I think this is bad. Al Fresco holidays ran a competition where they asked you to write a blog post about your best holiday ever. Forty-nine bloggers did. Al Fresco picked a winner. I thought the winning post was good. I didn't think any more about it, until I scrolled down and read a comment that said:
"The winner’s post was very good, but it was more than twice as long as the stated word limit. A 1000 word post is going to be very different to a 500 word one. Was wondering why there wasn’t a level playing field for such a great prize?"
Good point. I went back to the competition launch, and checked what it said:
"Your post should be no longer than 500 words and try to include a picture or two to bring it to life."
Well, Al Fresco thought about it, and said:
"The competition copy suggested the word count, and wasn’t a stated rule, but a suggested length.
All the competition entries were judged on a number of criteria, including length, but also quality of writing, humour, and style – and overall, Inside The Wendy House was the best performing post."
Hm. Tread carefully, Al Fresco holidays. We bloggers are writers. We choose our words attentively. We don't play fast and loose with them. To me "your post should be no longer than 500 words" means that your post shouldn't be longer than 500 words. If the winning post had been 510 words, that's one thing. But 1,000 words? Twice as long?
So why am I posting about this? Of course it sounds a bit sour-grapesy, because I didn't win. (But I knew I wasn't going to, didn't I? I posted a photo of a baby with a beer can for heaven's sake.) I just think that Al Fresco should fess up to having made a mistake - it happens, we're all human - and try a bit harder to make things right, rather than squirm out on a technicality. The company received a lot of publicity from the competition, publicity which depended on the effort of bloggers who were playing by the rules. Where's your good will and sense of fair play, Al Fresco?
I would say this. If you are booking with Al Fresco this summer, do read the terms and conditions very carefully.
If you want to read the story so far, it's in the comments here. And if you want to see the competition rules - sorry, "suggestions" - in the context in which they appeared, you can see them here. But life is short, so I wouldn't bother if I were you. Seriously. Go and spend some time with your kids instead. I just feel the need to back up what I've said.
This is a simple, straightforward case of unfairness. Who knows, maybe they decided that there would be no prize for the winner? If people say what they don't mean it creates all sorts of problems.
ReplyDeleteIt states it should be 500 words of under. Hmm, if only all suggestions were worded as firmly!
ReplyDeleteThat's a clear misrepresentation of English semantics or maybe misunderstanding on their part "Your entry should be no longer than 500 words" Cdn't be clearer. How on earth else can you interpret NO LONGER THAN & "SHOULD" meaning to express obligation, duty or expectation.
ReplyDeleteOoh this sort of thing REALLY annoys me. I bet Al Fresco are loving all the bad publicity, they've at a stroke just alienated the very group they were targetting...Well done Iota for flagging this up.
Hi Paradise
ReplyDeleteI suppose they didn't say "your post MUST be no longer than 500 words", but I really think that's a technicality. The intention was clear.
Are they taking a lesson from Clinton "depends on what your definition of the word 'is' is"? It depends on what your definition of the word 'should' is? Hmm - definitely makes me NOT want to book a holiday with them - who knows how they will choose to interpret their terms and conditions?!! (Oh and I notice they said "Al Fresco has the right to withdraw the competition at any time" anyway so there was never any guarantee they were going to play fair!)
ReplyDeleteI've gone right off them because of this. If the winner's post had been a few words too long, I don't suppose anyone would have minded that much, but more than twice the word limit is ridiculous. It's difficult to see how you can compare all those things: humour, style, etc. when one person is doing it with twice the number of words as everyone else.
ReplyDeleteTo say that the word limit was only a suggestion is ridiculous, it's very clear that they were after a 500 word or less post.
I notice they're running another writing competition for children. I wonder if they will play fair on that one? They clearly didn't on this one. Sort yourselves out Thomson.
ReplyDeleteThat does seem unfair. After all, there is a big difference between a 1,000 word post and a 500 word post, and arguably the shorter ones are much harder to write well. Well done you for flagging it up.
ReplyDeleteHi Iota
ReplyDeleteThanks to you and everyone who has flagged this to us.
Tots100 wasn't involved in setting the question for this competition, or judging the winner, but I can absolutely see where the confusion has arisen and why people would interpret "should be" as being a part of the competition rules.
Rest assured, we've been in regular contact with Al Fresco Holidays and we are very keen to address the concerns. I'm confident we'll have a fair solution that will make everyone happy in the next day or so.
Thanks again
Sally
Tots100
Are you running for office any time soon? Or perhaps heading up a watch dog? Good job.
ReplyDeleteNext time I need to call a customer service dept. can I outsource the call to you?
ReplyDeleteHi Iota,
ReplyDeleteWe're really sorry you're disappointed with the result of this competition and we totally understand your post is not sour grapes. The word count was intended to be a guideline, but we do see how it could have been ambiguous so thanks for raising it.
As we said in our previous reply there were other criteria other than word count which decided the winner – style, tone, pictures, content and ultimately the blog that made us want to go on holiday the most.
The quality of so many of the entries was incredible, and a lot also went over the word count - which made judging such a tough task.
You're not the only person to bring this to our attention, so to try and make things right we think the nicest thing we can do is offer another holiday as a prize from all the other entries. Keep an eye on Tots 100 for this announcement.
Don't forget, there are also 10 runners up in the competition who will all receive beach packs. In addition to this we'll be sending out beach bags to all 49 entrants as a thank you for their entries.
Absolutley right to point this out. It has put me right off them and I will be exceedingly wary of their T&C. Comapnies/marketeers/PRs really do need to wake up and stop trying to pull teh wool over people's eyes. We're not stupid and we have long memories!
ReplyDeletebut I do have a spelling problem.....:)
ReplyDeleteThat's ridiculous! Whoever ran that competition ought to be sacked! Or sued? When I worked for the library service back in the UK, we used to have to include all sorts of legal jargon with competitions, even if it was just a simple quiz. I really do think it's outrageous, like you say, 10 or 20 words over is okay. But a 1000 word article in a 500 word competition - it should have been ejected at the first stage, no matter how good it was!
ReplyDeleteOMG, they're going to give you something gifty as compensation, then hope that you stop moaning. Honestly. WRONG. Give that company some cauliflower cheese.
ReplyDeleteState the rules, then expect everyone to comply. No wonder we're going to the dogs.
Ahhh... this reminds me of a more political situation here in the US, during our recent controversy over Planned Parenthood. Senator Kyl, from Arizona, made some outrageously inaccurate statements about Planned Parenthood, and when he was challenged, his office released a statement that his remarks "were not meant to be factual statements"!! I suppose you were supposed to differentiate between mere suggestions and actual rules -- perhaps it was a clue that some were in bold type and others weren't??
ReplyDeletedoes seem very unfair
ReplyDeleteRules is rules and the wording is fairly obvious - and as you say, one to check the T&Cs with in the future... big ooops for whoever ran the competition but hopefully they'll have learnt from it
ReplyDeleteThis is quite unbelievable. Especially the fact that they are using this blog post to market their 'beach packs'. What's in there, I wonder? Thomson branded plastic gear?
ReplyDeleteSome people just don't get that sometimes it's best to step up and apologise, admitting that they majorly screwed up.