Dear Editor,
In November 2019 Digicel advertised its Christmas Shopping Spree. I received numerous SMS indicating “be 1 of 6 players with the highest points to win a share of $1.5M in Digicel’s XMAS Supermarket Sweep. Text XMAS to 1144 for a chance to win”. From this message one can assume that $1.5M is up for grabs and if there will be 6 winners then each winner would/should have a chance at $250,000. I also sent several messages to Digicel’s Facebook page and was informed that once you are among the top 6 persons you automatically win $100,000. So, if there are 6 persons then that will be $600,000, thus leaving a further $900,000 to be won based on what was advertised. The responses from Digicel further indicated that the 6 winners will have a chance to shake and win additional sums up to a total of $900,000 collectively on the day of the shopping spree.
With the above news in hand I then decided to try my hand at the promotion. I texted and texted and topped up and texted and texted and topped up and topped up and texted…you get the picture. Guess what, I was one of the top 6. I was so very much excited to now get a chance at the shopping spree. I knew I had already won $100,000 and was expecting a shot at getting a further $150,000 on the day of the shopping spree.
The morning of December 23 I woke up early, laced up my boots and headed down to the Bounty Supermarket on Regent Street and Orange Walk all excited to take part in the shopping spree.
The 6 winners were there. We were told that we had won $100,000 each and would have a chance to “shake and win” an additional sum. I was so excited and was hoping to win another $150,000 on top of the $100,000.
What I noticed was that the additional sum given to the contestant was only $350,000 and not $900,000. Now hear this, there were 6 envelopes in a bag which was shaken, and every contestant took one envelope. When the envelopes were opened the sums were 3 x $50,000 = $150,000, 1 x $55,000, 1 x $65,000 and 1 x $80,000. A quick calculation will tell you that this was only $350,000. Thus, in total the contestants would have an opportunity to shop up to $600,000 + $350,000 = $950,000. What happened to the other $550,000 to take you to the $1.5M that was advertised? When asked, the Digicel representatives just gazed at you and didn’t provide an answer.
Nevertheless, I hustled and bustled up and down the aisles and was quite pleased with what I had tossed into my cart. When I arrived at the cashier to total up the items I had in my cart, I was told I was well above my limit and had to put back a significant number of items. This was the case for most of the contestants, since they could have only shopped up to $50,000, $55,000, $65,000 and the maximum $80,000.
While I am very thankful to Digicel for what I was able to take away on December 23, I am truly disappointed that the contestants were never given the opportunity at the $1.5M as advertised. At this time of the year I think that Digicel being a corporate citizen of our Dear and Beautiful Guyana should be fair and give the contestants an opportunity at what was advertised. I would have been satisfied if there were envelopes in the bag that were equal to or above $150,000 that were not selected rather than all the envelopes being selected and the total being well below what was promised in the promotion.
I appeal to Digicel to make things right and reach out to the 6 contestants so that they can be given an opportunity at what was advertised.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address supplied)
