Curmudgeonly Contestant Complains...

[chrisholland03]

In this column from The New York Times, a former contestant from The Price is Right claims that she won the "showcase showdown", but never received any of the prizes that she won.  Further, she said that she couldn't get anyone from the show to return her phone calls.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/16/your-money/a-price-is-right-winner-let-down-by-a-showcase-showdown.html

[TLEberle]

Too long, didna read--curious as to why you did the copy and paste when you also provided the link.

[chrisholland03]

Too long, didna read--curious as to why you did the copy and paste when you also provided the link.

Curmudgeonly Contestant Complains...

 

[TimK2003]

Since when did the rules change where someone who wins a prize(s) has to pay the taxes first?

Back in the Barker era, when my wife won some consolation prizes, we were sent an IRS form (1099?) stating the value of the prizes and we were only to declare it on our next tax filings.  We didn't have to pay for the taxes up front in order to get our prizes shipped (although if you won cash, I would think they could arrange take out all taxes first and give you the rest like a regular paycheck) .

And having to pay "taxes" or "fees" before receiving your "gifts" is considered a big red flag, according to all the anti-scam commercials and news reports on TV.

[clemon79]

Contestant can burn in hell before receiving her prizes solely for referring to the end-of-show game as the "Showcase Showdown."

Writer can similarly burn in hell for not fact-checking her.

[Joe Mello]

Contestant can burn in hell before receiving her prizes solely for referring to the end-of-show game as the "Showcase Showdown."

You have a friend in the AV Club

[BrandonFG]

At first I thought she was trying to pull one over, but the fact that it's legit and she somehow slipped through the cracks is bizarre.

ObSnark: Can't wait for some other media outlet to catch word of this and blow it out of proportion and manufacture some clickbait controversy out of it.

[Thunder]

Contestant can burn in hell before receiving her prizes solely for referring to the end-of-show game as the "Showcase Showdown."

You have a friend in the AV Club

This is an awesome quote from that AV Club article.

They don’t give you shit for spinning 60 cents, not even 60 cents.

[knagl]

I edited the original post to remove the entire article that was pasted here.  That's copyrighted material.  You're welcome to link to it, but it violates copyright to reproduce it here without permission from the copyright holder (The New York Times, in this case), and can potentially get the ownership of this forum in trouble for hosting it.

[knagl]

You have a friend in the AV Club

That's a fantastic article.  Thanks for the link.

[PYLdude]

I'm with Tim...what sense does it make for taxes to be paid on prize winnings before you get them?

All I had to do was fill out a form (which I don't remember specifically what it was) and acknowledge what I won, and they sent me the check right quick (like, even quicker than they said- they said 90 days from airing and I think I got it within 30 tape days).

[jimlangefan]

Since when did the rules change where someone who wins a prize(s) has to pay the taxes first?

Back in the Barker era, when my wife won some consolation prizes, we were sent an IRS form (1099?) stating the value of the prizes and we were only to declare it on our next tax filings.  We didn't have to pay for the taxes up front in order to get our prizes shipped (although if you won cash, I would think they could arrange take out all taxes first and give you the rest like a regular paycheck) .

And having to pay "taxes" or "fees" before receiving your "gifts" is considered a big red flag, according to all the anti-scam commercials and news reports on TV.

That's been happening since the Barker Days.  On the old official CBS Price FAQ, they discussed that in pretty good detail.  When I was on Price in '08, you had to win $500 or more for it to be taxed.  I don't know if that's changed.  If it was under that you just got an IRS 1099 to file on your taxes, which probably happened in your wife's case.  You use to be able to make arrangements with them to pay the taxes, but maybe that part has changed. 

[TLEberle]

I'm with Tim...what sense does it make for taxes to be paid on prize winnings before you get them?

My question is more specific: how is it legal? How did it become that The Price is Right became a tax collecting agency on behalf of whoever receives the taxes (CA state or IRS)?

Every book, article, tell-all or fluff news piece has had the same thing: you receive the prizes you don't forfeit and declare it all as income when you file your taxes. Something isn't adding up: either someone is mistaken, something was reported incorrectly: I just don't buy what's going on here.

[PYLdude]

Let me pose the following to those of us who are cash winners on game shows (strictly cash): did you get a straight check, or was it more like a pay stub?

I ask because I'm suddenly curious (mine was a pay stub).

[TimK2003]

I'm with Tim...what sense does it make for taxes to be paid on prize winnings before you get them?

My question is more specific: how is it legal? How did it become that The Price is Right became a tax collecting agency on behalf of whoever receives the taxes (CA state or IRS)?

Every book, article, tell-all or fluff news piece has had the same thing: you receive the prizes you don't forfeit and declare it all as income when you file your taxes. Something isn't adding up: either someone is mistaken, something was reported incorrectly: I just don't buy what's going on here.

Come to think of it, I think the only taxes we might have paid was whatever tax bill we got from the State of California, since it was "earned" in their state, and since I did not live there, a one time payment up front was in lieu of filing a full California state tax return the following January.  Again, this is from 12 year old fuzzy memories.