C.A.R Community Awards Register: Scam or not? You decide..
LATEST NEWS: Macintyre and Dodd Marketing is breaks law with ‘prize promotions’ says High Court Judge – Feb 2nd 2011
Well, finally.
The OFT has taken MacIntyre and Dodd to the High Court and finally, more than £13m of your money later, won a ruling that M&D (and other DM Plc companies operated by Mr. Adrian Williams and his various business partners) have acted unlawfully.
Read the BBC report in full here.
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Read on for the back story:
Scenario: Letter comes through addressed to you at your home address. Oh, look, it seems you’ve won a ‘Community Award’ – one of a range of tasty prizes.
All you have to do to claim your prize is call an expensive premium-rate phone number which (according to the paperwork) will cost you £9.00 plus your network charge for calling or texting that number. Who knows how much that would be in addition?
I have a depressing feeling that this, like those moronic quizzes on daytime TV, is legal – so long as it delivers some prize to someone, somewhere. After all, by calling a premium line number of your own free will, you’re clearly entering into the contract, right? It’s just a form of ‘gaming’ isn’t it?
A quick bit of research leads me down a depressingly long rabbit hole.
Come with me on that jouney for a moment.
Click here to view map
The first thing we learn is that the company behind this is McIntyre & Dodd Marketing ltd whose postcode, incidentally, isn’t what they put on the mailout.
That postcode points to The Recycling People in Ross-on-Wye (right).
The correct postcode should of course be HR9 5PQ (according to an online business directory entry). Sorry, no, it’s actually this field here, (according to the company’s own website). Did I say there? I meant here (according to what looks like their own business entry in Google maps). That’s a bit more like it.
Next we find that the Advertising Standards Authority ruled against this company in 2007. What for? I hear you cry. Click the link and read for yourself. Suffice it to say, in the words of the ASA, “The mailing breached CAP Code clause 7.1 (Truthfulness).”
Today, we discover that the OFT (Office of Fair Trading) is seeking a court order to stop McIntyre and Dodd Marketing Ltd stating:
‘Our case is that these promotions encourage people to believe they have won a valuable prize when, we argue, the plain fact of the matter is that people are being sold a low value product. We have been unable to reach agreement with the companies or secure voluntary agreement that distribution will cease. So we think the best thing now is for the High Court to decide the matter.’
McIntyre and Dodd Marketing Ltd are now part of a group of companies called DM Plc. Scratch the surface of any of these companies and before long you’re looking at a whole end-to-end database building, direct marketing operation designed (clearly very successfully) to collect names, addresses and postcodes from people entering ‘quiz’ sites and ‘prize draws’ online.
And.. yes, you’ve guessed it! This data then pumps out the other end in the form of direct mail ‘prize draws’ – just like the one you received today. The funny part is that you almost certainly gave them permission in the first place. The one thing these people aren’t is stupid enough to fall foul of the opt-in laws around direct marketing and database building, rest assured.
Here’s how DM Plc’s shares break down and here are most of the people who get the lion’s share of your money. And this gives you just a tiny idea of how much of your money is involved in just one of the companies in the group. Market capitalisation (value) of DM Plc is around £13.5 million – a substantial part of it, no doubt, gained from mailing ‘games of skill and chance’ to your door with premium rate phone numbers for you to call. Take a closer look at Reuters entry for the company and bios of the top 5 people here.
So is the Community Awards Register a scam? You, the Googling Great British Public – and now the High Court – will decide.
From an online reputation viewpoint, the fact that 500 people visited this post yesterday and today after being spontaneously and independently moved to type the words “community awards register scam” into Google is very revealing.
What would you have to do in your business to send people searching Google for your co. name plus the word ‘scam’ at the end? And would you even know if they were?
And perhaps strangest of all is this full page ad from the online New York Times paid notices section in 2008. What in the world might be the link between that direct mail marketing company name and this one? Answers on a postcard… 
SCAM….. i recived letter saying i’d won, normally never sucked in by this type of rubbish, but i phoned anyway, my prize was the camera, which never turned up, only month later SUPRISE same letter posted again,,, TOTAL SCAM stay away
Thank you for your comment, N. So, first comment says ‘Scam – no prize for the £9 (or more) call. Any offers? Any happy customers?
IM A 75 YR OLD IVE HAD SO MANY LETTERS FROM THIS SCAM FIRM,,,I SENT TWICE AND TWICE GOT RETURNS ,, 1 A THOUSAND POUND VOUCHER TO SPEND IN SOME OBSCURE STORE, WHICH I COULDN’T FIND ,AND NEVER HEARD OF,, No 2 A FOUR DAY MED CRUISE WHICH WAS SO PUZZLEING I THREW IT IN THE BIN,,, THEY ARE STILL AT IT THIS WEEK,,
Its a defo scam!! there driving me mad!! Its all the time i’v ignored the letters time and time again!! when i reseaved my 1st letter, i was taking in for about 20 seconds, it would be so nice to get some cash!! i have three small children and ooooh what could we do with all that lovely cash!!! Nothing coz its rubbish, i thought to myself as i saw the price of the £9 phone call!! but it actuly feels like these people are storking me!!! So stay away! bin them all!! or use them to light the fire!so please Don’t get sucked in!!
This is a major scam. The police should investigate and prosecute. I wrote to this scam asking to see proof of the prizes and never got a reply, as if I would. Also can’t find any trace of the “Roger Woods” mentioned.
McIntyre & Dodd Marketing ltd is the name of the company behind the scam.
Thanks for your comment, Scambuster.
I guess what the comments here are saying is that people haven’t seen any of the ‘prizes’ they’ve rung up to claim, right? If that were the case, then I presume it would make it a scam. If, on the other hand these people simply made money out of charging people £9 for a shit camera, then it wouldn’t be a scam; it would just be a rip-off (so long as the goods were ‘fit for purpose’).
McIntyre and Dodd Marketing Ltd are listed as based here: HR9 5DB. This postcode is home to a group of companies which all appear to be connected (at least in terms of the kinds of business they conduct). What’s for sure is that this group of companies is behind this, and earlier versions of this, ahem, ‘promotion’.
FYI the group, DM appears to be a PLC. So business must be good, eh?
I just got a final reminder through the post this morning and it was signed by Roger Davies, so Mr Moore has disappeared. Trouble is there is a Roger Davies associated with good causes so is this now another smoke screen this con artist is throwing up?
I don’t know about you folks, but I approach all on and offline ‘offers’ that I didn’t ask for with 100% cynicism.
There’s a simple step-by-step guide to not getting ripped off and it looks like this:
Step 1) Ignore ALL ‘offers’ that you didn’t ask for. That’s right: phone, mail, email – even face to face. No matter how much you’d secretly like it to be true
There is no Step 2, sorry. It’s as simple as that.
The only reason that these kinds of things exist is because there are so many people out there who want to believe that maybe, just maybe their turn has come to be lucky. Those people are so desperate to win, to receive something, to feel better that they’ll suspend any judgment. If I really wanted to gamble £9, I’d do it via a legally-controlled form of gambling like the lottery where there’s no grey area for people to hide in and the payouts are real, proven phenomena.
My cousin, in her 80′s received letters, including a final reminder. She has no computer, but, thankfully, I have.
Having find this site I have warned her about this scam.
Good thinking, Batman!
Got my final reminder this morning it went in the bin with the rest of their crap they should be prosecuted
i received my final reminder this morning asking me to send a form back allowing them to pass my orize to another person,my grandson said you would win a camera,probably a throw away one,chuck it in the bin,i have and am not so stupid that i would believe i could possibly win something that i didnt even know i had entered
My father died last year and I currently have all his post redirected here. In an effort to remove his name from companies mailing lists I’ve been calling them up which is how I found this website. This is complete and utter nonsense. Especially seen as how he has died when they allocated the first prize!
Received 5th letter from this company saying”final reminder” to claim a prize-how can you win a prize when you have never entered their competion! They make their money on the horrendous phone charges and you will receive nothing-too many of these scams-bin them!!
Bin all their letters-you cannot win anything you have not entered for-total scam-they make all their money on the horrendous phone charges
received final reminder today went in the bin
these con people should be convicted of robbery
and be stript of all assets
Thanks Everyone!
You,and the editorial, have just saved me £9. Isn’t it awful that we need to be reminded that there’s no such thing as a free lunch, and that if it looks to good to be true – it probably is!
