Dafydd Bayliss’s Monday morning blues cleared instantly when he found out he had won either a BMW M3 or £18,000 in an online competition.
The 31-year-old had been taking part in prize draws with Level Up Giveaways for three years, but this was his first win.
A first-time buyer close to completing his house purchase, he opted for the cash with a view to using it for a new kitchen and bathroom.
“I was over the moon,” he said.
But his joy was short-lived. The HGV driver should have received his money in the days afterwards. Three months on, he’s not been paid a penny.
The company’s responses to his requests for payment have dried up too.
Mr Bayliss is one of several people the BBC has spoken to who say they have been left in the dark by Level Up Giveaways.
The competitions company, from Sowerby Bridge in West Yorkshire, has seemingly stopped paying out prizes totalling tens of thousands of pounds.
After the story was published, the firm’s director Anton Hall told the BBC he had “nothing to hide”, adding: “I’m just someone who tried and did do good whose business has failed unfortunately.”
He said: “As for a message for those not paid up till now, I’ll do everything in my power to make sure they are, it may just take a while.”
Mr Hall said that he had been dealing with a lot personally and professionally.
The firm’s website, which offered prize draw competitions including sports cars, luxury watches and even gold, stopped working about 10 days before Christmas.
The firm also offered a free entry system where would-be winners could post an entry to an address in Halifax, West Yorkshire.
Mr Bayliss, from Blackwood in Caerphilly county, south Wales, bought five 99p online entries for a draw on 15 September.
He said he spoke to Mr Hall, 35, over the phone the day after his win.
He remembered Mr Hall being “happy I took the cash” and confirming the money would be in his bank account within two to three days.
But nothing arrived.
Mr Bayliss sent numerous messages in the weeks that followed and received the occasional explanation from Mr Hall, but has not received payment.
“I have kind of given up,” said Mr Bayliss.
“It was the first time I’d won and it was typical that he stopped paying everyone.
“I have just gone numb to it. I have probably got a 5% chance of getting the money.”
Mr Bayliss said he had not heard from Mr Hall since 1 November, when he told him his bank accounts were “on hold”.
After the BBC published this story, Robbie Savage, of Devon-based competition operator Rev Comps, said he wanted to rectify Mr Bayliss’s situation.
Mr Savage’s company, which has no link to the original claims, donated £18,000 to Mr Bayliss to ensure a “happy ending”.
Mr Savage said his firm would work with others in the new year on “spearheading some sort of regulation” for the prize industry.
A spokesperson for Trading Standards West Yorkshire told the BBC they had received seven complaints about Level Up Giveaways relating to prize draws, including unpaid winnings, since 2022.
The spokesperson said due to “limited resources” the company was not being investigated.
A West Yorkshire Police spokesperson said they were not allowed to comment on inquiries relating to named individuals.
‘Smoke and mirrors’
According to Companies House, Level Up Giveaways was set up in March 2019.
Its social media pages boast of creating more than 5,000 winners and awarding £5m in prizes.
Previously happy customers have left stories of winning life-changing sums on the review website Trustpilot but some recent reviews are less glowing
In a video update posted on social media on 6 December, Mr Hall said he “had to take time out”.
“I was just absolutely drained with personal life and issues that are going on with the business,” he continued.
