PC World goes the distance with P4 SMS compo

Intel is running a competition with PC World to give away 100 P4 PCs. You SMS them your post code, they send you a message back giving you a date and time to turn up at your local store to enter a prize draw.

Now either PC World is introducing a cross-country challenge element to the competition, or they want to invite you to stores that are a little too far away for you to be bothered to turn up. If the latter is the case, then Hey Presto!, it gets your postcode, but doesn't have to give away any PCs.

To be fair, PC World doesn't use the word local in the competition blurb. And quite rightly. I entered my NW6 London post code and got invited to the Colchester store 60 miles away - when there is the Staples Corner store 10 minutes up the road.

Reader Nick Crossland had a similar experience. "Their postcode tracking software is rubbish - it keeps sending me details stores 50+ miles away, when my nearest PC World is actually 10 minutes away."

And on 1 April he received an SMS apologising for changing the date and time of the contest at the Stockport branch.

"The time and date for the draw at Phase IV The Peel Centre Stockport Cheshire is now on 1 April B4 12:00. Sorry for any Incontinence caused"

Nick says: "I know it's a very exciting competition, but I'm afraid it still left my bladder control intact."

Being sent on 1 April might be an indicator that someone somewhere is having a laugh, but PC World's corporate affairs department, which is looking into the matter, has already conceded the company doesn't do jokes. ®