I was dithering after receiving the final reminder, was picturing a nice fat cheque arriving, but you’ve all saved me from myself!
Thanks for your comment, S. Glad it helped you to think twice about it.
Am so glad i looked this up on web site – it looks so official the letter,i have got my final reminder a few weeks ago,it says i have until the 28th feb 2 claim my prize. Like steph i was thinking about replying so thanks a lot 4 all the comments that have been left, is it it any wonder old people lose thousands or even their savings when company’s r around like these thieving people thanks again !!!
I have picked up this final reminder notice from these reprehensible people at my mum’s home. She is 94 and worries terribly about final reminders – thinking she has to respond. I agree with the responder who said that the police should be investigating this bunch of unscupulous thieves – the old and the vulnerable must be protected from this deceitful and misleading mail.
Thanks for your comment, Irene. I find it incredible that this company is part of a Plc worth £13.5 million – all engaged in the same kind of business and still doing it right up to the point that the Office of Fair Trading takes them to the High Court to try to stop them. Glad you found this and can reassure your mum that it’s probably not worth her making that call.
return all post to them without any postage paid!
Thanks for info. I too received letter 14/01/10 + final reminder to claim before 28/02/10. Hope OFT + Courts exterminate them like vermin!
Nuke the b-stards till they glow!! and the slant eyed people who built the cameras!!
i to have had these ruddy mail, i read them then tear them up, i read them for one reason they say this is the final reminder and my prize will go to some one else,i have been having them for over 12 months,iwonder how many more they are going to send me, as you all rightly say BIN THEM but please remember to remove your address before the BIN. THANKS AGAIN HARRY.
I have also been ripped off by this scheme scam I sent off a chq to cover post and packing but as yet not receive my camera
I shredded the letter then posted it back in a tatty envelope to M & D Ltd, po box 107 ross on wye HR9 5PQ and I’ve just realised I forgot to put a stamp on it.
Doh! You numbnutz. Next time, you’ll put a brick in there and forget to put stamps on it (rollseyes)
First phone McIntyre & Dodd Marketing Ltd
Tel: (01989) 769797
and ask them to remove you from their list.
Next complain formally and send the letter from the “Prize Register” to the
Advertising Standards Authority
Mid City Place
71 High Holborn
London
WC1V 6QT
Tel: 020 7492 2222
E-mail: enquiries@asa.org.uk
The High Court should confiscate their money (all the millions they have scammed from a gulible public) and donated it to charity.
The directors should then be locked up for 5 years, where they won’t need it anyway. Personally I would just like to meet them face to face. They simply must be stopped.
John Barnes
I cant believe that my husband who is elderly and has learning difficulties has just now phoned these ‘people’ and has now spent £9.00 we can ill afford to get what? Reading all the comments from people, I
Following on from previous comment, I am sorry that I did not look for the right information beforehand and that my husband had not made the fatasl phonecall, I want these companies stopped and people like us need to inform the authorities every time a letter is received from them
… I know, Lesley. You’re speechless (lols). I don’t blame you. I’ll finish your sentence for you: “…I now believe that these greedy people should be ashamed of the way they exploit weak and vulnerable people.”
Something like that?
Too late I rang them this morning didnt read the small print just paid £9 for the call sort of knew it was a rip-off but as you say we all live in hope. Who would take these people on and who wants all the letters or should I just bin them? They need prosecuting and there names and companies they trade under published regularly in national newspapers warn everyone.
Stop living in ‘hope’ Marion – that’s what these businesses exploit. I’m sorry we live in a society where this is permitted. All you have to do is read some of these comments to see that vulnerable people are being exploited. That may be the world we live in, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s NOT OK.
just got my final reminder but i have sent it back by post damn forgot to put a stamp on it, i do hope i have not lost my chance of winning a camera worth less than the postage. when you win things on a site you have not entered they must think we were all born yesterday, any fool who phoned the line you might as well just put your money in the pathway and let everybody just pick it up, no sympathy
Yeoww – harsh but true. People need to be more critical in this day and age, for sure. It’s still a pity that there are people out there exploiting those who aren’t very wary or clued up.
i got ripped off 2 i got several letters so i finally rang up and i won the camera which i am still waiting for.
Can any one advise how i can get in touch with the company beacuse I WANT MY CAMERA!!!!!!
Danielle, read through all the posts here and follow the links – you’ll find addresses for McIntyre and Dodd marketing. Don’t hold your breath though.
Oh! I got ‘FINAL REMINDER’ too! They even spelt my surname wrong… XD Just though I would point out,on top of the £9 phone call, there is also a ‘required’ payment of £6.50 for the insurance and delivery of all electrical items… which includes the 10,000 Digital Cameras they have to ‘give away’! So, you’re likely to pay £15.50 for a camera probably worth only £2… happy to say I never rang up in a hope to win the £25,000 cash prize. We can still dream though, dreaming costs us nothing.
Learned today that it now costs £9.95 to cover the cost of insurance and delivery of electrical items, presumably including the MP3 player (which, of course, I have won); and as for the cost of sending and receiving text messages, via the 84228# provided, I have no idea how much that will be!
I have to say that these people are so persistent, by any standards with which I am familiar. I guess they must be anxious to avoid misunderstanding and the evntuality of allocating my prize to some lucky other person. Apparently, I have also won a 7-day vacation to the Red Sea shores of Egypt; so, I guess I’d better get myself affianced as soon as possible, to take advantage of this fabulous offer!!
Should I contact the High Court, or just resolve to ignore these notices until time itself expires…?
VL
Well, I received the final reminder letter this morning, there isn’t much more to be said about this disgraceful company (which should be locked up) which hasn’t already been said in any of the above comments.
So, my comment is here so it can be added to the statisic of how many people are receiving it and on what days they are received, if it helps in anyway…?
I have reevied so many letters alewady from this mcintyreanddodd Company and I checked if this are true or not’cause keep on sending me this scam letters that I have allocated price,but I just ignore it because it is a scam! Just throw in the bin thats it!
In my opinion leading magazines should not entertain the idea of having theses quizzes where the con artist’s can get your details.
This is where they got mine from, I will never enter a competition again as every body’s on the rip.
Let me guess… Another round of Prize Award letters has hit the doorsteps of the land, judging by the counts of views to this page.
It’s clearly a profitable business, and – until such times as the OFT decides that they’re breaking the law – they will carry on doing it. So in answer to Vincent – ignore these notices until such times as the High Court stops them or, more likely, the end of time itself.
At least some people here are learning about how cynical the world of ‘free draws’ etc is.
Mind you, until the average punter gets through his/her greed-befuddled brain that a Facebook ad saying ‘FREE LAPTOP – UK Companies need you to test their products” really means “UK Direct Mail companies want your data so they can bombard you with ‘unclaimed prize draw’ style cons”, then these people will stay very much in business.
Melissa, you’ve got to understand that so long as there’s money involved, everybody’s happy to be involved in this: McIntyre and Dodd; the printers they pay to print their stuff; the Royal Mail they pay to deliver it. Barclays Bank for funding the company. The magazines for inserting it. The suppliers of the junk electronics and shitty jewellery you *might* eventually get.
The world around us is stuffed with people making money from other peoples’ naiivety, ignorance, vulnerability, greed, foolishness – whatever you want to call it. It goes on everywhere. You only have to scratch the surface of the most ordinary of businesses to find it.
The only difference with McIntyre and Dodd is that they’re highly visible and (comparatively) easy to spot.
If you want to hear about the really big, nasty, breath-taking cynical rip-offs, read Private Eye and start learning about how many people in UK government and business are sucking ordinary, unsuspecting folks dry on a daily basis. Start with the banks… and keep going.
hi just received my letter saying i have won two awards with two codes letter is from UAACO UNCLAIMED AWARDS.
Like everyone else was tempted to ring or send a text to find out as it is very rear you have two prizes to collect.
Well i have’nt and thankyou as you saved me £9 or more
Glad you thought better of it.
Funny, isn’t it how many people go to Google after receiving these mail drops because they’re suspicious that it’s a con. A quick look at my stats show 150 people have read this post today (so far).
