This $5M mansion could be all YOURS for just $150... or could it? Special Olympics accused of running scam to raise funds
- Special Olympics Washington's banner prize in a charity raffle is a stunning Seattle area home or $4M bucks
- A brochure neglects to mention contest rules stipulating that 75,000 of the $150 tickets must be sold before the grand prize is given away
- The rule is spelled out only on the contest website
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A Washington State charity's raffle of a stunning $5 million mansion may be a classic case of bait and switch, a report revealed Thursday.
Special Olympics Washington has turned heads with its offer of the Seattle area dream home to one lucky $150 ticket holder, but a closer look at contest rules reveals the house will not be given away unless 75,000 tickets are sold.
While the fine print rule was included on the raffle website, it was omitted from marketing material.
Bait and switch? A Washington State charity has made this stunning Seattle area lakefront mansion the grand prize in its Special Olympics raffle, but the lucky ticket holder might not actually win it
The Seattle Times notes that a similar contest in St. Louis, the kind the Washington charity's is patterned after, was suspect enough for the local better business bureau to issue a warning to contestants.
'Our feeling was if they are calling it a house raffle and saying someone could win a house, then someone should win this house,' said BBB investigator Bill Smith.
Smith's counterpart in the Evergreen State agreed.
'This is not to say this a bad charity, but I’m concerned that they're not being transparent here,' Seattle BBB David Quinlan told the Seattle Times. 'It’s imperative for anybody buying tickets to read all the contest rules.'
Fair? The raffle's pages-long brochure neglects to mention that the five-bedroom home will only offered to the winner if at least 75,000 tickets are sold
Happened before? A similar raffle in St. Louis, on which the Washington contest is reportedly patterned, drew a public warning from the area better business bureau
Beautiful: The Lake Sammamish home is worth $5 million and is still occupied by its sellers
'The marketing material is only so big...We¿re trying to motivate people to buy,' explained Neal Zeavy, the San Francisco consultant used by Special Olympics Washington for the raffle.
The man behind the raffle defended the decision to keep the rule out of the raffle brochure.
'The marketing material is only so big...We’re trying to motivate people to buy,' explained Neal Zeavy, the San Francisco consultant used by Special Olympics Washington for the raffle.
Regardless of where you stand in the argument, you may not be able to afford the five bedroom home even if you win it.
Its lavish 10,000 square feet, private dock onto Lake Sammamish and wine cellar would come at a steep price.
The winner would be expected to pay income taxes on the home and $55,000 in annual property taxes.
The less fortunate among us may feel better off winning some of the lesser prizes, which will be awarded after the mid-May drawings.
No matter how many tickets are sold, Special Olympics Washington will be giving away a long list of cars, exotic vacations, electronics and kitchenware.
Buyer beware: Even if someone wins the home, they might not be able to afford it. The winner would be expected to pay income taxes on the $5M home and $55,000 annually in property taxes
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