GENERAL QUERIES

Q. When I dial the claims hotline all I hear is a continuous tone after the prefix 0906 (UK) or 1580 (ROI).

A. This means you have call barring, which prevents you from calling any premium rate number. The vast majority of mobile and business telephones have automatic call barring. It can be lifted from a mobile by contacting your network operator, but be aware that premium rate calls may be more expensive as the tariff is set by the network, not by the service provider.

If you have call barring on your home telephone you’ll need to contact your network operator and ask for it to be removed. Call barring will affect home phones either because the bill payer has requested the service or because the telephone company has automatically installed call barring on the line. This is often the case with smaller cable companies but they will remove it on request.

Please note that call barring can only be lifted by the person who pays the bill. There is no charge for removing this service.

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Q. Can I obtain a personal claim number via email?

A. No. There are three ways to obtain a personal claim number: by calling the claimline, by text or by post.

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Q. The operator says that the line does not exist.

A. The telephone lines used on our promotions are not permanent listed numbers and are in use only for the duration of the promotion. As a result, network operators occasionally inform callers that the number does not exist.

If you have problems getting through to the hotline please contact our Customer Services team who will be able to advise you further.

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Q. Why has it cost me more than stated on the card to call the hotline from a public telephone?

A. The cost information printed on all gamecards applies only to domestic telephones. Unfortunately public telephones, both coin and card operated, are usually set at a higher tariff than domestic telephones. Purely Creative has no control over these tariffs and the call cost information on our promotions advises against using public telephones to access the claims hotline.

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Q. When I called the hotline, the person on the telephone line wouldn’t stop talking long enough for me to speak.

A. The hotline is a recorded message, not a live one to one service. All relevant prize and claim information is covered in the recorded message.

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Q. The gamecard I received is exactly the same as the one my neighbour has. How can anyone win if all the cards are exactly the same?

A. During the course of a single Purely Creative promotion over 200 variations of the gamecard are circulated, including all the cards upon which the major prize winning combinations are printed.

It is not possible to print every single card individually, therefore it is inevitable that cards from the same print run will be duplicated. However, this does not affect anyone’s chances of obtaining a major prize winning card, as these are randomly distributed.

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Q. I sent in a card to claim my prize but I didn’t receive anything.

A. There are a number of possible reasons for this:

• You may not have enclosed a stamp with your entry as requested, so we were unable to process your claim.
• You have not entered your personal claim number or you have entered an invalid number in the claim number box. In either case we would be unable to process your claim.
• You have not allowed for the 28 day processing period between submission of your claim and receipt of your prize.
• Your entry or prize may have been mislaid in the postal system.

If you haven’t heard anything about your prize after twenty-eight days please contact Customer Services. You will need to give them your name, address, details of the promotion you played and of the prize you claimed.

Customer Services can be contacted on:
08700 500 755 - if calling from the UK
1890 927 657 - if calling from the Republic of Ireland

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Q. I can’t find the hotline number.

A. The hotline number appears within the winning message on your card or ticket. The printed message will also contain your winning password or symbol which determines which prize is yours to claim.

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Q. Do I need to keep a copy of my card?

A. Yes, if possible for your own peace of mind. We advise people to photocopy both sides of a winning ticket or card before sending it in. This allows you to keep a record of the promotion and, should you have a query, helps Customer Services find your details quickly.

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Q. I live in the UK but am on holiday. I have tried to call the hotline but can’t get through.

A. You can only ring the hotline from the UK so you will have to wait until you return from holiday to play. If you are out of the country for a long period of time you can ask someone you know in the UK to participate on your behalf.

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MOBILE SMS QUERIES

If you need to contact Customer Services with an SMS query please have your mobile number and gamecard to hand.

Q. How do I participate using a mobile phone?

A. If you want to play by text, full instructions are given in the winning message. Playing by text is very quick and easy. You will find a code (such as LIFE33) printed in the message on your ticket or card. Text this code to the 5 digit number shown (usually 84228). You will then receive a series of short text messages giving the winning passwords for each prize available, plus your claim number and entry instructions.

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Q. How much does it cost to play the game by text?

A. All SMS costs will be stated clearly on the promotional material. Please note that not all of our promotions have an SMS entry route.

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Q. I entered by SMS and sent my text message but haven’t had a reply/ I have received a text saying my code is not recognised.

A. There are a number of reasons for a lack of reply or failed text messages:

• Incorrect Entry: you may have entered the competition incorrectly. When playing by text you must follow the instructions on the promotion and write the text exactly as it is printed. Do not enter any other information (such as the entire winning message), and do not insert a space between any of the characters or the message may fail.
• Credit: if you have a ‘pay as you go’ phone you must have enough credit to play the game in full. You will receive a message if you don’t have enough credit. Some ‘pay as you go’ customers are prevented by the network from receiving texts if they have no credit at all.
• Network Delays: all networks occasionally experience delays. These delays can be up to two hours, and in exceptional circumstances up to twenty-four hours.

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Q. Can I play by SMS in the Republic of Ireland?

A. At the moment an SMS entry route is only available on our promotions within the UK.

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PRIZE QUERIES

Q. I’ve won a free holiday on one of your promotions. Can I have a cash alternative instead?

A. Unless otherwise stated on the promotion or the claim line, cash alternatives are not offered. The majority of holiday prizes are purchased in advance of the promotion launch so it is not possible to award a cash alternative.

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Q. Is the holiday really ‘free’?

A. Yes the holiday is free - full details of what’s included will be stated on the holiday voucher, and the travel company will be able to answer any holiday-related questions you may have. Purely Creative cannot answer questions directly related to the free holiday or upgrade holidays, but if you do have any questions or problems in relation to the holiday or the appointed travel agent our Customer Services team will contact them on your behalf.

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Q. Why do some awards require a 'secure delivery' payment?

A. Some of the awards listed on a Purely Creative promotion require a secure delivery payment which guarantees that you will receive your award in perfect condition irrespective of unforeseen events outside our control, such as postal delays, misdirection, loss or no-one being available to sign for the award when it arrives! The charge covers shipment direct to any UK address plus delivery insurance - which means that if for any reason you don't receive your award or if the item has been damaged in any way we will happily replace it free of charge, immediately and without any fuss. Delivery/insurance charges range from £4.99 to £12.87 dependant on which award you’re claiming. For example, if you are claiming a digital camera there will be an insured delivery charge of £6.50 which guarantees you'll receive your digital camera in pristine condition and complete with USB cable, software CD and user manual.

Please refer to the rules on the promotional gamecard or wallet for any applicable delivery charges. Please also note that if for any reason you don't want to keep the award you've received you can simply return it to Purely Creative within 90 days for a full refund of any delivery and insurance costs incurred .

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Q. Do the big prizes really exist?

A. Yes they do. The big prizewinning gamecards (including those worth one million pounds!) are distributed under secure conditions in the presence of independent insurance witnesses. If a prize is advertised, it’s definitely out there to be claimed. Please also note that the prizes advertised on any one competition relate to that competition only, and not to lots of different promotions. A brand new set of high value prizes is allocated to each and every Purely Creative campaign.

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Q. Has anyone actually won a major prize?

A. Yes they have. Major prizes are awarded frequently, from cars and luxury holidays to big cash awards of up to £1 Million.

For more information on winners, visit our winners section. Alternatively, you can contact Customer Services and request a copy of the winners list.

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Q.What are the 'free' holidays really like?

A. Click here to read about some of our customers' recent holiday experiences...

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