McIntyre and Dodd, if you’re reading this, what is it like to have so many people feel so BAD about your ‘products and services’? If you had any decency, that would matter to you. If you had any decency, you’d stop what you were doing and start offering something of value for peoples’ money.
i also was taken in by these people twice first was a cheap digital camera then a free austrian coach trip which was going to cost me 450 quid in administration fees i urge people to stay well clear by the way the phone call is now #10.50
3
I too was taken in at first, sending two 1st class stamps as i told them i didn’t own a phone or a computer, i also asked in the letter why do i need to spend £9. plus on a public phone just to find out a code for my prize, I completed their form & stated YOU TELL ME WHAT IVE WON, THEN I WILL TELL YOU IF I WANT IT OR NOT.. simple yes?…. no again, got another letter, this time with a website http://www.mcintyreanddodd.com & a phone number 01989760538.. oh & thers no local call number for this company either.. complete rubbish!!!!! i feel sorry for those desperate enought to be in need of money to do this.
I won £20.00 last year from Purely Creative for the price of a few stamps – not a bad return. But I was not gullible enough to ‘phone them for the prize code. Now I have won a digital camera from Mcthingies in Ross-on-Wye – I shall bin the prize letter & reward myself with a nice bottle of wine for the £6.50 I will save on postage.
Nice logic
Please read this!!!.
Just simple as that.
Warning from the authorities.
http://www.southendstandard.co.uk/news/southend/8179693.print/
Thank you and beware!
Today i recieved my final reminder that i had won 2 items from 2 different draws which i had not entered these people need hanging for taking the elderly and the vunerable people for a ride some people just read final reminder and ring to pay what they think they owe others phone because they are made to think they have won more than they could of dreamed off.
I say hang them
Whoopee!
I have today received my personal allocation code by post;- the number is 603498;-this was allocated to me on 27th May.
Why, therefore, are they recommending that I call the 0906 number as soon as possible to listen for my allocation code and receive my claim number?
The Prize & Award Controller says that he looks forward to sending my prize or award so why didn’t he send it with the letter to save time?
I don’t know…..
Some people just like to make things difficult for themselves, don’t they?
Letter after letter to my wife. I’ve never known such persistance in supposedly giving money and prizes away. Why my wife? Is she supposed to be the soft touch in our household????
wot a total SCAM. i just recieved ma final reminder letter through the post 2day. i texted them to hear my Allocation codes. i recieved couple of texts back from them, saying i’ve won a mp3 player and a 7 day hoilday to red sea Eqpyt. i thought it was too good to be true so i did research n found thz website. Thank god i didn’t post my claim form. thank u 4 sharing thz information. i’l ignore their letters next time.
glad i did a search before i replied to my unclaimed prize.
thanks.
I have had about 5 of these leters in as many months. they have con
written all over them, you just know its a group of wide boy chances, as soon as it says calls cost 1.50 a minute bla bla bla..
The trouble is, people do ring, or text, like the old saying says,
If it sounds too good to be true it probably is. I suggest everyone sends them to Downing street perhaps call me Dave can do something, he probably would if he ten thousand of these letters stuffed in his letter box. but then again?
Just recieved one of the letters mentioned. Thought i’d google them first as always a bit suspicious…and here are all the comments from others saying they are fraudsters.
More annoyed that the comp i entered was with a well known morning tv show and that they have allowed people like this to access my details.
i do think it is a scam i keep getting letters though the post i have never heard of this firm and at 1-50 ago ithink it is discusting it should be stop if you have won anything they should send it to you
Today my wife received her “final reminder” and like most other people on this page consigned it to the bin. I agree with the comments made this organisation ought to be investigated and closed down with the assets going to deserving home grown charities
The letter I received stated you could write to them to ensure other firms don’t contact you with further offers. Is this worth doing?
I have no intentions of replying to this letter to claim any prize though.
just recieved my final final reminder these poeple need to lined up and shot lol they pray on the poor because they think thier life going to change with the hope of thousands of pounds how can these poeple sleep on a night the need exterminating please dont call them its a scam
I,v been to my mums today and she showed me one of these award notices luckly i had already been on this web site before so knew it was a scam so i tore theirs to bits and binned it. But guess what was waiting for me when i got home, my final reminder from no other than Roger Davies, this must be the sixth reminder this year.
Do they think we are all that stupid,mind i would love to meet him and ram the dam things down his throat.
Thanks to your web site myself and my elderly parents haven,t been riped off.
Regards Lynn
Good to hear Lynn! By God, imagine if your customers were so angry they wanted you to be lined up and shot (like most of the people commenting here)!! That’s surely a damning sign that this is unacceptable, right, McIntyre & Dodd? So what makes you carry on doing it? Oh – yes, greed.
what you can do is send them some s__t back
get a jiffy bag hopefully you may have a dog or know some one who does let them do there daily do dos put it in the bag and post it back they send us shit we send them shit
I today have become the lucky recipient of my first unclaimed prize register letter. I presumed it was a scam as soon as I read it and immediately googled to confirm – glad I did.
Like Nigel (June 8, 2010 at 12:04pm) my personal code is also 603498, allocated on 27th May…
Can’t wait for the inevitable barrage of reminders I shall no doubt receive over the coming weeks/months – all of which will be returned to sender with my own personal message for these lowlife scum.
Hi
My aunt is 86 and has had several letters from this company. Fortunately she passed them on to me before she sent any money off.
THE TRAGEDY IS THAT THE AUTHORITIES LET THESE PARASITES OPERATE. IT IS THE AUTHORITIES WHO SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE.
I have been in touch with trading standards to find out what they are doing to stop this practise. We can all rest easily in our beds. They are constantly updating their website with advice.
Great news for the vulnerable like my aunt who a) isn’t on the internet and b) wouldn’t know a premium rate number from a normal one.
WHY DO BT ALLOW PREMIUM RATE NUMBERS?????????
Good for you – keep making a noise with Trading Standards and anyone else that will listen!
And why do BT allow it? Because they make money from it, that’s why. It’s also why Barclays bank funds the PLC behind it. And why Barclays also seems to bank the cash from Expo Guide and various other scam business directories. Shocking but true, our country runs on such distasteful business.
As for Trading Standards updating their website, I assume that you’re being ironic. I’ve been to their website and there’s f**k all about Community Awards Register or McIntyre and Dodd – and if there were, there’s no way you’d find it. Fail.
After putting the first letter in the bin I recieved the second in April with my allocation code suprise, suprise it is the same one as Em and Nigel 603498. After returning from holiday last week I found the final reminder waiting for me. I was going to write to them to find out what my so-called prize but instead I decided to Google their website. Thank you all so much for your coments on these conmen I will now shred the 2 letters I have and put them in the ferret’s hutch for bedding!!!
my wife had many letters and claim numbers over the last six months or so and was stupid enough to send 14.95 to unclaimed prize on may 14 still no reply i have tryed E/mailing but no chance its high time they were done for robbing people
Hope she doesn’t read this, Thomas – she’ll kill you for calling her stupid
Seriously, though. Don’t keep your hopes up of getting anything for your £14.95!
Hi – just googled McIntyre & Dodd Mktg and found this site via the various options on sites looking-into them.
My wife has had many letters from them. Pleased to say that she only responded to one, in which she declined to pay £6 for a camera! THEY responded, saying she had been allocated another prize! This letter is from THE AWARD WINNERS EXCHANGE dated 17 June 2010. They want a Postal order or cheque OR CREDIT/DEBIT card Number (I bet they do!) for £14.95!
She has “WON”(!) either: A £25000 cheque (1 of), a Sony Vaio Multimedia (even!) Laptop,(5 of them), £5000 in cash,(2) a Venice break for 2, (WOULD YOU BELIEVE TEN THOUSAND PLUS! of them) or £250 M&S vouchers (only 100 of them). Ten Thousand ‘Venice’ breaks for two!!!!!!!! Got to be Five Star, innit!!
I asked her what they wanted £14.95 for, when a letter costs 40p odd to send and the only thing likely to cost that much in postage is the Tele! She said to check. I’ve checked! It’s clearly a SCAM.
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times. There ain’t no free lunches! It seems that these days, almost everything in UK is a rip-off. Even my Bank are on a premium rate number!
I first had dealings with this shower years ago – and it cost me over £20 in phone to receive…NOTHING!
