Advice, please!

[russrpm]

I was recently the grand prize winner of a sweepstakes sponsored by an online retailer and a major electronics company. The main part of the prize is a 3d tv. When I received the TV today, the specs on the unit were not as promised on the entry form, or in the official rules. Instead, I was sent an older model of from the same company with lesser specification. Still a very nice TV, just not what I was expecting.
I emailed about this, and was answered within a couple of hours. The rep said that the unit I was sent was always supposed to be the prize, and that they had somehow missed the desciption listed in the sweepstakes documents. She suggested that normally they would exchange it for the unit that was described, but that it had been discontinued. She said she would speak to management to see if anything could be done, and asked for my ideas on the subject.

I don't want to seem ungrateful, but there is a substantial difference in the value of the 2 items. I checked, and the rules do not say anything about substitution of prizes.

Has anyone had a similar situation. Should I just be grateful for what I've got now and just let it go, or should I push for the latest model ( which sells for the exact price listed in the rules)? As it stands, I've just asked her to find out what options are available, and will go from there.

Thanks for your imput.

 

[desertgirl]

It's disappointing when you are basically promised one thing, but get something else. I would wait to see what they would do. Something similiar happened to me recently. I won a Hard Rock USB keychain in a blog contest back in January and never received it. I contacted the blog owner to say that I never got it. I was told that it would be resent. Then when I still didn't get it and the blog owner didn't respond I descided to write to here about every Hard Rock Cafe stuff I ever received which was a eco tote bag that I received around January. Another package I received contained a Hard Rock collector pin and some Mohegan Sun stuff.

I received an email from the blog owner saying that she wished I told her sooner because those items were from her sponsor. How was I supposed to know that this random junk that came without any type of letter was "the prize". It's not my fault that they sent the wrong thing - TWICE. Now its been two weeks and I still haven't heard from either the sponsor or the blog owner and frankly I don't want anything to do with either one if they are going to be THAT unprofessional. If anyone is interested its the Thirfty and Frugal Living blog and Tampa Hard Rock Cafe.

My point is that if a sponsor is professional enough to find some sort of product to make you happy, you should at least see what they are willing to do. Companies offer sweepstakes to get word of mouth and to make happy customers. Happy customers come back. If they are unwilling to do anything to fullfill a contract that they made then I would shun them both like the plague. Unless, that is, you are satisified with the TV they did send.

 

[pmeek]

:wave: Fisrt let me congratulate you on your win! That is wonderful. I would wait to see what they offer. If nothing else is offered I would be sure to ask for an updated 1099 since the value would be different. I don't know about you, but I don't like paying taxes I more than I need to.

 

[lk107]

I second pmeek's comment. Hopefully, they will update your prize..but most sweepstakes have a kind-of catch-all-phrase that essentially gives them the right to make any changes to the sweeps or prize as they see fit. Most sweeps will give you the prize that is stated, but sometimes they dont.

Good luck, and I hope they give you the updated prize.