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