Recently, I had an email (generated, as you said, from something I clicked on online). Next, I had an incredible offer of winning untold riches and prizes. Asked to send the cost of delivery for my prize (in this case, after ages listening to a recorded voice, it was a fabulous camera), I did so. Instead of the camera for the cost of my two first class stamps, I got another invite to purchase the camera for £6-50. Reading further, it was explained that I had actually won the ‘opportunity’ to purchase the camera. The goal-posts had been moved.
Moreover, the ‘amazing’ camera was almost described as the best thing since the invention of photography (my impression of their description) – but, being a pro photographer, I can only describe the picture of it as being that of a relic from the dawn of digital photography – and even the PC system requirements for it are all but obsolete, even in third world countries…! In fact. it does not even include all the software required to make it fully functioning – it needs 3rd party software to allow it to operate as a low resolution web camera. Plus, it runs on ordinary batteries, whereas almost all cameras now have built in rechargeable batteries. I have NEVER come across a webcam that needs proprietary batteries to work – it just does not happen because it defeats the whole object of always being available. This contraption is truly archaic and is probably worth a lot more to a museum than a user…! You can probably buy this type of toy camera at tacky seaside souvenir stalls for a lot less.
This surely amounts to fraudulent activity.
Hi Peter – great summary, thank you for taking the time to comment.
Winning the ‘opportunity’ to purchase a camera! What a rip-off. What these people trade on is the fact that they tell you in advance what the charges are (even if they do it in a way that one could argue is misleading – as the Office of Fair Trading asserts). Ultimately, their defense effectively is “If you’re so desperate or gullible that you called the number that’s your choice”. Technically legal or not, it’s still sordid and exploitative – which is exactly what everyone commenting here thinks.
Interesting, isn’t it that they’ve not had a single person comment to say “Surely you’re all mistaken! They are a great bunch of people – and what a great prize I won”. Judging by all the happy ‘testimonials’ on MacIntyre and Dodd’s website you’d think at least some of those people would arrive here to counter the wave of negative press they’re getting. But no, just a growing list of angry people who think they’ve been well and truly ripped off.
And all the while, they can carry right on doing it while our dinosaur of a legal system gives them a free hand to do it.
cant believe ive just made the £9 phone call, just lost my job and was caught at a very vunerable time, thank god i decided to check the company out here before sending off my “PRIZE CODE” I would be the first to say bin it, wot an idiot.
Ah, Julie. Make this the last £9 you waste on these kind of things, ok? Trust your instincts: you already knew it was a rip off, I’ll bet. The problem is you wanted to feel good, and this offered just a glimmer of a chance…. next time you get that feeling, remember Community Awards Register and go donate £9 to a charity you really believe in. You’ll feel great!
Jim says:
They’ve got a new on out – trading as “NB – Notification Bureau” – which scam’s covering letter commences: “As the manager responsible for ensuring unclaimed awards are despatched to the right people, I have to write to you today regarding an award that was allocated to [name of elderly relative of mine] ….”; followed by a list of potential prizes, an instruction inter alia to call a premium phone line to obtain a claim number (without which the prospective dupe cannot submit a completed claim form by post).
Thanks to your website I have been able to clearly demonstrate to my dear elderly relative that this ‘new’ one is just like all the other ones, given that it comes from the same shady MacIntyre & Dodd “Marketing” company (per small print at the bottom of the overleaf page).
I shall now forward this “new” scheme to the OFT and Advertising Standards Authority for their information.
You, and your readers, may be interested in the following link to an article in the St Petersberg Times headed “Sweepstakes claw in through mailbox, rob elderly St. Petersburg man” http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/article1066059.ece – I perceive that this “Marketing” company (M&D) may well be involved in selling on its “databse of the susceptible / gullible” (it would be an additional income stream to over all their mailing costs) no doubt sometimes (knowingly or otherwise) to even more unscrupulous operators such as those described in the St Petersberg Times article. That is a potentially much bigger risk to those being targeted by M&D, and that is why I personally commend the OFT for taking action against this lower level fish – as a less than scrupulous company – together with its Directors who seek to profit from duping members of the pulic.
Many thanks for providing your informative site for the benefit of the public interest.
Yours faithfully,
Jim
location = Edinburgh
yes I had one…now calling themselves “the UK’s Central REgistry of awards ….POBox 111 Ross-on Wye….signed by some called Carol Brown……I have got onto MPS…..free service to stop junk mail and hope they can stop these…maybe we should all send them back to Ross on Wye —–no Stamp—- with a comment – get lost we are not idiots!!!!……
i have just had about my 5th letter saying they are desperate for me to claim my prize i was nearly sucked in and decided to investigate them glad i did now in the bin it goes
Thanks for warning us, I got my letter today (8 July 2010) from NB (Notification Bureau) in Ross-on-Wye HR9 9ZU, and Roger Davies is still happily signing them for all of us to be scammed without any protection. I am shocked that they are able to continue without the law stopping them. Surely someone, somewhere can trace them or stop their post from being sent (place a ban on all letters from them). Can’t OFSTED or someone else who is always looking over our shoulders nail these awful people instead of worrying about unimportant “standards”? I find it unbelievable that they continue to get away with it year after year!
Yes we had one, sent it back no stamp telling them to put it where the sun dose not shine, and to remove our name from mailing list.
yes They’ve got a new on out – trading as “NB – Notification Bureau” – which last month I became idiot and I sent 2 stamp and made phone call cost me over £10 for nothing, which the pervious name and address was [ MacIntyre & Dodd Marketing Ltd ,Green Heys
Walford Road, Ross on Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 5DB and othe letter post code was HR9 9YP, when I sent the letter back with 2 stamp I sent recorded deliver in case, here is the person signature
[file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Administrator/My%20Documents/Unclaimed%20Prize/Royal%20mail%20Recorded.JPG]
on the phone and on the letter they mention that i won digital camera, which the phone call and postage and stamp cost me over £10 and now the camera not worth £6 and then they asking me for the £6.50 for the postage cost, in fact the postage cost £2.46 for the recoded delivery, Here is the Digital Camera which they promise please copy and past
[file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Administrator/My%20Documents/Unclaimed%20Prize/Picture.jpg] and file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Administrator/My%20Documents/Unclaimed%20Prize/Picture%20028.jpg
Then I email them and after week I received respond come from Dawn Williams (dawn@strikelucky.com) here is the part of their respond “It is with regret that we are unable to offer an alternative for this award. This leaves me only to suggest passing the award CERTIFICATE TO A FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER for them to take advantage of the offer”
oh what is the mess in United Kingdom this called company doing this king things ripping off people any authority not do any think to stop them for how many years now they steal money from people, we losing our trust and faith to honest and good genuine people, even if now we received the real award no one claims even if without payment or phone call, so justice need to do something before too late.
yes They’ve got a new on out – trading as “NB – Notification Bureau” – which last month I became idiot and I sent 2 stamp and made phone call cost me over £10 for nothing, which the pervious name and address was [ MacIntyre & Dodd Marketing Ltd ,Green Heys
Walford Road, Ross on Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 5DB and othe letter post code was HR9 9YP, when I sent the letter back with 2 stamp I sent recorded deliver in case, here is the person signature please copy and past the link below
file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Administrator/My%20Documents/Unclaimed%20Prize/Royal%20mail%20Recorded.JPG
on the phone and on the letter they mention that i won digital camera, which the phone call and postage and stamp cost me over £10 and now the camera not worth £6 and then they asking me for the £6.50 for the postage cost, in fact the postage cost £2.46 for the recoded delivery, Here is the Digital Camera which they promise please copy and past the link below
file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Administrator/My%20Documents/Unclaimed%20Prize/Picture.jpg
file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Administrator/My%20Documents/Unclaimed%20Prize/Picture%20028.jpg
Then I email them and after week I received respond come from Dawn Williams (dawn@strikelucky.com) here is the part of their respond “It is with regret that we are unable to offer an alternative for this award. This leaves me only to suggest passing the award CERTIFICATE TO A FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER for them to take advantage of the offer”
oh what is the mess in United Kingdom this called company doing this king things ripping off people any authority not do any think to stop them for how many years now they steal money from people, we losing our trust and faith to honest and good genuine people, even if now we received the real award no one claims even if without payment or phone call, so justice need to do something before too late.
Carol,
I think i will do what you have surgested and send it back to them.
i have been sending their scam post back to them… just write “return to sender” on the envelope… if enough people did it maybe the post office would become involved!
