Contents:

 

Introduction

Who We Are

Our Promise to You

Skill Events

Transparency

Agreement to These Terms

Updates to These Terms

Eligibility

Excluded Persons

Health Concerns

Ability to Participate

Pre-sale Period

Groupon & Other Discount Sites

Treasure Amount

Participation Cutoff

Scheduled Dates

Start of Hunt

End of Hunt

Duration of Hunt

Next Hunt

Purchasing from Us

Treasure Shares

Promo Codes

Upgrading Shares

Combining Shares

Teams

Social Distancing/Covid-19 Restrictions

Gifting Clues

Transferring Clues

Alterations to Advertised Hunts

Refund Policy

Calculating Co-ordinates

Location of Clues & Final Treasure

Cemeteries

Not Indoors

Possible Danger

Private Property

No Digging

No Climbing

Purchasing Answers

Photographic Evidence

Finding the Treasure

Left Over Treasure

Authentication

Photo ID

Awarding the Treasure

No Substitutions

Taxation

Risk Acceptance

Communication & Involvement With Other Persons

Suitable Behaviour

Universal Interdictions

Our Entitlement to Compel Compliance

Non-divulgence

Technical Difficulties

Games, Opinion Polls, Competitions & Campaigns

The Recording & Usage of Your Image

3rd Party Sites & Other Assets

Social Media Promotion & Communication

Intellectual Property

Restricted Permission of Usage

Disavowal of Assurances

Restricted Accountability

Settling Disagreements

Lawyers’ Costs & Interest Amount

Presiding Law

Exclusion of all Other Locations

Contractual Concurrence

Uncontrollable Events

Severability

Termination of Service

Mistakes, Omissions & Obtainability

Notification

Renunciation

Questions

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Introduction

 

Welcome Marauders!

Congratulations, you are about to embark on the experience of a lifetime!

We are very excited to be hosting virtual treasure hunts (or “hunts”) in various cities and towns across the UK, and worldwide, where, for a fee, the participants search online for places of interest within each city or cities, and in addition are able to search for something referred to in these "terms" as "treasure". The first person(s) to legitimately find the treasure online will be known as the "finder", and awarded a prize up to £40,000 (or even beyond) also referred to in these "terms" as "treasure".

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Who We Are

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“We” are a registered business, incorporated in London, England under the name of Real Life Treasure Hunts Ltd. (otherwise referred to in these “terms” as “we” or “us”, and anything belonging to us, as “our”). 

Our registered office is at: 71-75 Shelton St, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9JQ.

We prefer to receive correspondence by email.

Please email all correspondence to: team@reallifetreasurehunts.co.uk

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Our Promise to You

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We strongly believe in honesty, integrity and accountability. These may be virtual hunts with a virtual treasure to search for, but a REAL prize WILL be awarded. We will do our upmost not to screw up, but if we do, we'll say so, and we'll apologise.

We will treat you with respect and request that you do the same.

Our motto: "We do solemnly swear we're NOT up to no good!"

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Skill Events

 

We organise virtual treasure hunting encounters. The main goal of these events is for the entrants to have fun whilst searching online for places of interest within each host city or cities. To add to the excitement level we have incorporated into each hunt the additional possibility of finding an online treasure whilst racing against the clock with other competitors. When participating in our hunts you will be required to draw on your best puzzle solving prowess to decipher the riddles and hopefully progress through the hunt to the final treasure location. You are aware that these hunts are not lotteries, prize draws, games of chance, or marketing campaigns for our services or goods. You acknowledge that your involvement in a hunt does not in any way ensure that any prize (or "treasure") will be awarded to you. You are also aware that you can only progress through the hunt by using skill and judgement to solve the cryptic clues, and  you will be required to make mathematical calculations to reveal the map coordinates of the locations you need to find.​ The treasure finder(s) of our hunts will ultimately be decided by a number of factors, including but not limited to: the mental dexterity of the entrants, the speed at which they can process the necessary information and their ability to come up with the correct answer once they find the search location online.

