Detergent Firm’s Bingo Contest Goes Astray

Press, Volume C, Issue 29630, 28 September 1961, Page 13

Detergent Firm’s Bingo Contest Goes Astray

■ 't ~ 4 - f ‘ A ; ■ (Sptciol Correspondent W.Z.P.A.)

LONDON, September 27. One of Britain’, largest detergent firms te running » bingo competition m an incentive to honsewtves to boy its product. The bingo card is printed on the outside of the packet and inside is a slip with numbers on it. If the slip corresponds with a srraignt line on the card the buyer can do a very simple six-line crossword and claim a big prize—a refrigerator, washing machine, record player or gold watch.

There have been occasional winners from all over the country. Now, however, a whole consignment of “lucky" packets seem to have been delivered to a shc.p run by Mr Philip Norwood in the little village of Snettisham, Norfolk, with a population of about 1400. Housewives there have been claiming prize after prize, with the result there has been a run on detergent. Packets are piling up by the score in village homes. So far 30 of Mr Norwood’s customers have claimed re-

frigerators and other claims are going in daily. “We have been living in a dream world," raid Mr Norwood. “I reckon my customers have io far claimed £.5000 worth of prizes with 4800 packets of detergents. “In over 20 years I have never done such a week <)f business. It is fantastic People have been buying 20 packets of detergent at a time. “The firm did ask me to hand back the packets I had. but I refused. They said ii appeared there had been some faulty slips in some packets. But as there weren’t any in mine I wouldn’t return them.” One cafe owner. Mrs Phyllis Firth, said: “We boughl 72 packets and we have already come across • three lucky slips on which we are claiming refrigerators Now we are checking to see if we won any other prizes. It is tremendously exciting.” A spokesman for the detergent firm said provided entries complied with the rules ard that slips were in order, all winners would qualify for prizes.