This ia a scam as people have said, but everybody seems to be throwing the letters in the bin. We should all put bthem back in the post ‘Return to Sender’, and let them dispose of the letters themselves. As they are a business they will have to pay for the disposal of the letters. At least then they will have to pay out something instead of the poor unsuspecting public.
My wife had another letter from these folk.
Roger Davies is the “manager responsible for ensuring unclaimed awards are despatched to the right people.”
We have definitely WON a Holiday In Tunisia!!!
And all for a 9 GBP phone call.
The last time we were there was 1976, so I’m looking forward to seeing what changes have been made.
Thanks to this Website for assuring us what a genuine company this is.
Now! How much are the (non included) flight to Tunisia?
Oh yes! I need to start saving the 75 GBP per person deposit as well.
Many thanks for putting my mind at ease.
Regards James
I sent a cheque for £9. 95 post etc for an M3 playet on the 25th June and have heard nothing and I was looking them up on the Web to make an enquiry. The were 3 methods of alleged contact 1) by telephone (which looks suspiciously like a premium number) 2) an e-mail which simply refused to send my enquiry and 3) ordinary post which was the method I used in the first instance to obtain my claim number and which neccesitated 2 letters to get a response.
If I cancel the cheque it will cost me so I might as well sit back to see what transpires and listen to my wife in future who warned me not to get involved.
They are also behind sending out letters seeking donations on behalf of numerous charities. I wonder how much of the money goes to the charities involved.
Interesting, D, Have you got any examples / links to point me at please? Thanks for your comment!
Did not phone, wrote back offered a holiday in Tunisia and a claim code, replied. I have paid postage 2nd class for 2 letters and sent 3 first class stamps! I was just curious about their (NB) validity.
Having read this website I do not expect anything from them and will certainly not send any deposit and also will bin any further letters from these sharks
got my 6th final reminder today so decided to google the site, so glad i did.would have just binned anyway. these people really need stopping what they are doing is nothing short of harassment tks for making this site accessable.
everyone who receives a letter from this set of con artists should post it back and they will then have the return postage to pay. lets see how they like it someone taking there money for nothing. please do not get drawn into this crap.there will be no prizes and they will be sunning themselves on the med with our hard earned money. if you have’nt entered you have’nt won. everyone likes to think they’ve got something for nothing but that does’nt happen in this life. face up its a con
Had my final reminder today,Thought i would look it up & found this site ,very helpful,although i wouldnt have phoned or sent money ,you dont get money for nothing. What makes me so angry is my grandson has respite at a hospice they struggle each year like so many charities to raise funds to keep things going.Yet these people get rich by cheating vunerable ones out of their money.It makes me angry that they get away with it.
I’ve been receiving letters from these people of a while. I decided to write a letter asking for the claim code (Which the letter said you could do). Two weeks later I got another letter – I final reminder, telling me to phone, text or write to obtain my claim code. It went straight in the bin. I think I’ll be following Tina’s lead in future and post any further letters back to these idiots.
So pleased I found you and haven’t fallen foul of the scam. I was sent a letter to my old address and in my ex-marital name so being a bit dubious I decided not to ring them up for a code but wrote a letter instead. After a month, I received the claim code telling me that I’d won a digital camera – this wasn’t even on the list of the “awards” up for grabs!! They then had the audacity to ask for £6.50 payment for damned insurance and postage. So again, am really glad I googled McIntyre & Dodd and read all the previous comments and didn’t become another “poor sucker”. Its immoral what these people are being allowed to get away with and heartbreaking for some people who have been seriously “duped”. Have complained to Trading Standards etc. and am in the middle of writing to McIntyre & Dodd to complain but certainly won’t be paying the postage!!
i have just recieved my 6th final notice,again i have not replied,and i have just read this website for the 1st time and am fed up with recieving unwanted mail from them.
my saying is you get nothing free for nothing so does these people think you are going to win a price and you did not even enter a competition come on I think the police should be called in to these people and dealt with right away
I first received a “final reminder” letter a few months ago from a company I did not recognise, and ignored it as I had not entered a competition. It said I had to take action immediately as it was about to expire. A month later another letter turned up slightly different wording, ignored and then 3rd letter arrived, at which point I put them in the recycling.
Today I received basically the same letter but this time from The British Awards Council and guess what, it is signed by Roger Davies – Awards Manager.
This is definitely a SCAM. Do NOT respond.
I did write quite a long reply which you discourtously did NOT allow me to send
That now appears to be your problem
Hi Ray – not sure what you mean (or who you thought you were talking to …?)
If you didn’t manage to comment here, sorry. But since I’m just someone trying to help stop people wasting their money and there’s nothing in it for me, it’s not really a problem for me
All I can say is, hope you didn’t waste your money on The British Awards Council scam (or whichever McIntyre and Dodd Marketing ripoff brought you here).
Wow! what a length of thread! I too have received 6 letters, each offering a prize, and I nearly gave in this time, when my Hubby looked up the company and found this website.
Thanks for putting this issue to bed, as far as I’m concerned.
It’s just JUNK MAIL; end of…
best thing to do is
(1) cut out your name and address from the letter or letters
(2) place the unused form in to a nice big envolope with loads of other junk mail MUST SEE NOTE (1)
(3) add news paper etc just to fill it up
(4) tape down the envolope
(5) put the name and address of the place to send the completed form
(6) make as heavy as you can or dare
(7) DO NOT USE A STAMP just post it
(8) sit back and relax youre done, they pay the return postage not you and your free of a bit of clutter.
We recieved a letter from The British Awards Council and after some looking into and reading the comments from others.
The Letter went into the FA FILE and got well and truly shredded, which should happen to those who have tried to scam us out of money which will go towards a more satisfying take away and bottle of wine.
I would advise anyone who gets letters from people like these do as we have done, the more people who do this the better.
Good Irene. Everybody else take note: do like Irene and save time. Bin the lot and don’t get suckered in again in future.
Just posted a request for my prize draw details, felt a bit uneasy about it but you know – ever hopeful! Decided to google it when I got home and so glad I did. No more entering into correspondence with this lot for me.
A huge waste of time. The chance of winning anything decent is next to 0. You will be paying for some cheap no brand mp3 player or camera that you could get on ebay from china for half the price.
Don’t waste your time or money. A huge scam to get your ££.
Community Awards Register is a scam. Beware
C.A.R Community Awards Register is a scam. Beware.
Mention their name in your reply as it boosts it to the top of google. Others will see it.
Just had my first letter today saying I am eligible to receive a prize. I always go by the saying – if something sounds to good to be true it normally is! thankfully this site confirms this
I,m glad that I took the time to check these people out via this site, because forwarned is forarmed, and as I nearly replied to the letter that I received today,13-10-2010, I thank you.
I received a letter from these guys today. Does anyone know the outcome of the court case yet or is it still outstanding?
Recieved my 1st letter from this company, ive won prizes in the past but they were prizes i knew i put in for, not some letter coming through to claim you won a possible prize out the list, also if you do win a prize from elsewhere they dont ask for money upfront to pay for it.
Thanks to this site it has confirmed what i was thinking from the start but just needed to confirm this.
Its a shame they dont include a pre-addressed envelope to themselves (postage paid by themselves) then i’d advise to post it back waste thier postage fees they’ll soon learn.
I have just received my first letter. Having very recently been made redundant and feeling the pinch, I thought finally my luck was in! I just came on-line to check out who McIntyre & Dodd were and I’m so relieved I did as finding this website I have saved myself wasting my money. My allocation code like a others on this link is also 603498. What fraudsters they are, I just worry for the vunerable and elderly or those without access to the internet. These people shouldn’t be allowed to get away with it!!
I too recived a letter today it looked to good to be true so i checked it out like many others on here. So glad I did .It is now in the bin
Just binned too.
hello my name is jake and i am 18 years old and i recieved a letter on the 09 september this year on my 18th birthday from this company and it states on small print (if any of you actually read the small print or just focus on the prize you win) that you can get your claim number by post and it iwil state what you have won and i got mine and i won 1000 pound in cheque and guess what it came in the post and it has been cashed to my bank and i ca nnow spend it so it is not actually a scam plus i have got my internet today for the first time so in that case i have never submitted any form online for them to get my address and date of birth from so it is legit because i won and i RECEIVED my prize and im happy for that.
so no scam
Hi Chris – sorry Jake – congratulations! You’re the first person EVER to leave a positive comment about MacIntyre & Dodd. Amazing story you tell.
