First of all it pains me to write about this because I have been a huge fan of MMORPG.com for quite some time but this type of behaviour just screams to make people know.

I would like to remind some of you about a contest made by MMORPG.com concerning World of Warcraft which results can be seen here: http://www.mmorpg.com/newsroom.cfm/read/26429/World-of-Warcraft-Mists-of-Pandaria-Collectors-Edition-Giveaway-Winners-Announcement.html

My name is Micha? Graczyk and I am the facebook grand prize winner of this contest.

You can only imagine how great was my happiness when I saw that I actually won something for the first time in my life and moreover that It is the signed collector's edition of Mists of Pandaria. Everything was great, on the 28th of December 2012 I got a message from Michael Bitton via facebook asking for my adress and all, congratulating me. I was really really happy.

Then something happened. No longer than six days after I got another message and let me quote:

"Hi there!

Unfortunately, we are not going to be able to honor your prize due to associated shipping costs. Please accept our apologies! "

(Let me explain here that I live in Poland although I can't see it being relevant because there was no mentioning of people from Europe not being able to actually take part in the contest)

You can imagine my shock and disbelief when I have read this. Don't want to sware but you guys can imagine how pissed I was at that moment.

Luckily I have a friend living in the U.S and I thought that maybe they could send the prize to his place. I asked Michael Bitton as calmly as I could and got a reply:

"...If you'd like us to send out your prize to an address in the US, we can probably do that."

Happy that not all is lost I have given him an appropriate adress in the States in the same time finding out, that the other grand prize winner (Zzad) that was from Spain, will not receive his prize either. (Picking two grand prize winners from somewhere that it is impossible for them to send a package strikes me as puzzling)

Days pass and still nothing arrives at my friends house in the States. I am beggining to loose all hope of actually being able to receive the prize I justly won.

Two questions strike my mind:

#1 How could such a thing happen in such a great service as the MMORPG.com?

#2 How could such a great service as the MMORPG not be able to send two packages with justly won prizes to their rightfull  winners?

Don't have anything to add. Maybe you guys will find some other words to describe what's happened because I am tired of this case and actually lost all hope of using the prize I won (The prize game is of US version whereas I play on EU)

Wanted to share this story with you guys so maybe someone somewhere learns a lesson.

Originally posted by TribeofOne
thats shocking if true.

Well it is true and it is shocking. Don't know how to give you more evidence beside the link to the contest announcement page. Was thinking for a while if it is worth to write about this but I think people should know.

Wasn't this issue solved last week where they agreed to crack open the box and give the code . Here read it

http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/373605/So-I-sadly-won-copy-of-MoP-on-MMORPG.html

Yeah they need to reread the other post. I thought I was reading the same one again without the spouse saying suuuure you won something online etc.

Originally posted by cheyane

Wasn't this issue solved last week where they agreed to crack open the box and give the code . Here read it

 

http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/373605/So-I-sadly-won-copy-of-MoP-on-MMORPG.html

If it were me, I'd still want the autographed box.

Odd that reverse shipping costs was denied.  Even if it cost $100 to ship, it would still be a highly coveted collectors item, whether someone still plays or likes WoW or not.

I wonder if it has to do more with contest laws with other countries, & having a contest sanctioned & certified (& taxed) by the local government, etc.

Originally posted by cheyane

Wasn't this issue solved last week where they agreed to crack open the box and give the code . Here read it

 

http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/373605/So-I-sadly-won-copy-of-MoP-on-MMORPG.html

Nobody contacted me suggesting such an option. Haven't seen this thread but still I wouldn't be able to use the digital code because it is of US version. Contacted Blizzard asking them if they could exchange it for an EU one but no answers yet.

sorry to hear Op

sounds like mmorpg staff need to put a disclaimer on future contests:  cannot ship outside USA

Originally posted by cheyane

Wasn't this issue solved last week where they agreed to crack open the box and give the code . Here read it

 

http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/373605/So-I-sadly-won-copy-of-MoP-on-MMORPG.html

ya cuz ppl who enterd the contest want the code, grow sum brains man...they want the autographed box! Cuz they sell for over 400 bucks on ebay....thi sis why im not dedicated to this site, either mmohut or annother one(cant remember the name atm) im not too impressed by the staff of this site...this dosnt surprise me at all...for all we know could have been ppl they knew who won.

Originally posted by Nadia

sorry to hear Op

 

sounds like mmorpg staff need to put a disclaimer on future contests:  cannot ship outside USA

They normally do this by stating that only residents from specific contries or areas are eligible to enter in the contest rules. They haven't done so in this contest.

My guess is someone mixed it up and forgot to put that line into the rules.

Originally posted by dextral

Originally posted by Nadia

sorry to hear Op

 

sounds like mmorpg staff need to put a disclaimer on future contests:  cannot ship outside USA

They normally do this by stating that only residents from specific contries or areas are eligible to enter in the contest rules. They haven't done so in this contest.

My guess is someone mixed it up and forgot to put that line into the rules.

Yeh what  dex said normaly any country outside US cannot enter for physical products, theres no point in us Euros even trying to take part unless its an online code giveaway.

Ive just been around long enough to know this, doesnt bother me still come here to look at stuffz ;). Most sites like this one are run on shoe string budgets, paying the postage to the far reaches of the world is too costly for them.

[mod edit]

I'm sure everyone has who comes here constantly does that and doing that doesn't excuse a lack of disclaimer or a lack of predetermined funds to send something like this overseas because this is a internet and the US isn't the only english speaking country not to mention the large number of members from other countries on these forums.