Chinese Auctions - false advertising?

amother

Ivory

Wed, Mar 07 2018, 9:07 pm

Like a first pair of shoes in a local shoe store in Lakewood. My baby is on his fifth pair:) I called to ask if I can use towards purchasing shoes and they were very nasty about it. So I'm looking to find someone who would buy it for a cheap price....

enneamom

Wed, Mar 07 2018, 9:29 pm

amother wrote:

I don't understand. Why do they have to know that it's his fifth pair?

justmarried

Mon, Mar 12 2018, 8:50 pm

My mother has a business and she gives money to a few auctions every year. Usually its a $1,000 gift card to each place. It's worth it for her cuz she can claim it as charity on her tax return. And its also advertising - many people read the auction booklets. Most prizes are donated, so therefore it does not cost the organization anything. And they def made more than $1k on that prize. She treats all customers the same, but sometimes has promotions and always charges the winner full price. They don't need a discount on top of the free gift card.

I know a few people who won prizes. I even won a couch once (that I didnt need - why can't I win the good stuff?!) One friend won $20,000. And like others mentioned, many organizations call some of the winners live.

amother

Navy

Mon, Mar 12 2018, 8:59 pm

I've won a few smaller prizes. Twice I won a collection of CDs/DVDs that we took home right after the event. Once I won a set of folding chairs, however, the lovely padded set shown in the catalog wasn't even purchased. Instead we were told to pick out our own set within a certain price range and we'd be reimbursed!!

Another time a child won a gift card to a store but the organization ended up giving cash instead.

Seems to me that many organizations advertise prizes that they don't exactly have locked in at the time of the auction. Maybe they hope if it's enough of a hassle the winner will just say forget it.

amother

Aqua

Mon, Mar 12 2018, 9:16 pm

I've won a few times, some better than others. The gift certificates to big box stores were easier to use than frum stores.
I once won restaurant gift certificates, one place claimed they never donated and wouldn't honor! I was mortified!
once in a frum store, they made sure to tell me that I have to pay taxes, made me feel guilty for using, on the other hand, Costco was great, was a gift card, not personal.

naturalmom5

Mon, Mar 12 2018, 10:01 pm

watergirl wrote:

I know a number of women who’ve won sheitels, they go the sheitel macher to claim the prize, the lady is super nice to them - and then when they went to pay with the prize card (or however they arraigned payment), the women were all told that the prize only entitles them to a choice of a handful of subpar wigs - probably that she couldnt sell. All knotty and gross.

I’ve also heard people had to fight for their prizes, or like Squishy said, it was totally misrepresented.

Why aren't there hugs in this thread
This post deserves a hug...

watergirl

Mon, Mar 12 2018, 10:04 pm

naturalmom5 wrote:

Why aren't there hugs in this thread
This post deserves a hug...

Ah, the passive aggressivs hug. Its the thought that counts.

watergirl

Mon, Mar 12 2018, 10:29 pm

naturalmom5 wrote:

No it was a real hug.. Having to fight for a prize and still talking about it.. Hug

Wasnt me. I’ve never won, I hardly enter, and I dont wear sheitels Smile

amother

Lemon

Mon, Mar 12 2018, 10:31 pm

I've won a range of prizes- gift cards, iPad, wash and set. The wash and set was the worst, the shaitel macher made all kinds of excuses once she realized I was using my prize, and it just wasn't worth dealing with her so I gave up. Happens to be that I had been a paying customer before that experience, but I haven't used her since, and probably no longer will.

amother

Ecru

Tue, Mar 13 2018, 3:25 am

My mother won 10,000$ or 20,000$ (I cant remember right now), about 5 years ago in the aleph institute auction.

I won a few smaller prizes in school (cant remember which) auction.

amother

Khaki

Tue, Mar 13 2018, 6:47 am

For these reasons I never donate to auctions. It's disgusting of how things get handled that I simply ignore all auctions. If I want to give tzedaka I give otherwise I don't

amother

Wine

Tue, Mar 13 2018, 10:58 am

My friend won a grand prize from one of the popular organizations... she was given 1/3 of the value of the promised prize...

amother

Azure

Tue, Mar 13 2018, 11:10 am

Years ago I volunteered at an ATIME auction, and they gave me some free entry tickets to prizes. I knew a certain Kallah who really needed it, and as I put my ticket into the kitchen package, I said Hashem if I win this goes to this Kallah.

I couldn't believe it when I got the call the next day that I won. I was so happy to pass this on to her, it gave her such chizzuk. It was such a generous package, too, with the best of everything - bosch mixer, food processor, baking pans, even great-quality kitchen towels, to name just a few things in the package. There was even a box of Baker's Choice ingredients. I actually don't think the advertisement picture did it justice!

Hashem obviously wanted her to have all these items to set up her home.

happyone

Tue, Mar 13 2018, 11:17 am

An acquaintance I know won a complete bedroom set. For the most part they are real. I always say my Chinese auction contributions are true tzedaka cuz noone in my family or extended famik y have ever won anything. We gotta work darn hard for anything in life . No free rides Smile

Chayalle

Tue, Mar 13 2018, 11:24 am

I have to chuckle reading the OP, as in my head I'm hearing my kids imitate the calls we get on a regular basis (spelling here is intentional):

YOU CAN BE DE LUCKY VINNER! FIFDY TOUSAND DOLLARS! PRESS VON NOW TO VIN DE GRAND PRIZE!!! DATS FIFDY TOUSAND DOLLARS!

pesek zman

Tue, Mar 13 2018, 11:33 am

I've won BH many times over the years, I give all my tzedakah to Chinese auctions and the Internet helps find organizations that aren't local to me. Some organization are easier to claim from than others. I once had a tough time claiming a prize (took 3 months of back and forth) but got it in the end.

southernbubby

Tue, Mar 13 2018, 12:22 pm

I get all of these prize booklets from non-local organizations. When I have looked at the winners, it appeared to me that most if not all winners were people who attended the event, even though these auctions make it possible to enter online and not attend the event.

My husband felt that entering these contests just gave false hope and it was better to simply send a small donation since we are not halachically obligated to support causes in other cities.