Story Contest Scam: What Would You Do?

I'm in a pickle, Vocalists. Lend me your wisdom.

TL;DR

I recently entered a short story contest. There was an entry fee, which I know is fairly standard. I paid extra for judges feedback on my entry. The "feedback" arrived today, and it's not feedback on my submission. It's just generic advice, and feedback on the winning entry. I feel sure that's not what I paid for, and I'm unsure what I want from them, or what to do next.

More details

I don't think I'll mention which contest it was at this point. I'm not posting this to be b*tchy. I'm genuinely a bit perplexed and would value your thoughts.

I entered this contest at the end of February. I definitely paid to enter. I also paid a small surcharge for judges' feedback on my entry.

The winners have been announced over the last few weeks. I didn't place. I thought I had a pretty strong, if depressing piece, so it was disappointing, but okay. That's how it goes. I've "not placed" in lots of contests. I'm actually pretty good at it, by now. Vocal alone has given me a lot of practise. I think I'm reasonably realistic and resilient about it. I'd already done some research and found some places that would accept my piece if it didn't place.

The "judge's feedback" arrived today. It's not feedback on my entry at all. It's just generic writing advice, common errors, tips for writing winning entries, etc. There's also feedback on the winning entry. That's not what I paid for, though.

The information on the website accurately reflects their offering now, (I checked this morning,) but I felt sure it didn't say that when l entered.

Back in February, there was a charge to enter the contest, and an optional extra charge for feedback on your piece from the judges. Now it's free to enter your first piece, with a small fee ($5) charged for each additional one. There is an optional $15 dollars extra to

access one page of feedback compiled by our expert Judges in response to the round you have entered, including commonly observed errors, and detailed notes on writing a winning entry illustrated with helpful examples from this round’s winners

I always read the small print before I submit to a contest, and I definitely wouldn't have paid for the offering as described currently. Not least because I think it's a bit of a rip-off.)

Unfortunately, I didn't screenshot it at the time when I entered/paid. I didn't expect it to be necessary, to be honest. I didn't expect them to move the goalposts like that.

I can't remember the exact wording, but it was something like, we can't give you feedback on your piece, sorry, but you can pay us for it.

I've lifted an example from The PAGE Awards:

Let's be clear, I haven't been to The PAGE Awards website before today, and I only went there to retrieve this example. The one I don't remember from the contest I entered wouldn't have been identical to that, of course, but it was close.

I thought maybe I made a mistake. It happens, right? No matter how carefully we think we read the fine print, we all drop the ball sometimes, don't we? I've definitely done it before. Maybe I've gone mad?

It was bugging me, so I went and checked how much went out of my bank when I submitted my entry. It doesn't tally with the current charge at all. Safe to say, it's definitely changed.

What are your thoughts?

• If you paid extra for judges feedback, would you expect it to be on your piece, or just generic?
• Would you contact them about it?

It's not a huge amount of money, so I don't care much about getting it refunded.

I'm not sure I want the feedback from them anymore, either. I mean, in a way, yes, I do. There is a reason I paid for that. I am genuinely looking to get better, but at the same time, it'll leave a bad taste in my mouth at this point. It'll be like I've got special treatment from all the other entrants (even though it's no more than what I initially paid for). I'll feel like a... well, like a Karen.

I can't lie, though. It's really bothering me. It feels unprofessional at best, and dishonest at worst. They present themselves as prestigious, and this is just low effort and not what I expect. I am tempted to give them feedback about this when I cancel my subscription.

What do you think?

If they initially promised judges' feedback, should they honour that for the people who entered prior to any change?

What would you do?

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If you got this far, thank you for reading. I appreciate your comments, and as always, I do my best to reciprocate as many reads as I can.