A MUM who thought she had won a lottery jackpot was left shattered after learning it was a technical error.
Dawn Rivers was thrilled when she got a message with a “£” sign assuming she had scooped up to £30,000 – but it turned out to be just £10.
The 63-year-old received a message from People’s Postcode Lottery that said she had won a lottery prize – but did not mention the amount.
A thrilled Dawn, who works as a part-time cleaner, assumed she hit the biggest prize and was due to visit from the postcode lottery as seen in the advert.
The mum would even dress up every morning at her home in wait for the lottery people to visit her with a big fat cheque.
But when she called up to check on the situation, she was told that all she would be cashing in was just a tenner.
A technical fault meant the text alert she got didn’t show the amount she had won – which turned out to be only a tenner.
You know when you think you have won something and your mouth dries up? That’s what happened
Dawn Rivers
Let down by the news, Dawn told the Birmingham Mail: “I’ve won £10 before, if it’s a tenner they just put a little message to say you’ve won £10 it’s gone in your bank.
“But if it’s a big one, like ten, twenty, thirty or forty grand, they usually put that on your phone and say they’ll come knocking. That’s the advert they advertised for three years now.
“If your postcode lottery comes up they’ll come knocking on your door, so that’s why I was waiting.
“You know when you think you have won something and your mouth dries up? That’s what happened.”
Having played for more than three years, the cash-strapped mum even planned out how she would spend every penny when the money came in.
“I was so excited to have a bit of money to play with, I had already spent it in my head,” she said.
“Buying some extra things for the house. I told my daughter I would help her out after Christmas.
“I got dressed every morning waiting for the postcode lottery to come to my door.
“It makes you feel sick when you haven’t got it at the end. That’s what’s really annoyed me.”
A People’s Postcode Lottery spokesperson admitted there had been a technical fault with her text and her message should have specified the amount of her win.
However, it also said it never referenced a big win and included a link detailing the £10 win in the text.
ACOORDING to the official website, players sign up with their postcode and pay £12 per month.
They are automatically entered into every draw and prizes are announced every day of the month.
Tickets play for prizes every day of the week – from Monday to Sunday, a ticket could win £1,000 each day in the Daily Prize.
Tickets ould also win a jackpot of £30,000 in Saturday and Sunday’s Street Prize draws.
People’s Postcode Lottery also offer a £3 Million Postcode Millions draw each month – and your ticket plays for a share of a £3 Million cash prize fund.
Winners are notified by email, SMS message, mail or phonecall depending on the prize they win.
Jackpot winners are visited by the lottery team in person.
“There was no error in the drawing, distribution or notification of prizes. A technical fault meant that in this instance, the value of the £10 prize was not stated within the text itself but recipients could still click the link included to confirm the value of their win,” a spokesperson for the People’s Postcode Lottery added.
“The winners of our biggest prizes, such as Postcode Millions or £30,000 a day, are always contacted in person and may also be visited by a Postcode Lottery ambassador.
“This is reflected in our marketing. Text alerts are only used to notify players of smaller wins.
“Our customer experience team confirmed the situation on two occasions and we remain in contact with the player concerned.”
When asked about the link, Dawn said she was never “good at using technology” and was not able to access the link.
She added: “I feel absolutely let down.
“They said it was an error. I said: ‘Why didn’t you tell me, why didn’t you text me back, why did you let me think all over Christmas that I had something to look forward to and at the end of it you’ve taken it from me?’
“It doesn’t make sense.”
