Taco Bell: PS Vita given away every 15 mins! GOTCHA! LOL!

[Vulpes Abnocto]

The Taco Bell ad says there’s a winner every 15 minutes, but dozens of would-be winners across the country said they’ve been cheated.

“Enter the code and see if you’re an instant winner,” the ad tells viewers, saying those who enter could win the new PlayStation Vita instantly.

Gamer William Schroeder of Lodi was one of the many who thought he was a winner.

The Taco Bell website told him “Congratulations, you won. … No really, we’re not kidding,” he said, a message consistent with what other would-be winners reported.

“I was excited, I’ve never won anything like that,” he said.

But two weeks later, he got an email claiming he was “not a valid winner,” but without any explanation, he said.

“It’s ridiculous,” he said, shaking his head.

CBS13 has been in contact with dozens of people from across the country since Feb. 14 who insist they too won PS Vitas — only to later get the same rejection email.

“It’s absolutely foul what they’re doing to me and the rest of these people who are getting screwed,” Schroeder said.

Taco Bell told CBS13 someone tampered with their contest — creating too many winners — and said those who followed the rules may not get their prizes.

Asked if these ‘legitimate winners” are guaranteed prizes, a Taco Bell representative said, “They are not.”

“They will get a second chance [in a new drawing Taco Bell will create],” the company spokesperson added.

The company said the second-chance drawing for these specific participants, about 300 in number, they said, will take place the week of March 18. At least two PS Vitas will be given away in that drawing, said the spokesperson.

If customers followed the rules and won, consumer attorney Eric Ratinoff said the company has a responsibility to deliver the prize in accordance with their terms of the contest, which he read.

Those terms say “in the unlikely event” there are too many winners, Taco Bell will have a drawing to distribute the PS Vitas.

Ratinoff said that solution is still unfair to those who followed the rules.

“If Taco Bell had a problem with the way they ran their own sweepstakes, that should be their own problem,” he said.

Realizing he may not get his prize, William said he was infuriated.

“All I did was go through their drive-thru, buy their $5 box, play the game honestly,” he said.

The Taco Bell contest, which runs through March 11, is being handled by marketing group Ventura Associates, which never responded to messages left by CBS13.

Taco Bell said it plans to send apology emails to explain the situation.

Full statement issued 2/21/12: “We have learned that during a short period of time on January 30th, some people entering our Unlock the Box promotion erroneously received a message suggesting they had won a PlayStation® Vita, pending verification. After a thorough investigation, and an additional review by the independent company administering the promotion, it was confirmed that these entrants viewed these messages as a result of others who attempted to gain illegal entry and defraud the system. Unfortunately, during this time period some saw a confirmation screen but were not valid winners. Taco Bell designed this sweepstakes to be fun for our consumers and we know that there are some disappointed fans. We are therefore giving those consumers who viewed erroneous messages a second chance to win by automatically entering them into a separate drawing to win a PS Vita. All winners will be notified and their names posted the week after the end of the promotion. The issue that occurred on January 30th has been resolved and the Unlock the Box promotion will continue to run through March 11, 2012.”

I can just see the shirts now:
"I supposedly won a Playstation Vita from Taco Bell and all I got was this lousy heartburn."

Source

 

[DigitalDeviant]

I bought two vita taco bell boxes and didn't win ZIP! I ended up just buying it lol.

 

[DiscostewSM]

I used to be a Taco Bell Vita winner, but then I took an arrow in the giblets.

 

[notmeanymore]

I went to Taco Bell with a bunch of friends, and bought the box. No code was found on the box, so I brought it back to the guy working the counter and this followed:
Me: "Where's the code?"
Him: "Wut?"
Me: "For the contest." *points at contest ad on the menu*
Him: "I have never seen that before in my life."

Lesson for all you Tempers: Don't move to Louisiana.

 

[Foxi4]

This is what happens when you implement a system like this and you don't check it thoroughly before launching the campaign. All the would-be winners should recieve complimentary coupons, at least for a free meal or something.

 

[notmeanymore]

This is what happens when you implement a system like this and you don't check it thoroughly before launching the campaign. All the would-be winners should recieve complimentary coupons, at least for a free meal or something.

That would be an insult. I bet half those people went to Taco Bell just for the contest. Even the one in the article said so.

 

[Foxi4]

This is what happens when you implement a system like this and you don't check it thoroughly before launching the campaign. All the would-be winners should recieve complimentary coupons, at least for a free meal or something.

That would be an insult. I bet half those people went to Taco Bell just for the contest. Even the one in the article said so.

I would rather recieve a free meal then a big "f*** you, you ain't getting anything".

