Steve Hildebran purchased two of the B.C. Lottery Corporation's "Blackjack Scratch & Win" tickets from Jimy Mac's Liquor Store in Langley, but when his scratching uncovered a small win a subsequent visit to a local gas station revealed he hadn't won after all.
"I can't give you any money," the clerk told him. "The thing's no good. It expired six months ago."
The clerk's words came as a big surprise to Hildebran because he'd bought the ticket just one day previously, but when the clerk turned over the ticket there was no denying the truth of his words. The expiry date printed on the reverse side of the ticket stated the ticket had expired on January 14, 2014.
"Every time I think about it I get mad," Hildebran said. "I just feel ripped off and the thing is: how many tickets have I bought since January 14th?"
Furious about the unexpected revelation, Hildebran contacted the British Columbia Lottery Corporation and voiced his concerns.
The lottery launched an immediate investigation and sent an investigator out to the offending store, but no further expired tickets were discovered.
In a written statement sent to America's CBS News the lottery said: "This retailer has no previous history of selling expired tickets and has offered to fully refund the player. Retailers who inadvertently sell expired tickets would be subject to investigation and possible discipline."
