Vodacom ordered to stop BMW competition

[JK8]

Reminds me of Bwanas sig about stupid people in large groups!

If this was the case why didnt everyone play for 50k every month... I would have should have...

 

[killadoob]

As reported in the media, the main problem was the part of the competition that said the person sending in the most SMSs for a certain week would automatically win a BMW. People then received SMSs saying they are in the top 1% of those sending in, making them think they are almost there, so sending in more. Later it seemed like a number of people with varying number of entries were receiving this "in the top 1%" SMS. That type of practice just sounds shady.

I don't think the competition itself was the problem (as said previously, it's similar to other competitions), it was this constant "urging on" to enter the competition or send in more entries.

exactly

 

[hoover99]

well at least Vodacom will stop spamming me about this now.

 

[stiggy]

well Huh! Good luck to vodacom for managing to "rob" poor punters, but if one had won it would have been "halleluya!" all the way in a new car!.

 

[dam]

If this was the case why didnt everyone play for 50k every month... I would have should have...

And then you could sell the BMW to pay for all the sms.

 

[milomak]

It seems to me that this competition is illegal only on the technicality that it was not done under the auspices of the National Lotteries Board. From all I have read about it, there is nothing in the way that it was actually run that was illegal.

As for the 1% message, did everyone who got entered get that message or only those punters who were pumping in the SMSes? If it is the latter group then it is very likely that when sending an SMS it would put them in the 1% range. 1% of a large number of people is a large number.

But even putting the above aside, the competition states that each SMS costs R10. If you can’t work out that sending a lot of SMSes will cost you a **** load of cash then you don’t deserve my sympathy.

 

[Tns]

nothings for free! not even a sms! come on people who are now complaining about the cost is plain stupid.

 

[qinglung]

As for the 1% message, did everyone who got entered get that message or only those punters who were pumping in the SMSes? If it is the latter group then it is very likely that when sending an SMS it would put them in the 1% range. 1% of a large number of people is a large number.

The reports were vague on this. I agree with you that it was probably the latter case. As example, 990 people could send just one SMS, and you have 10 other sending in anything varying between say 5 and 10000. Statistically the guy sending in 5 and the guy sending in 10000 are both in the top 1%.

But even putting the above aside, the competition states that each SMS costs R10. If you can’t work out that sending a lot of SMSes will cost you a **** load of cash then you don’t deserve my sympathy.

Amen!

 

[milomak]

Apparently some (or all entrants - it's not clear to me at this time) where getting messages telling them they were in the top 1% of entrants after sending an entry.

 

[Skeptik]

Reminds me of Bwanas sig about stupid people in large groups!

If this was the case why didnt everyone play for 50k every month... I would have should have...

Are you implying that advertising doesn't work or people who respond to it are "stupid". Even the most cynical of advertising gurus would disagree.

Heavy promotion was involved. I know because I got the SMSs, saw the TV and newspaper ads. In fact all customers were SPAMMED relentlessly. Why would they do it if they didn't expect a big response?

 

[JK8]

Are you implying that advertising doesn't work or people who respond to it are "stupid". Even the most cynical of advertising gurus would disagree.

Heavy promotion was involved. I know because I got the SMSs, saw the TV and newspaper ads. In fact all customers were SPAMMED relentlessly. Why would they do it if they didn't expect a big response?

Is advertising illegal?
Is promotion illegal?

All customers that did not play the game received a maximum of 5 sms's, if you played you probably received more.

I doubt Voda knew the type of responce they got, I certainly didnt think the public was this stupid to be honest.

If you fall for advertising thats your problem. All products need promoting and advertising.

Every competition out there urges people to play/enter.

 

[Skeptik]

Is advertising illegal?
Is promotion illegal?

All customers that did not play the game received a maximum of 5 sms's, if you played you probably received more.

I doubt Voda knew the type of responce they got, I certainly didnt think the public was this stupid to be honest.

If you fall for advertising thats your problem. All products need promoting and advertising.

Every competition out there urges people to play/enter.

Actually advertising is quite well regulated. Yes, some advertising is illegal. Promotion and advertising are usually allied anyway.

The people who send these SMSs have done the surveys. This country is full of under-educated people either with cellphones or who aspire to own one. One just needs to see their voting patterns to see the likely outcome of a heavy promotion.

