"Scratch and win - your fortune awaits" - we've all seen them, cards and coupons promising riches beyond our wildest dreams, handed out if we spend a certain amount on our shopping.
The free cards can be enticing, but people have different ideas about whether they are worthwhile. Some people go out of their way to pick one up, while others think they are an easy way to make shoppers buy more, or collect information about them.
The interesting thing is that it seems no matter where we come from our likelihood of pursuing the sugar-coated offers is virtually the same. A survey by Gulf News shows that all nationalities have a very similar distribution of views.
For example, a roughly equal proportion of people in each cultural group believe they could benefit from such a scheme if they play often enough.
What's more, there are similar proportions in each group who think they are unlucky, as well as those who regard the promise of prizes as a money-spinning trick.
Sometimes the coupons are given out to shoppers if they spend a certain amount of money in a shopping mall, supermarket or petrol station. Gulf News went to various centres around Dubai and interviewed a cross-section of shoppers of different cultural backgrounds to see if they took part in the promotions.
Rajab Disouqy Genawi from Sudan said he is an optimist and believed in the concept of luck. That's why he always fills in promotional coupons after shopping.
"In spite of the fact that I have never won, I think it's worth it as the more you try, the more likely you are of being a winner. It is a matter of luck and I always hope that I'll be lucky."
But he added that the promotion would never affect his choice of supermarket. "If a shop happened to be giving away the coupons then I would take one, but I wouldn't go out of my way to get one."
Sushma Vase, an Indian, believes she may be from a lucky family because her mother won a Porsche car in a promotion held at Dubai Duty Free a few years ago. And last year she won an expensive gift from one of the shopping malls in Dubai.
"I like the idea and I believe it's worth doing. The moment I get the coupon I fill it in and drop it in the box, but I'm still waiting for some success. It does attract me to the supermarket, I chose this shop as it is offering a prize promotion."
Mohammed Ali Mohommed Hriz Al Shihi, a UAE national, said he never accepts the coupons because he doesn't believe in such things. "I regard it as a form of gambling," he said.
Sylvia Markham from the UK described the promotion as an 'interesting gimmick', but believes it is a trick by the supermarkets to make people spend more money.
But she added: "Having said that I always fill in the coupons. I may win one day and it's worth it if it costs nothing to take part."
Jaad Al Raab Ramdan Abaas, a Sudanese national, is beginning to think he is just plain unlucky. He claims to have completed around one hundred of the prize coupons without winning anything.
"When I get any coupon after spending money, I fill it in and think that I must be closer to the time when I actually win a prize," he said. "I've been unlucky so far, but it won't make me give up. I will always use any opportunity to win a free prize."
Abdeen Mohammed, another UAE National from Dubai, said he has tried several times in the past.
"I used to complete any coupon I got while shopping but I never won a big prize. The last time I played was when I spent Dh 1,000 in one of the shops. They gave me a coupon to scratch and win. Guess what I won - a packet of chewing gum!"
He believes that such promotions are a waste of time, and is sceptical about the value of prizes
"I have never heard about anyone winning any top prizes. I'd like to know if anyone ever wins them, who are these people? I've heard of people winning things like soft drinks, caps, T-shirts or tissue boxes. But I don't believe they give away cars or jewellery or anything expensive."
Seya Hassan Mustafa said that she always learns from newspapers and TV and through other kinds of media about people winning cars, homes or millions of dirhams. For this reason, she trusts these coupons and raffles.
"I tried several times but I never won. However, I believe in luck so I will keep on trying." She added that she has a feeling that coupons given to people for spending a certain amount of money in a shop is often a shallow promotion.
Javed Iqbal said he spends too much money on raffles and admitted prize coupons attract him to certain shops. But he has never won. "I will keep trying because I have a feeling that I will win one day."
Gulf News
