A man has reported BrewDog to an industry watchdog after he discovered the £15,000 ($20,000) can he won was not 'solid gold', as advertised.
The brewery announced earlier this year that five gold-wrapped cans of its Hazy Jane IPA had been hidden in 12, 24, and 48 packs, and winners could claim a 24-carat gold can worth £15,000.
Adam Dean, from Shrewsbury, Shropshire, said he was disappointed to find the prize he had claimed was actually just gold-plated and, he claims, worth less than the proposed valuation.
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As a result, the 30-year-old contacted the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA), which is now looking into his claim.
Speaking to the BBC about the bizarre case, Adam said: "I realised I had won after I treated myself to a can after having mowed the lawn and spotted something glistening away in the case.
"It said on the can 'you've won a £15k 24 carat gold Hazy Jane can'. Once I'd got over the shock I wanted to cover it on my house insurance.
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"I got in touch with the can's makers, Thomas Lyte, who told me it was actually brass with a 24 carat gold plating.
"I had it valued by a jewellery expert. He told me it was only worth £500."
He added: "I'm just totally disappointed and I want it resolved. I legally entered a competition to win a solid gold can but I've not got that. I asked for shares to make it up to £15,000 and BrewDog basically said no, so I called the ASA."
The sales manager said the ASA had asked him for emails regarding the competition and that it was going to 'assess his concerns'.
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The ASA has since confirmed its involvement in Adam's case.
A spokesperson for the body said: "We received a complaint. We're in the process of assessing the complaint to establish whether we need to take action.
"No investigation has been launched at this stage."
But Adam isn't the only winner who has been left feeling a little let down by the brewery.
Mark Craig, from Lisburn, Northern Ireland, was hoping to sell the special commemorative can to help pay for his wedding.
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But with it now seeming as though it's not worth as much as he was hoping, the 32-year-old said he is upset.
He told the Sun: "I wanted to sell the can and contacted BrewDog for any certification they had.
"The certificate they sent said it was gold-plated but they promoted it as solid gold.
"When I contacted them they told me the 'solid gold' claim was an error."
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He added: "When I won I was ecstatic, believing a solid gold can could contribute towards bills and our wedding, which has been postponed until 2022."
A BrewDog spokesperson told LADbible: "An actual solid gold can would cost over a quarter of a million pounds so our £15k valuation was never based on a claim that it was solid gold.
"There was a mistake on Twitter where we accidentally described the cans as solid gold and we have apologised to the winners for this error. Every lucky winner also received £10K worth of shares in BrewDog.
"Importantly, the phrasing in question was never included in the terms and conditions of the competition, nor in communications with the winners.
"As a rare collector's item, the value of the can is somewhat detached from the cost of production materials and we stand by our estimation of £15,000 based on the price we paid for its manufacture, the constituent metal, and quality of the final product, the standard retail mark-up and the rarity and uniqueness of the cans."
Featured Image Credit: Adam DeanTopics: Northern Ireland, Beer