‘I won £18k in Level Up Giveaways draw but haven’t seen a penny’ | Global News Avenue

Dafydd Bayliss’ Monday morning blues disappeared instantly when he found out he’d won a BMW M3 or £18,000 in an online competition.

The 31-year-old has been participating in the Level Up Giveaways sweepstakes for three years, but this is his first time winning.

As a first-time home buyer who was nearing completion of his purchase, he opted for cash, intending to use it to purchase a new kitchen and bathroom.

“I’m ecstatic,” he said.

But his joy was short-lived. HGV drivers should receive their money within a few days. Three months have passed and he hasn’t received a penny.

The company’s responses to his requests for payment have also dried up.

Mr Bayliss was one of several people the BBC spoke to who said they had been left in the dark about the Upgrade Giveaway.

The racing company, from Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire, appears to have stopped paying out prize money totaling tens of thousands of pounds.

The BBC attempted to contact Level Up Giveaways about complaints from Mr Bayliss and others but has been unable to receive a response.

The company’s website, which offered prize draws including sports cars, luxury watches and even gold, stopped running about 10 days before Christmas.

The company also offers a free entry system where potential winners can post their entries to an address in Halifax, West Yorkshire.

Mr Bayliss, from Blackwood, South Wales, bought five 99p online raffle prizes on September 15.

He said the day after his win he spoke on the phone with Level Up Giveaways director Anton Hall, 35.

He remembered Mr Hall being “glad I took the cash” and confirmed the money would be deposited into his bank account within two to three days.

But nothing came.

Over the next few weeks, Mr Bayliss sent numerous messages and received occasional explanations from Mr Hall, but has yet to receive payment.

“I kind of gave up,” Mr. Bayliss said.

“This is my first win and it’s typical that he doesn’t pay everyone anymore.

“I’m numb. I have about a 5 percent chance of getting the money.”

Mr Bayliss said he had not heard from Mr Hall since November 1 when he told him his bank account had been “frozen”.

Mr Bayliss’ mum Tina reported the upgraded giveaway to Trading Standards and Fraud Action, the national fraud and cybercrime reporting center for England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Mrs Bayliss said she believed her son’s case was “just the tip of the iceberg”.

“He takes your money and doesn’t pay – it’s like the rug has been pulled out from under your feet.

“I just feel really aggrieved that someone was allowed to do this.”

Insurance agent Scott Boyle, from Wakefield, won £1,200 in the Level Up giveaway competition in May, which will be paid out to him over 12 months.

He received five months of payments, but they stopped in October.

Although the company is usually “responsive”, he had not heard from them since October despite sending numerous messages.

“This is disgusting,” he said.

“A lot of people win huge amounts of money. If I won that much money, I would absolutely be devastated.”

Meanwhile, Phill Harkins of Manchester has been waiting since October 18 for the 20-gram gold bar he won in the Upgrade Giveaway draw.

“Something needs to be done about this because you can’t treat people like this,” he said.

Mark McCorry, a restaurant manager from Belfast, won £600 cash in the draw on October 9.

The 36-year-old father had previously met the man who won the car in Mr Hall’s competition, which led him to believe the business owner was “trustworthy”.

He said the upgrade giveaway experience left him “devastated.”

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Trading Standards told the BBC they had received seven complaints about upgraded giveaways related to draws since 2022, including unpaid prizes.

The spokesman said the company was not under investigation due to “limited resources”.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said they were not authorized to comment on investigations involving named individuals.

Level Up Giveaways was established in March 2019, according to Companies House.

Its social media pages boast of creating more than 5,000 winners and awarding £5 million in prizes.

Delighted customers have previously left stories of winning life-changing prizes on review site Trustpilot, but some recent reviews have been less exciting.

Mr Hall said in a video update posted on social media on December 6 that he “had to take time out”.

“I’m very tired of the issues that are going on in my personal life and my business,” he continued.

Mr Hall said he was “still working on the upgrade giveaway issue”, adding: “I do plan on coming back for a draw in the near future.”

“I would just stay in my lane and win smaller awards. I tried to race in the luxury. I just couldn’t do it.

Mr Hall apologized for the “lack of communication” but did not reveal if or when people could receive their prizes.

Despite promising in recent updates to contact those hunting him “as soon as possible”, no one the BBC spoke to has heard from Mr Hall.

Mr Bayliss said: “He didn’t say exactly what happened, it was more like smoke and mirrors.”

Asked if he had anything to say to Mr Hall, Mr Boyle said: “Victory can be won in good faith by paying the price that people are owed and have paid.”

If you were affected by the upgrade giveaway, you can email your experience to steve.jones06@bbc.co.uk.

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