Click on one of the questions below to see the answer.
If you still need help, please feel free to contact us.
General Queries
- Q. Why has it cost me more than stated on the card to call the prize information line from a public telephone?
- A. The cost information printed on all mailings applies to domestic telephones based on the call being made from a BT landline. Unfortunately public telephones, both coin and card operated, are usually set at a higher tariff than domestic telephones. Strike Lucky Games has no control over these tariffs and the call cost information on our promotions advises that call costs may vary.
- Q. How can I find out what I'm due to receive?
- A. There are 3 ways to find out your entitlement once you have revealed the numbers or symbols on your card or letter: You can call the premium rate number shown (it starts '0906'), or you can text our information service, by sending the word provided (e.g. SAND) to the 5-digit number given (usually '84228'), or you can write to us at Dept VC, PO Box 29, Ross-on-Wye, HR9 9WZ, enclosing your name, address, details of the promotion you played and what symbols or numbers you have revealed.
- Q. I can’t find the prize information line number.
- A. The prize information line number appears within the main message on your card, under the latex cover on your gamecard or in the "Contact" section of your letter. It starts with '0906'. The printed information will also contain symbols or numbers, which determine the prize or award you are entitled to claim.
- Q. I can’t get through to the prize information line.
- A. It could be that the phone you are using has 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 only the person who pays the bill can lift call barring. There is no charge for removing this service. - Q. I don’t want you to pass my details to other companies. How can I have my address details removed?
- A. Either write to us, or use the link provided on our ‘Contact’ page to email us. Telephone requests will not be accepted.
- Q. I live in the UK but am on holiday. I have tried to call the prize information line but can’t get through.
- A. You can only ring the prize information line 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.
- Q. I sent in a claim form but I didn’t receive anything.
- A. There are a number of possible reasons for this:
• You may not have enclosed a stamped self addressed envelope or two loose first class stamps with your entry as requested, so we were unable to process your claim.
• You have not entered your claim number or you have entered an invalid number on the claim form. 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 or award.
• Your entry, prize or award may have been mislaid in the postal system.
If you haven’t heard anything about your prize or award after twenty-eight days, please contact Customer Services, either by phone or by post. You will need to give them your name, address, details of the promotion you played and the award or prize you claimed. We are unable to respond to email requests.
Customer Services can be contacted on: 01989 769292
- 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 promotion hundreds of 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. - Q. The operator says that the prize information 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 claim line please contact our Customer Services team who will be able to advise you further or email us. - Q. When I called the prize information line, the person on the telephone line wouldn’t stop talking long enough for me to speak.
- A. The prize information line is a recorded message, not a live one to one service. All relevant prize, award and claim information is covered in the recorded message.
Mobile SMS Queries
If you need to contact Customer Services with an SMS query please have your mobile number and game card or letter 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 main message on your card, under the latex cover on your gamecard or in the "Contact" section of your letter. Playing by text is quick and easy. You can text our information service, by sending the word provided (e.g. SAND) to the 5-digit number given (usually ‘84228’). You will then receive 6 texts back giving all the symbol or number combinations and the prizes or awards they relate to, plus entry instructions.
- 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.
- 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.
- • 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.
Prize and Award Queries
- Q. Can I have a cash alternative instead of my allocated award?
- A. Unless otherwise stated on the game card, letter or the claim line, cash alternatives are not offered.
- Q. Do I have a better chance of winning if I phone first?
- A. No. The prize you win or award you will receive is determined by the symbols or numbers on your gamecard or letter. Playing by post does not reduce your chance of winning, but please do ensure that you enclose a stamped self-addressed envelope or two loose first class stamps with your entry coupon or your entry will be declared void.
- Q. Do the big prizes really exist?
- A. Yes they do. The winning cards, letters or gamecards are randomly inserted into the main stock, which is distributed throughout the UK. If a prize is advertised it is definitely out there to be claimed and in the quantities shown. If all prizes are not claimed by the closing date of the competition, an independent judge may make a further random draw from all valid entries received during the promotion. Please note that the prizes and awards are all allocated within each different themed promotions.
- Q. Has anyone actually won a major prize?
- A. Yes they have. Major prizes are awarded frequently, from televisions, home improvements, money and many, many more.
For more information on winners, visit our winner’s section.
