gmb45
25th May, 2009, 09:18 AM
PUNTER Robert Pollock could not believe his luck when he won ?100 a week for a year to spend with bookies William Hill.
Robert, 48, could use the cash to bet on any horse races or other sporting events via a telephone account set up in his name.
But the competition fell at the first hurdle when Hill's computer system failed to cope, leaving him hanging on the phone for more than 60 hours trying to sort out the mess.
Robert, of Cardonald, Glasgow, said: "I have tried to use the bet four times so far and it's been a non-starter.
"William Hill say their computer system is not set up to handle this type of promotion and that's causing the problem.
"I have made more than 40 calls to their customer services people and senior managers and I am running out of patience.
"I'm starting to wish I had never won in the first place." Stake Paramedic Robert entered the national competition in March.
He had to pick two horses from each of six races at the Cheltenham Festival with the aim of having as many as possible finish in the first three. Robert managed 10 successful picks.
He said: "I filled in a form at my local branch. It was a free competition and I couldn't believe it when I had 10 horses placed."
He received a letter confirming the terms and conditions of the prize, which was due to start the following month.
Robert, who is getting married next year, said: "It was fabulous and a godsend, especially with the wedding coming up.
"I've been betting with William Hill for as long as I can remember and I spend around ?15,000 a year.
It's my way of relaxing after work.
"The ?100 a week had no strings attached and all returns were to include the stake from the free bets.
"The money was meant to go into my account before 9.30am every Monday and I had until midnight the following Sunday to use it." The problems began as soon as he tried to place his first wager.
Robert said: "I was on a high when I phoned at first, delighted I had won.
"But my bubble burst when the people at William Hill did not have a clue what I was talking about.
"They put me through to customer services who promised to get back to me but didn't.
Record "The marketing department who ran the competition phoned and told me it was sorted.
"But when I called back to place my bet they still had no record of me and I had to go through the process again."
This went on for a month as Robert and his fianc?e Deborah
Armstrong, 37, a nurse, of Crookston, Glasgow, tried to use the prize.
He said: "I'd phone up, try to place a bet then have to explain from the start again. It was wearing me down.
"Then when I won, my account was not updated and they would have no record of the bet."
The final straw came when Robert sent a three-page letter to William Hill asking them to sort it out.
They did not get back to him.
That's when he called me in.
He said: "The prize is fantastic and this should be a really happy time for me.
"Instead I am miserable and fed up with all the hassle. I don't want to seem ungrateful but I'm at the end of my tether. Please help."
I got on to William Hill and they sprang into action, depositing the full balance of his prize of ?4800 into his account.
Their spokesman said: "We are sorry Mr Pollock has had problems using his phone account with the weekly ?100 free bet he won.
"This should have been a simple automated process but problems arose when he requested the ?100 be broken down into smaller units.
"We are delighted to have resolved the situation to Mr Pollock's satisfaction." You can always bet on me..
Robert, 48, could use the cash to bet on any horse races or other sporting events via a telephone account set up in his name.
But the competition fell at the first hurdle when Hill's computer system failed to cope, leaving him hanging on the phone for more than 60 hours trying to sort out the mess.
Robert, of Cardonald, Glasgow, said: "I have tried to use the bet four times so far and it's been a non-starter.
"William Hill say their computer system is not set up to handle this type of promotion and that's causing the problem.
"I have made more than 40 calls to their customer services people and senior managers and I am running out of patience.
"I'm starting to wish I had never won in the first place." Stake Paramedic Robert entered the national competition in March.
He had to pick two horses from each of six races at the Cheltenham Festival with the aim of having as many as possible finish in the first three. Robert managed 10 successful picks.
He said: "I filled in a form at my local branch. It was a free competition and I couldn't believe it when I had 10 horses placed."
He received a letter confirming the terms and conditions of the prize, which was due to start the following month.
Robert, who is getting married next year, said: "It was fabulous and a godsend, especially with the wedding coming up.
"I've been betting with William Hill for as long as I can remember and I spend around ?15,000 a year.
It's my way of relaxing after work.
"The ?100 a week had no strings attached and all returns were to include the stake from the free bets.
"The money was meant to go into my account before 9.30am every Monday and I had until midnight the following Sunday to use it." The problems began as soon as he tried to place his first wager.
Robert said: "I was on a high when I phoned at first, delighted I had won.
"But my bubble burst when the people at William Hill did not have a clue what I was talking about.
"They put me through to customer services who promised to get back to me but didn't.
Record "The marketing department who ran the competition phoned and told me it was sorted.
"But when I called back to place my bet they still had no record of me and I had to go through the process again."
This went on for a month as Robert and his fianc?e Deborah
Armstrong, 37, a nurse, of Crookston, Glasgow, tried to use the prize.
He said: "I'd phone up, try to place a bet then have to explain from the start again. It was wearing me down.
"Then when I won, my account was not updated and they would have no record of the bet."
The final straw came when Robert sent a three-page letter to William Hill asking them to sort it out.
They did not get back to him.
That's when he called me in.
He said: "The prize is fantastic and this should be a really happy time for me.
"Instead I am miserable and fed up with all the hassle. I don't want to seem ungrateful but I'm at the end of my tether. Please help."
I got on to William Hill and they sprang into action, depositing the full balance of his prize of ?4800 into his account.
Their spokesman said: "We are sorry Mr Pollock has had problems using his phone account with the weekly ?100 free bet he won.
"This should have been a simple automated process but problems arose when he requested the ?100 be broken down into smaller units.
"We are delighted to have resolved the situation to Mr Pollock's satisfaction." You can always bet on me..