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Transparency

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We have nothing to hide (except for the treasure of course). Within 48 hours of each hunt ending, we will provide detailed explanations for the solving of each clue, along with the exact locations and photos of what you were searching for, including the final treasure. Within one week of each hunt ending we will also release a full list of winners' names, area of residence and amount received. All details will be posted on our websites and social media pages.

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Agreement to Terms

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Prior to purchasing anything from us, be sure you have read and understand all of our terms and conditions (otherwise known as “terms”) as they not only regulate your use of any of our websites (or those we manage) but also your involvement in any of our hunts, and your use of any clues or map coordinates you have bought from us, or will buy from us in the future, and any further clues or treasure you may find as you take part in these hunts. Incorporated into these terms are the official rules of our virtual hunts. If you do not understand any of these terms be sure to have someone explain them to you. If any discrepancies exist between these terms and our FAQs, then these terms will override the FAQs. By purchasing clues, and/or taking part in any of our hunts you acknowledge that you have read, understand and agree to abide by all of the terms set out here and accept all resultant legal ramifications. If you do not agree to these terms either partially or in their entirety, you may not purchase clues from us or take part in any of our hunts.

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Updates to These Terms

 

We may update these terms at any time with or without previous notification. Any updates will be posted on our websites and will come into effect the moment they are posted. The most current version will supersede all previous versions. It is your responsibility to check these terms often to see if they have been updated. It is imperative that you read all updated terms. You must agree to abide by all updated terms before you resume any of our hunts. If you recommence, you are held by the updated terms. If you do not agree to any updated terms you must immediately cease all involvement in our hunts.

If you violate any of these terms we may file charges against you. You agree that we are not impelled to, and won’t under any circumstances offer you any reimbursement whatsoever if you are found to be in violation of these terms.

 

Eligibility

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To be eligible to purchase clues you must be of legal age in the province, territory, state or country where you live. You must also be a minimum of 18 years of age. You may purchase clues provided your credit card is accepted, and you reside in either the UK, Canada or USA (except where prohibited by law). All entries will be void where prohibited. Due to certain legal conditions, residents of the Republic of Ireland are excluded from entering. All residents of the UK are eligible (except for Northern Ireland). Residents of the United States & Canada may also compete, except for those in the following areas: the province of Quebec, the state of New York, the state of Colorado, the state of Maryland, the state of Nebraska, the state of North Dakota, the state of Florida, and the state of Vermont, but please do so via our sister site: www.reallifetreasurehunts.ca  Residents of all other countries are currently excluded due to regulations on skills contests and tax concerns. If you are unsure please contact us for clarification.

Please be advised that our websites, social media pages and the clues are currently only available in written English. We apologise in advance to any French speaking Canadians, and all other non-English speaking individuals. As the clues are written in rhyme they are not something that will easily translate, we also do not currently have the resources to translate all the necessary web pages and documents into different languages, and we hope you understand. If you are unable to read or fully understand written English, we strongly advise against purchasing clues or participating in our hunts. Being able to understand the clues is a crucial part of participating in our hunts. Also, as it is a requirement that you read and fully understand all of these terms before purchasing, you would therefore be in breach of these terms. 

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Excluded Persons

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The organisers of our hunts and both former and current employees or representatives of our company are excluded from participating, along with their direct friends, family members and any one they live with. If we discover that this rule has been breached, we will notify them as soon as possible and request that they cease hunting immediately.

Children are not permitted to purchase clues but may assist their parent or guardian that has purchased clues themselves. We have done our upmost to ensure that these are fun and family friendly events. However, it is solely the parent/guardian’s responsibility to ensure that this is a suitable event for the child under their supervision to assist them with. You agree that we will not have or accept any liability, obligation or responsibility whatsoever for any harm or loss that may be sustained by any child or children under your supervision while you participate in any of our hunts. Children may not collect the treasure and you do not need to purchase clues on the behalf of children if you allow them to assist you.

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Health Concerns

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You agree that prior to taking part in any of our hunts you will make sure that you, and anyone assisting you, are in adequate condition to join in, and if you have any health conditions or concerns that may prevent you from, or be aggravated by, using a computing device and key pad, you will ask the advice of your GP as to whether they recommend you may participate.

