‘I won £18k in the Level Up Giveaways draw but haven’t seen a penny’

Dafydd Bayliss’ Monday morning blues were instantly cleared when he found out he had won a BMW M3 or £18,000 in an online competition.

The 31-year-old had been participating in the prize draw with Level Up Giveaways for three years, but this was his first win.

A first-time buyer close to completing the purchase of his home chose cash to use for a new kitchen and bathroom.

“I was over the moon,” he said.

But his happiness was short lived. The HGV driver should have received his money in the following days. Even after three months, he was not paid even a penny.

The company’s responses to their requests for payment have also dried up.

Mr Bellis is one of a number of people the BBC has spoken to who say they have been left in the dark by the level-up giveaways.

A racing company based in Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire, has apparently stopped paying tens of thousands of pounds worth of prizes.

The BBC tried to contact Level Up Giveaways to ask about the complaints of Mr Bellis and others, but did not receive a response.

The firm’s website, which offered prize draws including sports cars, luxury watches and even gold, stopped working about 10 days before Christmas.

The firm also offered a free entry system where winners could post an address in Halifax, West Yorkshire.

Mr Bayliss, from Blackwood, South Wales, bought five 99p online entries for the draw on September 15.

She said she spoke to Level Up Giveaways director Anton Hall, 35, on the phone the day after the win.

He recalled Mr Hall being “happy that I took the cash” and confirming that the money would be in his bank account in two to three days.

But nothing arrived.

Mr Bellis sent numerous messages and received occasional clarifications from Mr Hall in the weeks that followed, but payment was not received.

“I’ve kind of given up,” Mr. Bellis said.

“It was the first time I won and it was normal that he stopped paying everyone.

“I’m just numb to it. I’ve got maybe a 5% chance of getting the money.”

Mr Bellis said he had not heard from Mr Hall since November 1, when he told him his bank accounts were “on hold”.

Mr Bayless’s mother Tina reported Level Up Giveaways to Trading Standards and Action Fraud, the national reporting center for fraud and cybercrime in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Mrs Bellis said she believed her son’s case was “just the tip of the iceberg”.

“He’s taking your money and not paying – it’s like pulling the rug from under your feet.

“I just feel really upset that someone is allowed to do this.”

Insurance broker Scott Boyle, from Wakefield, won £1,200 in the Level Up Giveaways competition in May, which will be paid out over 12 months.

He received five months of payments, but they were stopped in October.

Although the company was generally “really responsive,” she has not heard from him since October despite sending multiple messages.

“It’s disgusting,” he said.

“A lot of people have won huge amounts of money. If I won that kind of money, I’d be absolutely devastated.”

Meanwhile, Manchester-based Phil Harkins is waiting for the 20g gold bar he won in the Level Up Giveaways prize draw from October 18.

“Something needs to be done about it because you can’t treat people like that,” he said.

Mark McCurry, a restaurant manager from Belfast, won £600 in cash in the draw on October 9.

The 36-year-old father had previously met people who had won cars in Mr Hall’s competitions, leading him to believe the business owner was “reliable”.

He said the Level Up Giveaways experience had “killed” him.

A spokesman for Trading Standards West Yorkshire told the BBC they had received seven complaints about level-up giveaways in prize draws since 2022, including unpaid winnings.

The spokesman said the company was not being investigated due to “limited resources”.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said they were not authorized to comment on inquiries about named individuals.

According to Companies House, Level Up Giveaways were instituted in March 2019.

Its social media pages boast of having drawn more than 5,000 winners and awarded £5m in prizes.

In the past, happy customers have left stories of winning life-changing sums on review website Trustpilot, but some recent reviews have been less glowing.

In a video update posted on social media on December 6, Mr Hall said he “had to take time off”.

He added, “I was completely overwhelmed by the problems that were going on with my personal life and business.”

Mr Hall said he was “still trying to fine-tune the level-up giveaways” and added: “I intend to return to the draw in the near future.”

“I’m just going to stay in my lane with small rewards. I’ve tried to run wild with rare encounters. I’m just not in a position to do that.

Mr Hall apologized for the “lack of communication”, but did not say if, or when, people might receive their rewards.

Despite promising to contact his pursuers “as soon as possible” in its latest update, the BBC has yet to speak to Mr Hall.

“It doesn’t say what’s actually going on, it’s just smoke and mirrors,” Mr Bellis said.

Asked if he had a message for Mr Hall, Mr Boyle said: “Pay what people are owed and paid to win in good faith.”

If you’ve been affected by Level Up Giveaways, you can email your experiences to steve.jones06@bbc.co.uk.

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