This is precisely why lotteries are regulated as well. The potential for abuse and exploitation of the masses is well understood.

 

[JK8]

Actually advertising is quite well regulated. Yes, some advertising is illegal. Promotion and advertising are usually allied anyway.

The people who send these SMSs have done the surveys. This country is full of under-educated people either with cellphones or who aspire to own one. One just needs to see their voting patterns to see the likely outcome of a heavy promotion.

This is precisely why lotteries are regulated as well. The potential for abuse and exploitation of the masses is well understood.

What type of advertising is illegal? Depends on the product right?

I dont get it... offcourse they want BMs, would the competition be better if they gave away bicycles?

I think you just as ignorant as the idiots who abused the game, not all are un educated, infact I think majority were educated.

I dont believe we discussing marketing... its the core of any bussiness, without it you have nothing, theres nothing like over marketing IMO.

 

[milomak]

surely the uneducated masses don't own contracts and would have to charge their prepaid accounst to play. if they don't see how much money they are spending again i have no sympathy. i will not at this point believe that the masses are gambling addicts.

 

[Abe]

Every competition out there urges people to play/enter.

There are certain rules that govern these things. For example, One can argue that each subscriber would have been credit vetted for a certain limit. From the sounds of it, these people were spending way over their limits. The Credit Act specifically deals with this sort of thing. You can't just give credit to someone and then expect them to pay it back without going through the proper procedures. The courts can just decide that you were negligent in the manor that you extended the credit and give the money to the person in question. There are others as well, like fair use and equitable contracts.

At the end of the day. VC could quite easily have blocked people when they got to a reasonable limit but they chose instead to encourage those people further. It's a dicey game they are playing and they could well come short.

Their behaviour has been extremely unethical IMHO.

 

[Skeptik]

What type of advertising is illegal? Depends on the product right?

I dont get it... offcourse they want BMs, would the competition be better if they gave away bicycles?

(****personal stuff removed ****).

I dont believe we discussing marketing... its the core of any bussiness, without it you have nothing, theres nothing like over marketing IMO.

One example would be an ad comparing two products "Our All Gold tomato sauce has a better flavour than Gants or Heinz.

 

[milomak]

As i've stated before, once contract customer spending patterns were say 10%-20% above the normal levels on the back of the competition, Vodacom should have sent out at the very least an SMS/email/call to make the subscriber aware.

 

[JK8]

There are certain rules that govern these things. For example, One can argue that each subscriber would have been credit vetted for a certain limit. From the sounds of it, these people were spending way over their limits. The Credit Act specifically deals with this sort of thing. You can't just give credit to someone and then expect them to pay it back without going through the proper procedures. The courts can just decide that you were negligent in the manor that you extended the credit and give the money to the person in question. There are others as well, like fair use and equitable contracts.

At the end of the day. VC could quite easily have blocked people when they got to a reasonable limit but they chose instead to encourage those people further. It's a dicey game they are playing and they could well come short.

Their behaviour has been extremely unethical IMHO.

True. But the SP only lock lines with high usage ie: calls not on sms's.
One of those things I guess, I doubt it was done maliciously though.

One example would be an ad comparing two products "Our All Gold tomato sauce has a better flavour than Gants or Heinz.

Well if they want to waste money advertising other brands then thats their problem.
2 good ads was the Opel ad where the Opel was driving on the golf course and the ad said better than golf.... if VW didnt complain theres no problem with the ad, same like the BM ad where its flying arounds bends and the ad said better than "bends" If Merc didnt complain theres nothing wrong with it.
But this is far of comparison to this topic... its a different campaign altogether.

 

[Skeptik]

As i've stated before, once contract customer spending patterns were say 10%-20% above the normal levels on the back of the competition, Vodacom should have sent out at the very least an SMS/email/call to make the subscriber aware.

Ideally yes this would be the most responsible thing to do, but corporations generally only think of shareholder profit, hence the need for regulation. Self-regulation never works IMHO.

 

[Abe]

As i've stated before, once contract customer spending patterns were say 10%-20% above the normal levels on the back of the competition, Vodacom should have sent out at the very least an SMS/email/call to make the subscriber aware.

That would have been a very good idea. Tell the people what they are currently in for. Don't just cut them when they get to R50K.