 

[Vulpes Abnocto]

@[member='Foxi4'],
The company that owns Taco Bell also owns other restaurant chains. (Pizza Hut, KFC)
In my opinion they should offer a coupon valid at any of their holdings, since the only reason many of these people went to TB was to try for the Vita.

 

[notmeanymore]

@[member='Foxi4'],
The company that owns Taco Bell also owns many other restaurant chains. (Pizza Hut, KFC)
In my opinion they should offer a coupon valid at any of their holdings, since the only reason many of these people went to TB was to try for the Vita.

I'd jizz if they did that. I love me some Pizza Hut. Especially a nice Pepperoni Lover's pan pizza. Plus they serve Dew.

On-topic: If those 300 people were given prizes when they shouldn't have, maybe they should end the contest a day early and distribute the 96 Vitas they would've given that day to some of the "winners"

 

[Foxi4]

@[member='Foxi4'],
The company that owns Taco Bell also owns other restaurant chains. (Pizza Hut, KFC)
In my opinion they should offer a coupon valid at any of their holdings, since the only reason many of these people went to TB was to try for the Vita.

The article mentions that there will be a second drawing for Vita's - what I meant was that all the "scammed" aka "non-valid" winners should recieve coupons for free stuff while the "valid" winners should have a fighting chance to get the Vita's.

Not sure how they distinguish between valid and non-valid entries, but whatever.

As far as Yum! brands are concerned, as much as getting a coupon that'd be valid in all the chains would be awesome, it's probably a dream never to come true. While all Yum! brands are under one parent company, they do have different boards of directors and a branched management scheme. The contest was in Taco Bell, so only a Taco Bell coupon would make sense, really.

 

[DJPlace]

yeah.... it's just like monopoly mc donald's all over again...

 

[ferofax]

trolled big time. i didn't know Taco Bell was one helluva troller.

haha, suckers.


EDIT: check the wording on the contest. if it said "instant PSvita", they should slap a class-action lawsuit on Taco Bell. also, get a copy of the fineprint on any of the ads. it's the best guaranteed way of ensuring that it's Taco Bell who erred and should cough up. i'm guessing Taco Bell will quickly write-up a fineprint disclaiming any responsibilities over erroneous wins -- the fineprint on the original ads should cover that (which will drive Taco Bell deeper by knowing falsifying stuff and claiming it to be fact. or tampering. whichever it is).

make Taco Bell understand that they can't offer to win a PSvita, and then say, "no you didn't really win". lawsuits have been won for more frivolous reasons, so this could be won as well.

 

[Foxi4]

trolled big time. i didn't know Taco Bell was one helluva troller.

haha, suckers.


EDIT: check the wording on the contest. if it said "instant PSvita", they should slap a class-action lawsuit on Taco Bell. also, get a copy of the fineprint on any of the ads. it's the best guaranteed way of ensuring that it's Taco Bell who erred and should cough up. i'm guessing Taco Bell will quickly write-up a fineprint disclaiming any responsibilities over erroneous wins -- the fineprint on the original ads should cover that (which will drive Taco Bell deeper by knowing falsifying stuff and claiming it to be fact. or tampering. whichever it is).

make Taco Bell understand that they can't offer to win a PSvita, and then say, "no you didn't really win". lawsuits have been won for more frivolous reasons, so this could be won as well.

Unless they "do a Sony" and file a counter-lawsuit saying that the system was tampered with "be ze ominous hackurz", thus a Class-Action Suit is out of the question, and they will recieve such a decision on the basis of precedence.

 

[Bladexdsl]

best trollin eva!

 

[Foxi4]

best trollin eva!

It would be better if they recieved a PSVita box with a cold taco inside. Better yet, a box of instant noodles called Vita.

Instant Win.

 

[Bladexdsl]

best trollin eva!

It would be better if they recieved a PSVita box with a cold taco inside. Better yet, a box of instant noodles called Vita.

Instant Win.

or 1 of these

it's a vita-crisp

 

[Foxi4]

or 1 of these

Spoiler

it's a vita-crisp

"So I herd you ate sum Tacos...

Dayum, eat dem crisps, they be havin' lots of dat healthy fiber. Respect your stomach, homie..."

I can see this working somehow.

 

[Click This]

I haven't been to, let alone seen a Taco Bell in years.

 

[paulfalcon]

Looks like their 30% meat isn't the only thing they are trolling us with.

They should get sued for false advertisement. Didn't they say "A winner EVERY 15 MINUTES"? Full of lies, big corporate blood suckers!

 

[Joe88]

people abused the system by creating bots to generate codes and enter codes under different emails
now toco bell has no idea how to tell who cheated from legitimate users