# Guitar Giveaway Scam Turned Reality > A UK guitar giveaway site wins a Gibson Flying V for 48p after initial scam fears. - Title: Guitar Giveaway Scam Turned Reality · Guitar World | Shortify - Summary: A UK guitar giveaway site wins a Gibson Flying V for 48p after initial scam fears. A UK guitar giveaway site won a Gibson Flying V for 48p after initial scam… - Keywords: guitar gear giveaway, gibson flying v, online prizes, guitar competitions, guitar gear giveaway site, guitar competitions uk, guitar competitions business, Guitar, Giveaway, Scam, Turned, Reality - Source: Guitar World — https://guitarworld.com/gear/guitars/the-truth-about-online-guitar-giveaways - Published: 2026-10-08T11:00:00+00:00 - Read time: 2 min - Topics: guitar gear giveaway, gibson flying v, online prizes, uk, guitar competitions, guitar gear giveaway site, guitar competitions uk, guitar competitions business ## Scam fears I thought it was a scam until a Gibson Flying V arrived at my door. > I thought it was a scam until a Gibson Flying V arrived at my door ## 48p ticket I entered a giveaway for a 2009 Gibson Flying V for 48p. > Tickets were 48p ## Wife's skepticism My wife said it was a scam, but I won the guitar. > Really? You know it's a scam, right? ## Real guitar The guitar arrived safely and was a genuine Gibson Flying V. > It wasn't a Chibson ## Guitar Gear Giveaway Guitar Gear Giveaway is a UK-based guitar competition site. > Guitar Gear Giveaway team (left to right): Dan Russell, Andrew Willett, Sam Boxell, and Geraint Coll ## 2009 Flying V The winner got a 2009 Gibson Flying V for 48p. > I jumped on it ## Business model Guitar Gear Giveaway ships over 125 guitars a month, mostly secondhand. > We ship out over 125 guitars a month, and they're not Squiers ## Secondhand guitars 90% of guitars are sourced secondhand from GuitarGuitar, Andertons, Peach Guitars, and eBay. > Around 90% of their instruments are sourced secondhand ## Early challenges The site faced payment issues with Shopify and Stripe for 500 days. > We were running on Shopify and using things like Stripe and PayPal for payments, which swiftly blocked us and took all of our money and froze it for 500 days ## Post-pandemic growth Users grew from 5,000 to 25,000 in two months after lockdowns. > We went from 5,000 to 25,000 users in two months on the site ## 1952 Les Paul Goldtop The site won a 1952 Les Paul Goldtop for a winner who panicked. > He was having a panic attack ## Panic attack The winner panicked about insurance and value of the 1952 Les Paul Goldtop. > I don't know what I'm going to do with this; my house insurance won't cover it ## Buyout solution The platform helped a winner get £20,000 cash for a modern Custom Shop model. > He could walk away with a cool £20,000 in cash to buy a modern Custom Shop model ## Guitar Gear Giveaway Guitar Gear Giveaway is preparing to put the 1952 Les Paul Goldtop back into a draw in December. > Guitar Gear Giveaway is actually preparing to put the legendary instrument back into a draw in December ## Regulation The UK government created a voluntary code of conduct for guitar giveaways. > The government has stepped in with a voluntary code of conduct run by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport ## Third-party RNG Operators must use independently audited random number generators for draws. > Third-party verified random number generators help keep things as fair as possible ## Government register Players can check if a site is legit using the government's verified list. > The government now has a verified, compliant list of operators listed on official government trade registers ## Responsible gaming Sites must enforce monthly spending caps and restrict credit card use. > Platforms must enforce monthly spending caps, restrict credit card use, and you can even lock your account if things get out of hand ## UK vs US The UK model is hard to replicate in the US due to different state regulations. > The rule set is so different in every single jurisdiction that you can't possibly comply with everyone ## Safety tips Players should verify sites using government registers and third-party RNGs. > Confirm the operator appears on the government code of conduct register ## Key takeaway A UK guitar giveaway site won a Gibson Flying V for 48p after initial scam fears, proving online prizes can be legitimate despite early skepticism.