eurovision RTE and Eircom Rip Off

patrickmooney

Hey all,

I hope this is the right forum to post this. I heard on this mornings news and read in todays Indo that all of us who voted in Saturdays Eurovision (at 15c a pop) did not have their votes counted. Eircom couldn't provide RTE with the results in the time permitted, so RTE used the votes from a "backup" jury. This means thousands of us who voted wasted money in doing so. What I want to know is why RTE haven’t admitted to this yet (I've rang them) and who has pocketed the money. I've already been into O2 for a refund (they're investigating the issue).

What does everyone else think?

TenLeftFingers

I didn't watch the Eurovision, but that sounds Irish enough to be true. Pathetic, fair play for kicking a stink up too!

patrickmooney

It's on the RTE site now :
They still appear to be keeping it under the carpet. Not many will notice this!

http://www.rte.ie/arts/2003/0526/eurovision.html

RTÉ is conducting an investigation into why the Irish phone vote wasn't ready in time for the results of Saturday night's Eurovision song contest.

Ireland was third in line to call in votes and a decision was taken that if the record of the phone vote wasn't ready by the time the second country were giving their results, then the vote of a back up jury would be given.

Eircom say their phone results were on time but as a gesture of goodwill they are not going to charge for the calls.

Tenshot

Okay, so when do we get to see how different the phone vote was from the backup jury's selection?

With only three points separating the top three, it could easily change the final result.

patrickmooney

Well thats just it! Offical EBU rules state that after 3mins of voting, RTE have to Fax through initial votes. If they change after the 5 min voting period, then they re-submit. That way the EBU know who's won before the first country gives their vote. Now I'm sure if the televote's had been counted, we would have given say tATu more then 3 points, say for example 8points, that would have meant Russia would have won overall by 1point, rather then loose my 3.

Could it have been fixed?
Eircom insist they provided RTE with the results. RTE deny this. No other news channel is picking up on this. Could it be a media blackout? I tried to raise the point with the Gerry Ryan show today, they never returned my Call. The service provider, Eircom Response wouldn't answer any calls today. Most people aren't even aware of this. Could RTE be covering it up? I wonders.........

de5p0i1er

Eircom said they would refund all the calls, would you trust them?

p.pete

Originally posted by de5p0i1er
Eircom said they would refund all the calls, would you trust them?

No, wouldn't trust them. If I cared about the Eurovision and if I had voted then I would also be looking for further compensation for not being able to have my say.

Elmo

The back up jury gave Austria 10 points??????

But pamla flood did well on the night.

Winters

Originally posted by Elmo
The back up jury gave Austria 10 points??????

Maybe they were pissed?

I think people gave Austria points for the entertainment value of there song. come on, i laughed.

Elmo

The back up jury must all have been againist the War on Iraq, as well.

Or maybe we should just all go out a buy the UK losing single.

Fence

Originally posted by patrickmooney

Eircom insist they provided RTE with the results. RTE deny this. No other news channel is picking up on this. Could it be a media blackout? I tried to raise the point with the Gerry Ryan show today, they never returned my Call. The service provider, Eircom Response wouldn't answer any calls today. Most people aren't even aware of this. Could RTE be covering it up? I wonders.........

there is an article about it in the Irish Times today, small one. Says that they had the back-up JIC there was any problem and although they did have the actual votes from the phone poll RTE didn't get them before a certain deadline they fixed themselves.

Cya
Fence

sceptre

Originally posted by Elmo
The back up jury gave Austria 10 points??????

Ah, I didn't know that. Explains Terry Wogan's comment about the lunatic fringe being alive and well in Ireland. Just in Montrose it seems.

Ro

Seems the Russians aren't happy with Eircom either...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/2947872.stm

Channel One "officially declares that it discredits the voting results of the Eurovision song contest 2003", it said in a statement.

The channel broadcast the show in Russia and is a member of the European Broadcasting Union, which runs the contest.

If Ireland's public phone vote had been able to take place, Tatu may have got more points, it said.

Snowball

Originally posted by de5p0i1er
Eircom said they would refund all the calls, would you trust them?

well, they said they would not charge for the calls. A big diferance. I suppose its up to the people who voted to complain if they do.

three

I voted on my mobile on Saturday and I got text message from meteor saying they've refunded my money.

embraer170

At first I was pissed at that news but at least it probably prevented T.a.T.u from winning

Now I am just wondering what on earth the jury was smoking to give Austria 10 points?

Cork

Meteor are also refunding costs of calls.

Ireland is not great with technology. Was there not troble with "Your A Star" votes?

Did somebody panic reading the text voting manual?