Finally won a gun raffle

[AlBeight]

I’ve purchased many raffle tickets over the years for gun raffles, mostly to support those organizations but also hoping to get lucky and take home a prize. Well, I finally actually won a prize, 2 weekends ago. My MD CCW permit was in my mailbox that Friday night, and Saturday morning a PA Fish and Game organization called me to tell me I won Friday’s raffle drawing for a Henry Single shot rifle in 450 Bushmaster. They told me I’d get a postcard from a local gun shop with instructions to claim my prize. Pretty cool weekend, especially since Monday morning the York County Sheriff approved my PA CCW.

I finally received the post card yesterday and it instructed me to call the LGS to verify I still wanted the rifle. I spoke with them this afternoon, and to my surprise the lady told me they didn’t have the rifle and it wasn’t in stock anywhere, and she’d have to backorder it for me. WTF?

Has this ever happened to anyone here? Is this how gun raffles typically work? I’ve never won a gun raffle before, I’ve only ever won small things at bull roasts and such, where the prizes were on a table at the front of the room. How does an organization raffle a firearm they don’t actually have? Is that even legal? At the minimum I believe it’s dishonest as hell.

If I was really counting on or depending on taking possession of that rifle I think I’d be really pissed. At this point I’m not mad, yet. I’m just wondering how long I should wait before I pursue this to another level, or is this typical procedure in a raffle of this kind?

 

[John from MD]

I’ve purchased many raffle tickets over the years for gun raffles, mostly to support those organizations but also hoping to get lucky and take home a prize. Well, I finally actually won a prize, 2 weekends ago. My MD CCW permit was in my mailbox that Friday night, and Saturday morning a PA Fish and Game organization called me to tell me I won Friday’s raffle drawing for a Henry Single shot rifle in 450 Bushmaster. They told me I’d get a postcard from a local gun shop with instructions to claim my prize. Pretty cool weekend, especially since Monday morning the York County Sheriff approved my PA CCW.

I finally received the post card yesterday and it instructed me to call the LGS to verify I still wanted the rifle. I spoke with them this afternoon, and to my surprise the lady told me they didn’t have the rifle and it wasn’t in stock anywhere, and she’d have to backorder it for me. WTF?

Has this ever happened to anyone here? Is this how gun raffles typically work? I’ve never won a gun raffle before, I’ve only ever won small things at bull roasts and such, where the prizes were on a table at the front of the room. How does an organization raffle a firearm they don’t actually have? Is that even legal? At the minimum I believe it’s dishonest as hell.

If I was really counting on or depending on taking possession of that rifle I think I’d be really pissed. At this point I’m not mad, yet. I’m just wondering how long I should wait before I pursue this to another level, or is this typical procedure in a raffle of this kind?

See if they will give you the money. If yes, take it and run.

 

[AlBeight]

See if they will give you the money. If yes, take it and run.

I thought about that, but unfortunately the gun looks like it has a MSRP of a little over $500, but they are only offering a $200 cash prize substitution. I definitely don’t need another rifle, but I still don’t think that is a fair cash equivalent. I don’t expect full cash value, but that’s way too lowball to be honest.

I know, beggars can’t be choosers, right?

 

[gwchem]

I would take the cash and never support the charity or shop ever again. Publicly let them know why with a review.

 

[RFBfromDE]

Many years ago I won the Basket of Cheer at a Polish Home Oyster Beef & Booze in Baltimore.

I was underage.

Nobody cared.

Since then.

Bupkis.

 

[Squaregrouper]

I would pick another firearm of similar, but slightly lower, MSRP that is in their shop. If they argue that, out them.

 

[CroftonBilly]

Congratulations on the win. Backorders and substitutions do happen. Similar to you, I won a raffle for a camo Mossberg 535 with 3 barrels, super excited, but it was backordered. After 6 months of waiting, the raffle FFL substituted a plain Remington 870 Express with extra barrel. It wasn't as great a score, but was still essentially free.

 

[mauser58]

Glad to see someone win these raffles. I had two chances on a drawing last weekend in Cecil County. Over thirty of us bought tickets from work and no one won.

 

[AlBeight]

I would pick another firearm of similar, but slightly lower, MSRP that is in their shop. If they argue that, out them.

Not a bad idea, thanks. At this point I’m just trying to understand how these things work, if this is SOP in these raffles or if this is fubar. If the Fish and Game organization is responsible or if their chosen FFL is the one that dropped the ball. I’ll give it some time to ship, then if need be I’ll contact the raffle organizer if things grind to a halt.

 

[slsc98]

The only raffles I’ve ever conducted were for family members fighting cancer (and who survived and are still with us today!) but I couldn’t imagine the circumstances that would lead me to taking someone’s money on a chance for something that was not in physical possession of either myself or the FFL assisting us.

 

[Rambler]

I have won more than 1 of these raffles and the item was in stock, in hand all along at the FFL in question. Considering the supply chain of firearms these days, having a raffle for something they have to order is hinkey at best and suspicious at worst.

 

[rseymorejr]

I thought the organization bought the guns ahead of time and the FFL kept them on the side for them? Maybe they just order them after the raffle, after seeing who takes the cash out??

 

[slsc98]

…I’ll give it some time to ship, then if need be I’ll contact the raffle organizer if things grind to a halt.

Agree with Rambler and rseymourjr -

- I would NOT delay at least letting the raffle organizer know - today or tomorrow - that you‘re looking forward to getting the prize BUT if you call them again down the road it will be because you have not.

Said another way I wouldn’t wait until you don’t receive the prize to at least make the raffle organizer aware— for the very first time - of what’s going on …

 

[linkstate]

I have no idea how these things typically work but it sure sounds like some BS to me…

I like the idea of asking for something else of similar value unless you really want that particular rifle. I mean how do you know they aren’t going to string you along until you just get fed up and take the $200…

ETA: If they won’t offer anything else, I would take the cash just to remove an additional annoyance in my life wondering when or if they will come through. And certainly let the org know what happened.

 

[Triggerfinger]

Sounds like a rip off. What if Maryland lottery was run the same way? Sorry sir, the three million you won isn't available right now...but we do have a substitute prize of three hundred dollars.

 

[joppaj]

I've only won one like that. On the ticket it said prizes could be picked up at a particular shop starting one week after the drawing. That was your week to decide if you wanted the cash instead. The morning I went to pick the shotgun up they had a line set up for raffle winners and I walked out with my gun.

 

[joppaj]

Sounds like a rip off. What if Maryland lottery was run the same way? Sorry sir, the three million you won isn't available right now...but we do have a substitute prize of three hundred dollars.

I mean that actually is how Powerball and Mega millions work... You have have $100 million now or $200 million spread out over 25 years...

 

[Todd S]

I’ve been buying gun calendars from Lineboro FD for 6 years. I finally won something. A Savage Bmag in 17 wsm. The shop does not have the rifle in stock but they are ordering it. I’m not that pressed because 17wsm seems to be unobtainium. No worries though. I would have donated the $50 for the calendar to them anyway.


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[Todd S]

BTW if anyone sees 17wsm let me know! Lol


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[2nd=Good+Substantial]

A lot of raffle tickets I have bought have wording that the sponsor and gun shop are not responsible if the gun is not available. As far as I know SOP is you can substitute for same MSRP (or higher if you make up the difference).