So this £1000 prize that came out of the blue… where did they get your name and address from, Jake?
And you say that you never went online and gave your email address to anyone before getting your VERY FIRST INTERNET EVER today – a month after your 18th birthday? You really ARE an unusual 18 yr old. And the fact that on the first day EVER online EVER, you Googled Community Awards Register (not even their most recent one…) or ‘Macintyre and Dodd Marketing’ to arrive here?
That part’s completely unbelievable. As ANYONE knows, a real 18 yr old getting his first ever INTERNET aged 18 years and 1 month would spend the first day ripping off his favourite tracks and setting up his Facebook account and maybe watching some porn, not Googling some dodgy rip off company in Ross on Wye.
Big lols.
Funny how they’re named after two commedians, Mcintyre and Dodd, because they’re having a laugh!
Is e ‘avin’ a laff?
lols – well spotted
My old man has just received two cheques for 15 quid off these as a guesture of good will.do we cash them or bin them???????
Your call. If they’re real cheques with no strings attached I’d be surprised. But you tell me.
I have recieved the same letter 0n october and I emailed them to send me my claim number because I do not want to spend money by calling them as I do not belive them that is true or not.They replied me with name Dawn and sent me my claim number and the award I am entitled too.I have sent them the claim form and two stamp.Let see what will hapen in 28 days.But it is strang I have got the same award number 603498 a digital camera!!!!!!!!
I have never done any survey for this company befor, I do not know where they got my name and my address too!!!!!!!!!!!
Aran, you might be right.. these people probably buy in direct mailing lists as well as build up their own via all kinds of grotty ‘free promotions’ in all kinds of places / media. Any of us will get that stuff through the door – unless we register with the MPS (Mail Preference Service). Worth a go.
A lot of their email and mail addresses are gathered via other ‘promotions’ and ‘prize draws’. People can’t resist – and they have no idea what’s likely to happen to the data they willingly give away. In the case of Macintyre and Dodd, it gets crunched in one of their group company databases and becomes the labels for the next “You have won a prize!” mail shot.
(As an aside, MPS, do you think you could do something to make your website look a bit less err…scammy?)
Now sending out scam letter under new name it is the same old scam but new name Which is UK Allocations Office that name again UK Allocations Office
Thanks, Carole – new post created
So glad I finally looked up this site and found all the confirmation I needed. Have fallen for this scam before and never received anything. It is quite correct that these people should be brought before the Standards Commission and brought to justice for all the damage they are causing. Never again. Any 09061 580485 number is out of my thoughts from now on and any correspondence is going directly into recycling. Thank you so much for this site. It was well worth a visit.
received another this morning from UKallowcations office the name on the letter is Adam Ford.i have got 2 awards waiting for me,i am going to apply by post to see what happens.will let you know what i have won ha ha
When I was at work I got used to the daily ‘Nigerian’ scams of £25 million if I sent my bank account details.
I was just a bit shocked to get this UK Allocations letter to my home address.
Knowing I have never entered a competition and looking at the phone charge I knew it was another scam.
I wish people weren’t so gullible to be taken in by this, but they are often vulnerable too and in need of money so they are hopeful.
I hope Trading Standards can do something about this.
Hi I recieved my “final reminder” today from “Unclaimed Prize Rollout” though in the small print it is …drum roll please…… McIntyre & Dodd…shock horror, I have one a amazing prize, but through this post alone have seen my prize code appear a couple of times – 603498 I wonder how many lucky folk share my unique code ha haa….
New name, same old..am grateful to Google for finding this post though
My mother-in-law who is in her 80′s recently received 2 letters from the ‘Unclaimed Prize Rollout’ from the same origin (McIntyre & Dodd)and with the same ‘personal allocation code’ of 603498. She was almost duped into replying until my wife and I stepped in.
This company’s assets should be seized and forfeited under the proceeds of crime legislation.
Come on ‘authorities’………wake up and smell the coffee…….these people are making a mockery of the British Legal Systems and need to be stopped.
I got one of these letters saying had won a prize and i called the premium number which will cost me £9 just to tell me that i had won a digital camera. They then write to you to say that you have to pay £6.50 in order to claim this prize. You’d think that if you win something that you shouldnt have to pay to recieve it. Again big scam tear up your letters when you get them dont be tempted to ring for your prize. Am sorry i ever did but you learn the hard way.
I received a FINAL REMINDER from “Unclaimed Prize Rollout” Anything like this (particularly plastic bags to be filled with clothes or bricabrac) I have learned to check the names on the internet. Thank heavens I did and easily saved myself the hefty phone call cost.
It is sad that we can no longer trust anything that arrives at our homes. These invitations to claim a fictitious prize are bad enough. The fraudulent plastic bag collectors are even worse as they take advantage of our generosity whereas “Unclaimed Prizes” take advantage of public greed.
thank you sam i kind of knew it was a just by what they where charging for a 6 min phone call. thease bastards need to be stopped and soon i work with alot of the older people in this country and i hear this all the time. its about time it all stopped and companys like this should be shut down and the money frozen in their accounts. listen anybody reading this dont make that call. dont send them stamps as that is classed a leagle tender so they will get their money from them just rip it up and put it in the bin. its a massive RIP OFF.
CHRIS
Received my letter yesterday and Just for a moment I was so happy. Then I questioned whether I had done any survey that could have generated this letter. NONE that I could remember. The tv would have been a nice present for my boys room ( they are age 8 and 6). But something stopped me posting the reply. Spotted the web address and thought I would have a peek. The more I read on their site the more uneasy I became. Then I clicked on you link and read some more and my brief elation sank deeper than the Titanic.I had already made the phone call. But at least I was spared the disappointment of waiting for a gift that does not arrive or worse still a cheep nasty one that does. So while I am still a little deflated I am most grateful to have found your page. How do these robbing sods sleep at night knowing they are robbing money from those who can least afford it? They have no conscience, heart or soul, not to mention no morals.I can only hope that one day the same thing will be done unto them, as I am a big believer in “what goes around comes around” and I am a very patient person. Thankyou once again and keep up the excellent work. Yours, a much wiser and grateful mum Paula Shaw
Hi Paula – thanks for your comment. It’s great to hear that you’ve come out of this a bit wiser about these kinds of scams. If you have, then it’s money well spent especially if you can teach your own kids to be a little more aware and cautious about online scams. People like this do it because they can. When I last checked they’d made nearly £15 million from doing this.
I try to show people who fall victim to this scam that it wouldn’t have happened if they’d been a bit more aware and maybe a bit less… hopeful. MacIntyre and Dodd depend on most peoples’ needy side – the deep desire to have something good happen, just for once. They exploit this for profit and they always will so long as there are people thinking.. maybe.. just maybe.
i just got the final reminder seemed real enough until i read further and did some research …thanks for this page we have been had over a few times by these companies maybe the same one under a different name …you would think there would be a law against this kinda stuff but i bet the guy at the top behind it is sat in a big mansion with his bentleys on the driveway and can buy his way out of any lawsuit shows you how corrupt the system is …
Hi Sam i recieved a letter this morning 15th Nov 2010 the fee is now £14-95
i am so glad i found your web site not that i would have sent them any monies ,i just cant tell you how many letters i have recieved and still in my old name and i have been remarried for 17mth now ,
why is it taken so long to bring these people to justice and do like one of your readers said freeze their acounts,
beware readers i have also been recieving letters from abroard the same kind of thing i get so fed up with them i just shred them
yours Brenda
Adrian Williams the chairman of DM PLC was also a director of Olan Mills Limited (the photo studio chain) when it went into administration in 2008. The chain collapsed, closing its 34 stores on Boxing Day 2008, leaving scores of it’s employees jobless and many more customers out of pocket.
Just wanted to tell everyone what the latest is. I made the mistake of sending 2 first class stamps off with code that cost me £6.00 for a digital camera. I never recieved it and felt angry at myself for falling for ploy. They then sent me 4 letters saying i needed to recieve prize with code or lose out. After i took no notice of these letters i had 1 arrive this morning saying they had reallocated prizes and i could win 1 of four just had to send them £14.95 which is delivery and insurance. This is by AWARD WINNERS EXCHANGE PO BOX 37 ROSS ON WYE HR99YL. They will stop at nothing prizes look great but it is still not real.
