Matthew Wilson
Turns out a lifetime is shorter than many thought. Several Publishers Clearing House winners are understandably angry after not receiving their promised lifetime payments. That’s due to the company going bankrupt.
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What happened: Publisher Clearing House declared bankruptcy back in April. However, it didn’t inform the winners that it was going out of business. An Oregon outlet KGW8 investigated what happened to the winners. Many are angry they’re not longer getting their money.
Winners speak out: “Why didn’t somebody give me a heads up? [Say], ‘Hey, we’re going out of business,’ ” former winner John Wyllie of White City asked. “It’s not a good way to treat anyone.”
Wyllie is out of $260,000 a year. He won Publishers Clearing House in 2012 and depended on that money every year for retirement.
“This feels like a nightmare. I thought this was going to go on for the rest of my life, so I didn’t really have to worry about money,” he said before adding that he has been having trouble finding work and will likely lose his home.
Publishers Clearing House Winners Speak Out
Meanwhile, Matthew and Tamar Veatch only won in 2021. Both are facing a tough new normal.
“It’s cruel,” Matthew said. “It’s worse to say you’ll get this thing and your life will change forever, [and then say] ‘Oh, but sorry. No, it’s not.’”
The previous winners feel blindsided. Publishers Clearing House filed bankruptcy without warning them.
“It’s unfortunate there was no warning,” Matthew told the outlet. “The big letdown for me is that we trusted them.”
Meanwhile, ARB Interactive bought Publishers Clearing House in July. They want to bring back the sweepstakes.
ARB Interactive bought Publishers Clearing House out of bankruptcy in July and stated that they plan to run sweepstakes under the Publishers Clearing House brand name.
“At ARB Interactive, we are committed to restoring and preserving the trust that has defined the Publishers Clearing House (PCH) brand for decades,” a representative from ARB Interactive wrote in a statement.
Howerever, they don’t plan on paying past winners anymore money prior to this July.
“We recognize the impact this has had on past winners and the disappointment caused by the bankruptcy process,” the ARB Interactive rep continued. “As part of the acquisition, ARB also contributed a substantial cash payment to the bankruptcy estate.”
