I cannot believe that this scam has been going on for so long. ETV has been broadcasting this program late at night called Brainbox which is more like ScamBox.
When I first saw this show I could not understand what was going on because whenever anyone called the show then, it would sound as if you were calling someone in a tunnel and the presenters did not look or sound South African. Then they changed the presenters, enter “Mandisa”, from YOTV, Pap Idol and now BrainBox. What a change in careers.
The other element is that the program runs for hours on end and people continue to call. I remember someone saying if you want to understand the society you live in. You should walk around at night and watch and listen very carefully to what people do during the dark, then you will learn a hell of lot than during daytime. That is if you survive. What I learnt from observing BrainBox was that a lot of people are in-debt and very desperate for cash, because that is the only reason why anyone would call this show.
I then decided to take my enquiries about the show to the internet after I noticed that the program charges callers a rate R7.50 even if you don’t get through. Which spells SCAM for me, because the producers could put you on hold for years and during that time you will be creating some serious damage on your phone bill in hopes to win their prices. I also observed the fact that questions seem obvious but the answering system is completely unreliable. It is as if there is a guy seating in the studio and whenever a caller gives answers to Mandisa, he would either nod his head yes or no.
It reminds me of SABC1's Win iKhaya which is very questionable but better than Brainbox. Think about, can you imagine how many poor and homeless people buy air vouchers only to send R7.50 text notes to SABC in hopes of winning a home. By the time they announce a winner the channel has already made enough money build a couple. Note that someone in this whole Ikhaya business has to make money, its not the winner. This competition was also reviews by the Lottiers, as to the outcome no one know yet. Anyway moving on.....
On the internet I typed Brainbox on etv, within seconds google had given me links to complains on the program which astounded me. One of the people who wrote online said “The answer given to a competition can in no way be arrived at. It is purely a "game" to make money for the makers. Even the telephone answering system is designed to keep you hanging on listening to the promotion for not less than one minute at a time. We definitely do not need this!”
I then remembered an article in the local paper which was a follow up of a much published SCAM on ITV which revealed that the producers of this call in show participated in actions which criminal in nature. If you typed “ITV call in show a scam” on googled – the first link you get is (http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/10/18/business/itv.phpv) which is an article on this scam. ITV admits fraud. Reading it will amaze you and help you if you’re a fan of the show, that is there is anyone crazy enough to be one.
You can also type in: ETV Brainbox for some very interesting search results.
"all SMS’s are charged at R7.50 and all calls are charged at R7.50 per minute, all calls and SMS’s are charged whether you are selected or not". Do you think this is fare or even legal in your understanding?
I was very surprised to hear Mandisa and the other presenters repeat this words over and over during the program’s broadcast. This is after they used to only write them up on the screen and later changed to having the presenters recite them during their broadcast.
I then tried to find out more about the company that produced the ITV show and during my research I found a write-up by another commentator who responded to a question or query from a concerned South African. His response was “Yes, the South African venture is totally immoral, corrupt and illegal - after being reprimanded in parliament Ostrich seek out viewers in countries where there is a lot of poverty (and therefore temptation to enter easy looking puzzles with impossible answers- even though these puzzles were outlawed in the UK by Ofcom after the intervention of parliament). It takes a complete lack of social conscience/responsibility to be involved in any way in such a blatent deception. Please ask your SA contact to look out for the names mentioned in the credits of Brainbox. I also need to know what other rip-off quiz shows are broadcast in SA re Price and Pearce.”
After reading that I could not believe that etv could be part of this. This is a channel that has one of the most sensationalist investigative program called “3rd Degree” but I kept on wondering why don’t Debra investigate BrainBox because it is a scam. Then I realized why she would bite the hand that feeds her, after all BrainBox is probably paying her salary and perks.
This is an extract which gives an idea of what this ITV show and its producers did, which seems to be the same as BrainBox. "On 24 September 2006, Quiz Call admitted to The Sunday Times manipulating games by blocking callers from taking part for periods of up to 40 minutes. Under headlines of “naked profiteering”, Quiz Call said that on these occasions, it charged thousands of callers a standard 75p premium line fee — knowing that it would give them no chance to answer the prize question. In the Culture, Media and Sport committee held on 28 November 2006 representatives from Quiz Call admitted that one instance of people being put on hold did occur and that the producer responsible no longer works for Ostrich Media."
It continues: "Quiz Call, which once offered a £100,000 jackpot, admitted that the show’s producer was responsible for deciding how long callers had to wait to enter the games. It admitted that Quiz Call had been caught out cutting corners, in using its own staff to pose as prize winners, clutching 3ft cheques in an on-air promotion, though there was no suggestion that any employees had been playing or winning the games."
Brain Box is seemingly based on Quiz Call and e.tv's has drawn criticism from across the country from people who say they can never get through to the call-in show, but the channel says everything is above board.
Bloggers on several Internet websites, like hellopeter and mybroadband, have detailed their grievances against the show, with some angry viewers labelling it "a money-grabbing waste of time".
“But e.tv said the show had paid out over R4 million (approx £266 949) to 5 000 winners. The channel's Vasili Vass said the names of all the winners are on the Brain Box website.”
“One irate viewer said he ran up a R450 (approx £30.03) telephone bill trying to call the show. His efforts were in vain, and he did not get the opportunity to participate”
There must be something very wrong in our broadcasting landscape to experience this continued late night robbery by this channel. This program has been on air for a very long time and nothing has happened, perhaps a reflection of a lack of action on the part of viewers.
Many have written, blogged, called and complained about this show but nothings seems to have happened expect the fact that it is still on air and why you may ask? Well because it is making a lot of money for the channel.
I guess it is a natural progression from porn to robbery.
The Observers Reviews
A scam is a scam even if you call it a GAME SHOW
Where is the 3rd Degree of BrainBox
First you give them porn then you rob them.