stand a better chance. Let's face it some people are not too bright and cannot figure out just how much 100 SMS' @ R10 adds up to.

I will happily just stay away and rather donate money now and again to charitable causes and NOT to companies who rake in billions of Rands each month.

 

[Tristao]

I challenge Vodacom to expose the full results of this competition. i.e. Total number of participants and total number of entries received. Where's the Noseweek journalist we need.

 

[ToxicBunny]

e.tv have just run a story saying that the Lottery board is saying that this competition illegal....

Now we just have to wait and see what happens.

 

[Ozymandias]

True

I liked this Business Day article on what it had to say about gamblers.

I especially liked this explanation giving the difference between a gambler and a speculator -

Reduced to the bare elements: Gamblers are willing losers who occasionally win; speculators are willing winners who occasionally lose.

 

[The_Unbeliever]

e.tv have just run a story saying that the Lottery board is saying that this competition illegal....

Now we just have to wait and see what happens.

Do they now?

I predict the wind-moving device will splint and shatter

 

[stoke]

Dammit. I'm gonna have to go and get some security guards to stop me fans from attacking me.

 

[AirWolf]

This is racist!

Don't worry that idiot proved his/her/its stupidity on 3 points:

1. Mathematics disability.
2. Racist inclinations.
3. Not testing Vodacom network before moving over.

Now he/she/it is trying to shift blame to someone else.

"If I send 1000 smss at R10 each it will come to R10+R10+R10... uuhh...I will just wait for my bill." Damn idiot

 

[Datura]

It's legal and will continue.

*shrugs*

 

[maqondana]

Woohoo!!!

This is not looking good for Vodacom or the ppl that have entered thus far!
And whats up with those crazy bills that have been run up!!??
Damn if you can afford to run up R150000.00 on an outside chance to win the car - Why the hell not fit that kind of expenditure into your budget to buy one?

Anyone here that has been taking part in it so far?

Ya I'm one of the people that fell for a scam.

 

[AirWolf]

Ya I'm one of the people that fell for a scam.

How much are you in for?