A businessman who tried to raffle off his £570,000 house has vowed to refund thousands of people after scrapping the competition at the 11th hour.
Philip Leckie had been due to hold a prize draw for his luxury five-bedroom house in Airdrie on Sunday but pulled the plug due to a lack of ticket sales.
The 51-year-old, currently living in Singapore, has vowed to “repay every penny” after scores of punters left angry messages on social media.
He told the Record yesterday: “I won’t stop until everybody has got every pence back.”
Leckie said he came up with the idea of raffling off his home in a bid to try to realise its true value and raise cash for a local hospice.
He offered 62 Alexander Street complete with all its contents.
Adults could apply for a free postal ticket in the Drawahouse competition and increase their chances of winning if they purchased additional raffle tickets online for £2.50 each.
At the time, Leckie said the prize would be drawn on Sunday “no matter how many people enter”.
But in a video posted on YouTube over the weekend, he said: “While there was a massive reaction in pre-order and commitment to tickets, only one third have ultimately paid for those tickets.”
St Andrew’s Hospice said it did not operate the competition.
It added: “We regret any disappointment caused to participants who purchased tickets because of the intended donation to our hospice.”
One ticket buyer posted online that Leckie was “in breach of his own terms and conditions”
