Tim Hortons Email Error Leaves Customers Disheartened Over False $60K Prize Promise
Tim Hortons Faces Backlash Over Repeat Contest Error: Customers Mistakenly Notified of Big Win Again
Once more, Tim Hortons is embroiled in controversy after erroneously informing select customers of a major contest victory – marking the second such incident in just over a year for the coffee chain.
On Wednesday, some Canadian customers received an email falsely congratulating them on winning a fishing boat and trailer valued at nearly $55,000 as part of the Roll Up To Win contest.
Subsequently, they were notified of the email’s inaccuracy, leaving them understandably disappointed.
On Thursday morning, a spokesperson from Tim Hortons confirmed to Global News that the erroneous emails dispatched to certain customers on Wednesday were due to ‘human error’.
“Unfortunately, there was a human error that resulted in some guests receiving some incorrect information in their recap message.”
Following an email apology issued to customers on Wednesday, which acknowledged the mistake, it was noted that “technical errors may have resulted in incorrect information” regarding rolls or prizes in a prior email summary concerning the contest.
Andrew Casey, a loyal patron of Tim Hortons, mentioned that he had only recently begun using their app and participating in the contest. He recounted receiving the exciting notification about winning the boat prize while enjoying his morning coffee.
“I was so excited because it was going to be life-changing for us,” Casey, 47, from Trenton, Ont.
Jodie Osborne from Peterborough, Ontario, was among those who received an email from Tim Hortons stating that she had won the 2024 Tracker Targa 18 WT Boat & Trailer. As a single mother of two and awaiting disability benefits following a hit-and-run incident, Osborne expressed feeling deeply saddened and disappointed upon discovering it was an error.
“Nowadays it’s very hard to find enjoyment in any extracurricular activities just because the price of everything, and to win a boat when you live in Northumberland is a massive deal,” she said.
“I’m pretty ticked off at them,” Osborne said in an interview with Global News Thursday, adding that she wants to take legal action against Tim Hortons.
“It’s unfortunate – they’re are a multi-billion-dollar company, and they want to send out this hoax and disregard other people’s feelings. Well, I’m going to disregard their business.”
The company clarified that any prizes won in the contest would have been immediately disclosed when customers played Roll Up to Win. Additionally, they noted that “any high-value prizes would have undergone further verification.”
“The recap email may have also had incorrect information about the number of rolls you earned this year,” the email said.
“We apologize for the frustration this has caused and for not living up to our high standards of providing an exceptional guest experience.”
Tim Hortons’ Roll Up To Win contest has been a tradition for over 35 years, providing an opportunity for Tim’s reward members to win prizes by scanning either their physical Tim’s card or the app when making in-restaurant purchases.
Last year, the company faced a similar situation when customers were mistakenly informed via email that they had won a $10,000 American Express prepaid gift card for the Roll up the Rim contest.
