Omaze: what's the scam?

[DealorNoDeal]

Keep seeing their ads on TV. They claim the prize draw is free to enter.

They're giving away million pound houses and luxury cars. They also donate to charity. And the TV ads must be costing a fair bit. Where's all the money coming from?

I don't know if it's true or not but I heard that it came from America.

[ladymuck]

They're not free to enter. You have to "make a donation" to whatever charity the prize draw is raising funds for.

The winner does actually get the prize that has been advertised but cavet emptor and all that:

https://metro.co.uk/2021/06/23/oxfor...oods-14818807/

[Fraidycat]

The website has a link to enter each prize draw for free if you don't want to donate to the charity.

The rules also state that free entries stand just as much chance of winning as someone who donates.

Based on reading the rules there doesn't seem to an obvious catch or scam.

If you never hand over any money or credit card details, how can you get scammed?

[DealorNoDeal]

Based on reading the rules there doesn't seem to an obvious catch or scam.

If you never hand over any money or credit card details, how can you get scammed?

Presumably you have to give them quite a bit of personal data to enter the draw. Can they be trusted with that I wonder?

[Eirikur]

Their money making model is that they hardly give anything to charity (in total about 15% of what you give them) All the rest is for "marketing" cost

[ladymuck]

Presumably you have to give them quite a bit of personal data to enter the draw. Can they be trusted with that I wonder?

Can any company be trusted? You have to take a punt on that with pretty much everything you do these days

[ns1]

Presumably you have to give them quite a bit of personal data to enter the draw.

That's what's in it for them.

It probably says quite a bit about people's "susceptibility" if they sign up for something like this, and Omaze end up with a big database of these people.

[Mordac]

That's what's in it for them.

It probably says quite a bit about people's "susceptibility" if they sign up for something like this, and Omaze end up with a big database of these people.

What is the value of a database full of gullible idiots, I wonder?

[OwlHoot]

What is the value of a database full of gullible idiots, I wonder?

The Labour Party will pay a fortune for it, to circulate their election campaign literature!

[Fraidycat]

I was looking at the .com website, which had free website based entry.

But the uk site seems to want postal entries if you want a 'free entry' into the draw, cant do it on the website.

You can only get one free entry per letter/postcard.

Therefore it will cost you 66p (second class), for each entry + plus the hassle of posting a letter (who does that anymore)

The website costs the same (66p per entry) except they get the money instead of the royal mail getting it.