I keep on getting tempting and official looking letters from the “UK Allocations Office” operating through a PO Box in Ross-on-Wye and, yes, they are engaged in a sharp practice designed to get money from the unwary. Under no circumstances respond to these letters. Responding will cost you – which is what this is all about because this is how they get some if not all of their funding. If you still feel tempted just ask yourself why would anyone want to give you a prize? You’ve not bought a ticket or entered into an activity which might result in a prize. Never forget the old adage – “If It Seems Too Good To Be True – It Probably Is”. Sadly, the people most likely to fall for this sharp practice are generally those least able to afford to loose money. And loose money you will – if you respond.
Haha i still can’t believe these people will stop at nothing! ; )
If i have won a prize and your so desperate for me to claim it then you have my address, send it and if i don’t want it then i will return it minus postage!!
If anyone has to pay up front ( phonecall included ) then it’s a scam, genuine company’s won’t ask you for a penny!! : )
This does seem to be the same scam as UK allocations office the postcode being HR9 9ZU in Ross on Wye
Chris, the postcode on my letter says HR9 9YP. But it is still ross-on-wye. DAMN DAMN DAMN. i really could have done with some cash!!!!!! those stupid telephone surveys! ever since i did one of them they are sending me the letters, i binned the last lot but today i thought hey why not! but then i knew deep down it was a scam!!!
this should be illegal….giving false hope to people!!! and taking all their money with phone calls! its not right!
received my final letter from this UK Allocations Office, again from Ross on Wye, with the name Mcintyre and Dodd attached, previous letters asking me to send the attached form back, with two 1st class stamps, then another letter saying I’d won a camera, telling me to send a cheque of 6.00, I never did. In the first instance I would never ring a number thats going to cost
9 pound’s, rip off in the true sense of the word. Secondly as mentioned in previous e-mails, how are you going to win something that you’ve never entered into. It’s unfortunate that this kind of scam/s cannot be prosecuted, or can they? vulnerable people, especially about this time of the year, will fall into this trap, sending money and helping these monsters to make money. Tempting, very tempted I was though.
OH WHAT PLEASURE I HAD IN SLOWLY TEARING TO SHREDS THE ‘FINAL NOTICE’ LETTER FROM THIS ‘SO REPUTABLE’ COMPANY.
HESITATED BEFORE CHECKING OUT YOUR WEBSITE AND READING THESE COMMENTS. GLAD I DID.
WELL DONE
I’ve won ! I’ve won ! personal allocation code 603498 ?.Damm everyone else has the same code.
Received a final reminder 3 times now,they must be desperate to have a good run before year end.
Problem started when doing survey’s,phone never stops,loads of emails and rubbish through the post from different companies,massive con from a bunch of cowboys.
Everyone’s mentioned the £9 plus £6.50,but dont forget the two loose first class stamps as well,it all adds up.
i got suckered in by them and sent them £6.50 for the insurance for them to send me the camera. What a fool I was these people want exposing for what they are a bunch of low life scumbags and fraudsters. I would be prepared to go on national television and talk about them and expose them for what they are pure scum. Name and shame I say ON TELEVISION AND ALL THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPERS FROM THE SUN TO THE TELEGRAPH AND THE TIMES.
Its funny how there is only two people have good things to say!They are propbably employees of Dodd and Mcintyre!
Good that you didn’t Sharon!
Take note everyone!
Well i to received a letter with unclaimed prize on it i read through and thought did i do a survey but wasn,t absolutely sure either way as had been doing a lot of forms on-line. My husband read it and noticed the price for phoning so i decided to post of for my claim number i was just away to send it back today with the 6.50 but something made me look up mcintyre and dodd and im so glad i did as i definately wont be sending any money off for nothing thanks everyone!!!!
I have received Final Demand 25/11/10 as did not reply to original letter 07/10/10.
Addressed as UNCLAIMED PRIZE ROLLOUT. PO Box 107 Ross-on-Wye Hertfordshire HR9 9YP.
Letter started “Do you recall taking part in a telephone survey? As a result I am pleased to confirm you are now elegible to receive a prize or award.”
I do actually recall doing a telephone survey but can not remember who the survey was for.
I was going to reply by post for Claim Number, with sae which would take 28 days by return. The closing date 31/12/10. I have left it to late for claim number by post.
Thought i would phone instead 09061 580565. Glad I found your site first. However on Mcintyre & Dodd website it does show winners. Are these genunine?
Read all the comments here Mark, then look at their ‘happy winners’. Who do you believe most? And even if they were genuine, you know full well that there will be millions of losers getting nothing of any value for their £15. C’mon – please, stop wanting to believe that there’s something for nothing out there. There isn’t – and you KNOW it.
I’ve been receiving these for a few months now and have just received another one for the Unclaimed Prize rollout – interestingly though they are sending this to my work address which is a government building – so not sure where they got their info from – perhaps I should respond and see how they feel when they try anthing further….. would love response. Of course this will be going in the bin along with the other ones they sent me for shredding but nice try!!! And my one had an even tastier morsel – top prize of £25K – oh please……
And I can spell and use grammar properly but my keyboard can’t! Apologies for the missing text in my last comment.
No worries, Chavvers. Tell your friends NOT to phone their numbers or respond to their ‘prize’ letters!
hi i recived a letter today too i do enter a lot of competitions so i thought this was genuine!! after reading all of these comments so glad i took the time too check out the address
still tempted to send in the post though lol
I’m so glad I’ve found your website. I received a letter yesterday offering “Unclaimed Prize Rollout” and prizes up to L25,000 in cash. Later I spoke to my sister, and she had received the identical letter. We both admitted that for a moment we were excited at the prospect of winning a prize. My sister is 77 years old and luckily had the sense to know it’s a scam, but she lives in Newcastle upon Tyne and I live in Hull. How on earth do these people get our addresses? These people must be stopped, it’s a disgrace in 2011.
This rip off is aimed at people who are hoping to get lucky; people who probably enter a lot of competitions hoping for something to come along. They exploit peoples’ neediness. They’ll carry on doing it too, so long as there are people out there hoping for that lottery win, prize holiday or free lunch.
Read this website with interest and amusement – you’re all correct – it is one big scam, and they probably can’t be prosecuted because, as you say, someone somewhere will have got a prize. But think about it! If none of us answers them, think how much money they have wasted on printing and mail charges!!! Let them keep on trying, just don’t reply. Davis Bracher
Exactly David.
You need no further prove of the scam, tjis just came out on bbc website today. Read for yourself: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12347483
Dude, you bring good news! Thank you. This is good to hear.
Yea Sam, you know what, I just received the letter for the first time in my mail today too, with a big red stamp – “unclaimed prize rollout”, and decided to research it. I came upon this site and read all the interesting comments, some people still wanting to “hope” and “believe”. i final search brought me in contact with the bbc news article and put all doubts to bed. Definitely no response to the letter, to the bin it goes. Thanks, the site was so helpful.
It’s excellent news, I’ve blogged it just now. Many thanks for the heads up.
Guess what? I received letter today …. thank you so much for all this comments..
I 100% trust these people and will be calling them as soon as i finish typing this. Need to be quick though as i have to reply to an email from my new friend in Nigeria who has a business offer for me worth $9 million following the death of his rich uncle who was a general in the army. Then i have to send £100 to Spain as i have won the Spanish lottery, they need a payment from me to allocate the funds.
**PLEASE NOTE** Whats written above is known as sarcasm, I feel I need to explain this as those of you who did not detect it are probably the ones who would call the premium rate number.
I have however just signed up Mcintyre & Dodd to a load of websites who will be posting them plenty of spam mail and am printing a load of address lables to stick on jiffy bags which will be stuffed with various bits of junk including a couple of ‘prizes’ from my dog. Just a shame for them i wont be putting on any stamps.