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Ability to Participate

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Our hunts will require you to perform numerous online searches. If you are elderly, disabled, or a particular ailment prevents you from performing certain physical or mental activities, you agree to ask the advice of your GP as to whether they believe you have the ability to participate.

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Pre-sale Period

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Before official sales begin for each of our hunts, for a short time we will offer pre-sales. During the pre-sale period we will only have a proposed launch date for that hunt. Once a pre-determined amount of sales has been reached we will announce that pre-sales have ended and an official launch date will be advertised on our websites and social media pages. However, clues will still be available to purchase right up until all of the treasure is found. 

During pre-sale our prices are heavily discounted by 30%, meaning you can buy in for as low as £2.80 for a 10% “share” & £28.00 for 100% (see Treasure Shares). If you want to take advantage of these amazing savings, act fast, as they are only available for a very limited time.

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Groupon & Other Discount Sites

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From time to time we may run special promotional offers on Groupon and other similar discount sites. Whenever that is the case, the discount offered will be off of our normal sale price, and not off any already discounted prices such as pre-sale price. You may not combine discounts and only one discount may be used to reduce purchase price at any given time. You may of course select whichever discount gives you the greatest saving.

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Treasure Amount

 

Provided we reach our minimum sales quota, we will have a guaranteed minimum treasure amount of £10,000. As we continue to generate sales, we anticipate that this amount will increase but make no assurances that it will necessarily do so. Any potential increases will be based solely on the sale of clues. We will update our websites and social media pages with each increase as, and when, it occurs. The treasure amount may continue to rise, right up until the time of the launch. 

If revenue permits, we will continue to raise the treasure amount up to £40,000 or even beyond. We therefore encourage you to spread the word by sharing on social media and telling as many people about this hunt as you can. Quite simply, the more clues we sell the higher the treasure amount will be! In the unlikely event that we do not reach our minimum quota one week prior to the proposed launch date, we will postpone the hunt until such time that we do. If the hunt is postponed, all previous sales are eligible for refund or credit towards a future hunt.

A guaranteed final treasure amount will be announced immediately before the hunt starts, and no further increases will be made after this time. There will only be one treasure amount awarded for each hunt to the skilled hunter(s) that are first to find the treasure. There are currently no additional prizes. The treasure amount may be split between entrants, dependent upon the fee paid to participate (see Treasure Shares).

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Participation Cutoff

Entrants permitted to take part (see Eligibility) may purchase clues at any time until all of the treasure has been allocated to a finder or finders. At this time, we will announce that the hunt is over and clues for that city's current hunt will no longer be available to purchase. Any sales made between the time the whole of the treasure amount is allocated and the purchase window closes, will be refunded. Everyone will receive the same set of clues and map coordinates, despite when they enter. However, you acknowledge that if you purchase clues after the hunt has commenced, you may put yourself at a disadvantage, as you will have less time to find the treasure than someone who starts hunting right at the launch. If you do start late, there is an option to purchase some of the answers, allowing you to "catch up" (see Purchasing Answers).

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Scheduled Dates

 

All of our upcoming hunts will be listed on our websites and social media pages. For each host city or cities there will be an allotted start date and time. We maintain the authority to alter, postpone or cancel these as we see necessary. If we do so, we will post the changes on our websites and social media. If we feel the need to make changes to a hunt that you have already purchased clues for, you will also be notified by email and your entry will be valid for any of our upcoming hunts. New cities and dates may be added from time to time, so check back regularly to see if we will be hosting a hunt that is of interest to you.

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Start of Hunt

 

At the allotted start date and time for each of our hunts, if you have purchased to enter that particular hunt, you will receive by email a set of clues and map coordinates. This is the moment that your awesome adventure begins!

 

End of Hunt

 

Each hunt will end at the moment we have allocated all of the treasure to a finder or finders.

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Duration of Hunt

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Each hunt will continue until the treasure is found. It is impossible to say exactly how long that will take. We suspect it may be found during the course of a long weekend, but ultimately, it will depend on the skill and endurance of the participants. As these are virtual hunts the duration will likely be less than if it was a physical hunt, but having said that it could take hours, days or weeks. If we feel it is going on for too long to remain interesting, we will release hints to speed things along.

