It happened to me...

Linda Harrison won an Audi TT Roasdster

“IT HAPPENED TO ME…

I am quite strict with myself when it comes to entering competitions. I only enter competitions with prizes and runner-up prizes that I want to win. I won’t buy a qualifier unless I know I am definitely going to enter the comp. Luckily there are so many great prizes in Winner’s Friend that I am still entering well over 20 a week!

I subscribed to Winners Friend magazine a few months ago and I spotted on Oliver’s ‘Off the Shelf’ page, a competition in Exchange and Mart to win an Audi TT Roadster.  This involved collecting three tokens, answering a question and completing a slogan. With three tasks involved, I am sure the number of entries will have been lower than a simple prize draw and decided to give this fantastic comp a go!

As I was considering exchanging my own car, I thought it would be helpful to check out the prices of cars similar to mine, so happily bought a copy of Exchange & Mart for 3 consecutive weeks and collected the tokens.  

The answer to the question was in the text so no problem there.  That just left the slogan.  The opening sentence began “I can see myself behind the wheel of the Audi TT Roadster because…”

Following a joke remark from my husband, David, about the car being topless, I completed the slogan in record time with; “I love driving topless, it’s daring and fun.  Please make me your winner, but don’t tell my mum”, and off it went in the post.

It was Thursday 29^th September, and having a good sort through my ever-growing competition file, I realised that the result of the Audi TT competition was going to be announced the next day.

As David as left for work the next morning I joked how I had better not leave my office all day in case Exchange & Mart tried to contact me – the terms and conditions said they would contact the winner by phone.  He just laughed, and commented, “I won’t hold my breath”.

I could not believe it was really true when at 12.30pm that day, my telephone rang and a man introduced himself as Nolan Mills, the Marketing Manager at Exchange & Mart. I really thought that David must have persuaded a friend to call me for a joke until Nolan quoted my slogan verbatim (my husband would not have remembered it). 

Extremely excited doesn’t describe it, I was leaping around my office and got no work done that afternoon, I couldn’t concentrate! 

Needless to say, David was over the moon and has become the envy of all his friends and colleagues.  In fact, all my family and friends were incredulous and some have been inspired to take up comping as a result of my success.

Just one week after the fantastic phone call, we were on our way to the Audi showroom in Finchley Road, London to attend a presentation, collect the car and drive it home. I must admit, I was very nervous, I think it was a mixture of excitement and disbelief – I just couldn’t imagine actually driving off in an Audi TT!

When Nolan Mills and Richard Neal from Exchange & Mart uncovered the gleaming Audi TT I was gob-smacked, and proud that my slogan had been chosen from over 3,000 entries. 

I have to say I felt quite the celebrity, sat in a gorgeous car, having my photos taken. I drove it out of the showroom, but persuaded my husband to drive it back to our home in Staffordshire, as I was just too excited (as you can imagine it didn’t take much convincing)!

As an added bonus, Nolan was kind enough to advertise my current car in Exchange & Mart. “ It was certainly a genuine reason for sale!

My Audi TT Roadster is now my pride and joy and I can’t wait until the warmer weather this spring when I can drive it “topless”.

So thanks Winner’s Friend (especially Oliver) and Exchange & Mart.  Due to my interest in comping, I finally have the car I have always wanted.”