I received a letter from this company again, asking me call for prize. Fucking fraud company
Sigh. I wish all of this wasn’t true, that I could actually win some money or something. It’s ridiculous. How are they still doing this? What’s worse is because of the economic situation they’re probably scamming way more money out of people. It’s disgusting. Thanks for letting everyone know about this, by the way. It’s helpful x
Hi they are still at it today 9th feb received a letter no visible phone no to ring but the cost has now gone up to £14.95 how are they still doing this with the court ruling or are they trying to get as much in before closing up and moving on to another scam
Hah! Martin – why am I not surprised? I think we should get on to OFT about this. Are you saying that they’ve actually taken the premium line number off? And now just charging £14.95 for.. what? Entry into a draw?
Hi Sam, Just got same letter as Martin above, seems they are trying to raise some more cash to pay their legal costs?
Has this scam ever appeared on Watchdog, I think they would get a huge response from the public and raise the issue even further?
Top effort on this thread, keep up the good work!
Hi Dave – I’m not sure if it’s ever been on Watchdog. Fancy making some calls? I’m kind of busy at the moment, but if you have a moment
I wish I’d found this website before deciding to phone to claim my prize…. I had a letter through today asking for £7.50 for the digital camera I supposedly won which is suppose to be free…I then became suspicious and looked up the company on the internet. Thank God I found this website and after reading all the comments .I shall definately throw all this in the bin..I’m just annoyed with myself for falling for it in the first place and losing £9 for a wasted phone call….
Den, I hope it’s the last £9 you ever waste on these kind of ‘it’s too good to be true’ offers. If it is, then pat yourself on the back because it will be money well spent
The full judgement on McIntyre and Dodd Marketing can be found here:
http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Ch/2011/106.html.
Set aside a few hours to read it, as it’s pretty lengthy!
Outrageous:
“The defendants had, he submitted, been carrying on business strictly in accordance with a carefully negotiated regime of undertakings. If notwithstanding that regime the court was satisfied that the Regulations had nonetheless been infringed, then the defendants as long established and respectable businesses should be trusted to amend their modus operandi without the need for enforcement.”
Meaning:
“The last time you caught us ripping people off and told us to stop using certain words, we did, honest (except we used other words and carried right on ripping people off). How about we do the same again instead of you enforcing a nasty order against us?”
Indeed a fraud. I have done my bit and registered a complaint with consumer direct where I hope the increasing statistics will help address this problem. If you get such a mail, then please do the same and register a complaint with Consumer Direct on their website http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk and oh yeah, just post the letters back to the scammers marked return to sender. Let them deal with their rubbish.
Thanks for the heads up, I’ve received my second letter from this company telling me I’ve won a prize.
I’ve contacted the Consumer Direct website to advise them and also contacted McIntyre & Dodd to get my address taken off their records.
You can do the same here [link to a page on Mcintyre and Dodd's website removed]
Cheers
I’ve removed the link to M&D’s shite new website, Charlotte because I don’t want to give them the benefit of a link from here. Also that page is titled ‘mps’ – implying that filling in the form has something to do with the Mail Protection Scheme. It doesn’t. If you really want to stop them mailing you, contact the MPS directly and register your address.
Address here: http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/mpsr/mps_choosetype.html
Then, complain via MPS if / when M&D mail you again.
just got the letter there now pure SCAM… JUST LIKE PURELY CREATIVE. I WON A HOLIDAY TO TENERIFE WITH THEM BUT THE ONLY THING WAS THAT I HAD TO GET IN NEARLY 5 DIFFERENT AIRPLANES TO GET THERE…. I HATE THESE SCAMMING BASTARDS
Well, i am another one to add to the list…..got the letter in the post thought, hey great my luck has changed! boyf said scam but i gave it a chance, thought, maybe they might ring or send me another letter? Sure enough another letter came….it must be true now surely, they’re saying they’ve had no response?? I haven’t respnded…will I loose my prize…..hmmm research first maybe. AHA YOU BASTARDS YOU ARE A SCAM!!!!! sooooooooooo glad I found you guys……evil humans like this need to swap lives with the poor buggers in the third world and be banned from having bank accounts etc for LIFE being made to live off other peoples rubbish. That 13.5 million should go into hospitals and nurses and schools which are closing instead. Thanks again…I too will be posting the letters back with a great big F**k OFF inside.xxxxx
Thanks very much for link to web site to stop rubbish like this being delivered, i have been inundated with these letters, thankfully i am always suspicious of people trying to give me something i havnt asked for in the first place.
to be told you have won a prize then send you an offer to buy a naff digital camera for £7.50 what a scam McIntyre & Dodd Marketing Ltd want Closing down and ALL of their staff locking up
My wonderful news came from a company called prize rollout in Ross on Wye telling me I had won a wonderful prize. Did I call? Did I hell. I got this fantastic award as a result of a survey I had done. A bit odd really as I never do surveys. Did I claim? Did I hell! In this life if it seems to good to be true, it is. It’s now in the bin with all the other unsolicited mail I get.
just got my first letter from ‘unclaimed prize rollout’ and instantly suspected it.this was due to the fact that the small print just kept repeating itself and that there was no trademark any were. next i noticed it said ”you must be 18 or over” firstly thats bad grammar because it should say ‘entrants must be 18 or over.’ and secondly because i’m only fourteen and yet they still sent it to me? so with nothing else to do i decided to investigate. after searching the address i noticed it was not legit. by now i was sure it was a scam however, i wanted to know more about how it worked and what i could do to stop it. sure enough when i put the address in to google this link was the first thing i saw was links everywhere saying scam this and con that. after reading this article and a fue of its coments i was thinking about going to bed feeling contempt with myself. i had a eurica moment not only is this an interesting mater in which i can relate and talk about when socialising but i have to
produce a talk on something for my GCSE english so there you have it thats why i bothered staying up to comment on forums and make sure my spelings were right. (im survilly dispraxic + dislexic and ADHD. no joke even got sike ed report to prove it).
p.s. this to 1.5h so please appreciate it.
I appreciate it Jack
Now you go and carry the flag to your school mates and help raise awareness of how easy it is to bully and rip people off online. If you do that, maybe a few of your mates will be spared the worry and fear that so many of the people posting here have been forced to feel.
Thanks for your comment!
Received a number of these letters now, 2 last reminders so far. Its actually quite funny looking at the list of winners on the Mcintyre and Dodd website (http://www.mcintyreanddodd.com/winners/) , Im sure alot of them are either from obituaries or are of criminals, some look like they were taken in the 1980s and most dont exactly look that cheerful considering they have just won a prize. Luckily for me I have a wood burning stove and these letters are quite useful, so keep them coming as far as Im concerned, winter is on the way.
I have a large amount of mail from McIntyre&Dodd,I post it back without being franked,written accross in large print scam mail,they must think the public are cretins
Hi Carole lols the problem is that a part of the public clearly ARE cretins – to the tune of £14m of profit from these ‘promotions’. It’s a shame, but it’s true – otherwise they wouldn’t be making so much money. Keep on doing your bit to raise awareness and persuade others NOT to fall for this…
My next post back will be, Please send my £20,000 winnings to help the aged, as they are going to need it with the state of the country
Heh heh.
They’ll probably just cute and paste it onto their testimonials page:
‘Mrs Resplandy of Bognor Regis says: “Please send my £20,000 winnings to help the aged as they are going to need it with the state of the country” ‘
I’m curious about these type of junk mail flyer.
The one I received says you can claim by phone, txt or write. So obviously if you phone or txt you letting yourself in for a big bill. But what if you send vial the mail a stamped addressed envelope for them to tell you what you’ve won and the code number?
Then again by post, mail them the claim form. So far it’d only cost you at most three second class stamps. Or am I missing the point somewhere? If they tell you you’ve won the TV or the car do they then charge you loads to deliver it to you? Interested to hear your thoughts.
Hi Phil – give it try and tell us step by step how much you lose (in addition to more than £1 worth of stamps!). You’re giving them hard currency when you give them stamps remember.
Thank you for the email,these people should be piddled on from a great height,or at least flogged in public for all the worry they have caused some people.I did get a DIGITAL CAMERA.VGA(640X480)PIXELS which I would be ashamed to give to a child, as the modern child is too sophisticated for such tat, there was no name on the package so perhaps it was from those scum bags ?
I have read through lots of the comments and had a really good laugh,when are you writing the TV series as I am sure it would have a wide audience.need to get a good script writer, the inside story, then how the public react to the mail, informing them of their winnings. Paul Whitehouse would be great.
I would LOVE Paul Whitehouse to play the part of Adrian Wiliams. Maybe Steve Coogan?