Hidden competition rules that you really need to know about before choosing your purchase

We usually purchase a Multi V juice once a week during our weekly grocery shop. Last week a sticky label appeared attached to the bottle for a competition. Apparently if you purchase two bottles of the stuff you gain an entry. So we did our usual single bottle purchase and decided we’d enter the competition after our next purchase the following week.

So today I took the sticky labels off both bottles and on the sticky side were printed the terms and conditions and how to enter the competition. What the competition sticker failed to mention on the side that’s visible from the shelf is that you needed to purchase both bottles in the same transaction. There’s absolutely no way to know this until you get the bottle home and actually peel the sticky label away and discover the terms and conditions hiding underneath.

So it turns out we can’t enter the competition even though we followed the visible instructions and purchased two bottles of the stuff. No big deal for me as we already purchase the product anyway, but what about the shopper who’s trying to choose what juice to buy and then comes across the sticky label stating that you can enter this wonderful competition after you’ve bought two bottles, and then decides to do the same as us and purchase one bottle this week and one bottle next week in order to enter the competition?

After two weeks they’ve made their purchases after being swayed by the inviting sticky competition label only to discover that they’re not actually eligible to enter because it didn’t state anywhere visibly that you had to purchase both bottles at the same time.

Surely T&Cs should be visible from the bottle as it sits on the supermarket shelf if it’s vital that you follow strict purchasing instructions before you can enter. Anyone who’s just purchased two bottles over a two week period will now need to purchase a further two more bottles if they still wish to enter the competition.

They surely don’t expect customers to peel the label away from the bottle to read the T&Cs printed on the sticky side before they make their purchase?

As you can see in the picture, it says T&Cs are on the reverse of the label, which I’ve just noticed, also covers up the juice’s expiry date.

Thoughts?

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You are so right Vince. The label clearly states “simply buy two…”. It does not say anything about needing to buy in one transaction.

I would call that deceptive advertising!

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I really don’t know why people even buy bottled juice. Most of it I reconstituted, not fresh and has very little, if any, nutritional value. I’ve read that after about 30 minutes of juice squeezed into a glass loses most of it healthy properties.

We buy it because we like the taste and it’s refreshing and it’s convenient. If others choose not to buy it that’s their decision the same as it’s our decision to purchase Multi V juice regardless of what others think about our choice.

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Caz. I think it would be polite to comment on the topic in hand. The buying habits are not the concern here. If you would like to start a conversation regarding nutrition then please do.

The point in hand is correct and the misleading advertising on the label is justified.

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You’re quite correct. I digressed. I agree with the comments. Everything these days seems to be a scam.

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You are lucky I think.
I guess they would have wanted an email address D.O.B and such like from you so they can add you to a data base to be on sold etc lots of junk email.
I have been caught . So I no longer enter competitions

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I agree with trevor3. These sorts of competitions are really ways to increase their database with your details. More marketing is likely to follow - you will have agreed to receive it in the terms and conditions of the competition. So it was a lucky escape.
Having said that, I also agree that it was totally misleading to say ‘simply buy any two…’ What about reporting them to ACCC?

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Thanks caz, graceful save

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Sounds like first world problems to me. They have done nothing wrong

Indeed, it is a first world issue and of very minor impact. However, we live in the first world. The competition was not promoted correctly. The data would almost certainly have gone into a marketing database and the entry would have required answers to all sorts of questions about shopping habits and product preferences. So better off not having qualified.

This is a Choice forum and it’s about consumer choices and discussing issues concerning false advertising, shonky brands, and general consumer rip offs

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Absolutely correct NubglummerySnr, and you are totally justified in your post, and I applaud you for doing so. This forum is to help and assist the consumer in their purchasing habits, and I certainly appreciate your post and the fact that you are educating and warning other shoppers of this advertising deception.
Keep up the good work!

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