This week jack o diamonds in Tyler Texas is having some sort of repo sale. They sent out mass mail to everyone with a scratch off saying you “Win 30,000 if you match the numbers above”. To the best of my memory the numbers were 7, 9, 11, 34, 64
We scratched the ticket, and the middle scratch off said we won. We knew it had to be a scam or gimmick, so before we got all excited, we read the rules. The rule about the 30k prize said you had to be 18 and something about having scratched 6 of 30. It was very brief about the 6 of 30 and didn’t elaborate at all so I was just confused about that part. Basically the rules led you to believe all you had to do was claim your prize because you just won.
My girlfriend called jack o diamonds and asked if it was just some sort of scam or gimmick to get us to come to their event. A woman answered back saying no it was not a scam or gimmick, you just had to come claim your prize. We went up there and a gentleman from Dallas greeted us, he sat us down in his office, after we went by the numerous tables in the front where everyone was sitting and had the same scratch off thing I did. I tried to see if it said they won too, but I couldn’t tell. The salesman gave us his spill about the deals that they had going today and asked if we were interested in buying a car, I said “Well if a car is our prize I will be fine with that. Do we have to enter again get our prize today?” He told me I didn’t have to enter, but before we went any further that he needed some information. It was the information that the dealer always gets from you when he tries to make a sale, details about your vehicle, information to get your credit score, your phone number so they can call and bug you, etc. I never did smile because I had a feeling they were trying to just sell me a vehicle. The guy jokingly tried to get me to smile and was all “Cmon man you haven’t smiled once since you’ve been here.” I said, “Yea, because I’m late to work.”. So I asked if I could fill out the information sheet for him, and he told me how they preferred he did it, but I eventually ended up filling it out, I know he would have taken forever. While I was filling it out he was asking about our vehicles, seeing if we wanted to trade them in. Neither of us wanted to trade in our vehicles and at this point were being rather rude. Then I realized, I bet we have to scratch another card to get 6 of 30, so I asked him. He said yes, but we don’t have anymore 6 of 30 cards, we wont have those until tomorrow. (I assume they are told to say this in case you actually want to try for the
30,000.) I told him whatever just give us the chance for the $100 or 3 gold coins. (The prizes were – 3 gold coins, $100, some hybrid car, and 30,000, The rules say you have 1 in 540,000 chance of getting the 30,000, but I assume this is if everyone scratches off the cards and they don’t lie to you and say they don’t have them right now.) We scratched it, and it said we won 3 gold coins(value of $3). He gave us the gold coins and we left.
-Note to self, jack o diamonds in Tyler is a shady dealership with gimmicky tactics. It is sad they have to go this low to get business.
There are quite a number of businesses and or events that serve as cultural staples in our area. Some of those are educational, like the Historical Aviation Memorial Museum or the Hudnall Planetarium, others entertain but are really national draws like the Tyler Rose Garden, and still others, simply serve a function like the Greater Tyler Auto Auction (GTAA). While it’s not the kind of event one might want out of town guests to experience for dinner and cocktails, it is definitely full of local color.