INVESTORS are scrambling to claim winnings from new Lotto operator Allwyn – and one even sent a bounced cheque.
Paul Simpson, 69, spent weeks searching for his £800 prize from the HotPicks ticket.
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Paul Simpson, left, spent weeks chasing his £800 prize on the HotPicks ticket – and when he was sent the check he bounced Credit: Roland Leon – commissioned by The Sun
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Several punters are reporting similar problems just weeks after Allwyn took over as Lotto operator
He was eventually sent a check – but it bounced.
TSB told him, “This check was not paid due to suspected fraud/counterfeit check within the clearing cycle.”
Former government official Mr Simpson and wife Pam, 71, merged the three numbers on January 31.
He tried to apply at the post office but was told to contact Allwyn.
After hours of calls and emails, he was sent a bogus check – and was advised to request a new one or bank transfer.
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In the end, after threatening to sue in small claims court, he was paid out – more than a month after winning.
Mr Simpson, from Leicester, said: “I felt like a criminal. But their actions are chaotic and seem like a scam.
“I will never play that game again. If you win, it’s like they want to wear you down so you just give up or lose the card.”
Meanwhile, Graham Crerar, 64, spent five weeks chasing the £800 prize after hitting three numbers on February 7.
Carpenter Mr. Crerar, from Notting Hill, west London, said: “They’re just stalling and it makes me feel like I’ve done something wrong.
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Graham Crerar spent five weeks chasing his £800 prize as he hit three numbers on February 7 Credit: Simon Jones – Commissioned by The Sun
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Peter Wilson, left, is also waiting for his £800 reward to be paid out. I Was A Millionaire For Months Without Knowing It – I Missed A Crucial Email And Called The Police Convinced It Was A Scam
“They don’t know what they are doing and they behave really unprofessionally. Never mind Allwyn, they should be called No-win.”
And Peter Wilson, 70, is also awaiting an £800 prize payout, six weeks after his numbers were released.
The retired sales manager, married to Yvonne, 68, from Nuneaton, Warks, said: “I don’t know what else I can do to claim my award. I won’t do it again. I can’t be bothered with stress.
“It’s chaotic and I’m worried about the impact it will have on local communities as well as the charities that will lose money.”
Last week we told how Amelia Barnham, 69, of Hammersmith, west London, had an investigator sent to her home by Allwyn because she had won several times in the past.
Allwyn replaced Camelot as operator of the National Lottery on 1 February.
It has changed the payout rules so that prizes between £500 and £50,000 can no longer be claimed at post offices.
Sources say this led to early “teething problems”.
Allwyn said: “This is a brand new claims procedure following the Post Office’s decision to no longer pay National Lottery retail prizes between £500.01 and £50,000.
“The amount of time the process takes will vary depending on whether we need additional information from the player to process their request and how long it takes for us to receive a ticket or scratcher from the player.
“Since people are still not familiar with the new process, we also have a large number of players contacting us.
“We are very sorry for the delay this is causing and have increased the number of colleagues to assist players with their requests, helping them receive their rewards faster.”
Allwyn contacted Mr Crerar and Mr Wilson to update them.
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