A property firm has hit back at claims that a raffle to win a cottage in Carnoustie was a “scam”.
Jennifer Oliver, who runs Oliver Shaw with her dad John Shaw, launched the competition giving participants the chance to win the £265,000 Barry Road property in time for Christmas.
Tickets for the online draw were sold for £5 each.
However, Jennifer said that if not enough tickets were sold to give away the cottage, the winner would receive a cash alternative – with some of the proceeds also going to charity.
Property firm responds to Carnoustie cottage ‘scam’ claims
After Carnoustie man Greg Beattie was announced as the winner during the draw on Sunday, several people took to social media – and contacted The Courier – to raise concerns.
Some said they believed the winner was a relative or close friend of Jennifer’s and others branded it a “scam”.
A number of participants said they had contacted their banks asking for payments for the tickets to be refunded.
However, when contacted by The Courier, no one who had expressed their concerns wanted to go on the record with their comments.
Greg, and the charities set to benefit – Bladder Cancer Scotland, For the Love of a Child and Gymology – all told The Courier they had either received or were due to receive the money.
Organiser Jennifer said the winner was picked at random by the online platform hosting the draw.
She said: “We are deeply disappointed with a few comments on our raffle, and they are simply untrue.
“The donations to worthy charities and the administrative costs mean that this is a no-profit campaign for us.
“We used a reputable firm with excellent reviews, made sure that all was legal and proper, and put a huge effort into maximising sales so that the house could be won.
“Conditions of entry meant that no family members could enter, and while the eventual winner is known to us, he is neither a close friend nor a family member.
“The result of the raffle is that worthy charities have received a boost of £23,000 and a family has received a Christmas windfall of almost £45,000 – this at least mitigates the sadness caused by a few scurrilous comments.”
‘We had no involvement in the selection of the winner’
In a statement on Facebook, she added: “We restored the cottage over a long period and as it had not yet sold, we felt it would be a wonderful thing if someone could win it on the lead-up to Christmas.
“We know a lot of people struggle to purchase property and felt it could be a fantastic prize.
“We had no involvement whatsoever in the selection of the winner or in any aspect of that process.
“We were notified of the winner at the same time as everyone else.”
Raffal, the online platform used, says on its website that “hosts have no control over the draws, and all ticket revenue is securely held until the winners confirm receipt of their prizes”.
Conversation