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Next Hunt

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​Our next virtual hunt will be set in London, UK, incorporating places of interest in and around London. Proposed date for this hunt is March 26th 2021.

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Purchasing from Us

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We do not gather or save any payment card information. If you decide to purchase any merchandise or clues from us, you will be asked to provide the info directly to our 3rd party payment processor, who will complete the transaction on our behalf. The use of your private details is regulated by their Privacy Policy. Payment processors must abide by strict rules laid out by the PCI-DSS which, in turn, is managed by the PCI SSC (a joint effort of the major credit card companies), helping to ensure the safe processing of your payment details. The personal details you will be required to submit in order to complete your purchase may include, but are not limited to: your full name, email address, credit or debit card number, expiry date and CVV or CVC number, the billing address of the payment card and the shipping address of the recipient (if any merchandise is to be delivered). You maintain and affirm that you have a legal entitlement to the payment method used for any purchases, and that all personal details you provide to us are accurate and unabridged. By purchasing from us you afford us the authority to supply your personal details to 3rd party payment processors to fulfill the transaction. We currently use Wix and Paypal for the processing of all online purchases. If this changes, we will update it here. If you are not comfortable supplying your payment information to a 3rd party processor via a link through this site then you may not purchase any merchandise or services from us. The payment processor will also collect your IP address and details of the order to be fulfilled (such as purchase price, order date etc.) Once your payment transaction is completed, the processor will relay the details of your order back to us so that we can then fulfill it (minus of course any payment details). Our payment processors implement many security controls to protect your details such as encrypting all sensitive data sent, received or saved, using the HTTPS protocol, and by salting and hashing passwords using bcrypt. For more information, please read our Privacy Policy. This will explain which personal details we collect, what the information is used for and your options when you purchase. 

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Treasure Shares

 

We want these hunts to be affordable for everyone that would like to participate, so we have prices to suit every budget. Basically, the more you pay to enter, the higher the treasure amount will be if you find it. When you purchase your clues you also buy treasure “shares”. These “shares” do not automatically entitle you to a share of the treasure, but if you are the finder, you will receive the amount in the treasure fund multiplied by the percentage (or “share”) that you bought in at. Our full price is £40 with a 100% share of the treasure fund (should you be the finder). If you feel that this amount is beyond your budget, you may decide to purchase clues for a lesser amount, but you will not be able to receive the full amount of the treasure fund. Clues + 50% share costs £20.

If you buy in at this level and find the treasure, you will only receive 50% of the treasure fund, which if we reach our target of £40,000, would equal £20,000. Shares are available at 10% increments with the lowest being 10% for £4 and the highest 100% for £40.

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Promo Codes

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In addition to our pre-sale discount, from time to time we may give away free entry or extra discounts to our hunts via promo codes. Please use the code at checkout to reduce or cancel out any balance owing. Whenever we make these offers available, promo codes may be combined with pre-sale discount, but they are limited to one use per person. You may upgrade if you wish (see Upgrading Shares) but you may not use the promo code more than once. If you purchase again using the same code, the discount will be applied, but your treasure shares will be downgraded in our records by the amount equivalent to the discount. You will therefore not gain any advantage by attempting to use the promo code multiple times. If you are the finder, you will receive the treasure amount equal to your combined treasure shares, less the percentage equal to any multiple use promo codes. To avoid disappointment and to ensure you receive the full amount of treasure you are entitled to, please limit promo codes to a one time use.

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Upgrading Shares

 

You may upgrade your shares at any time before the hunt starts. For example, if you buy in at 50% you can upgrade to 100% by buying an additional 50%. In order to upgrade, you will have to purchase additional “shares” from the same email as all previous purchases. Otherwise, they will count as separate entries and you will not be able to combine them (See Combining Shares).

You may upgrade as many times as you like (before the hunt starts) up to a maximum of 100%. Once the hunt starts we will continue to sell clues, but the option to upgrade will no longer exist. All new purchases made after launch will be "locked in" at the initial purchase level. Purchases made prior to commencement will also become “locked in” at the exact time of launch. Therefore, any shares bought after launch in an attempt to upgrade will not count towards your total, and you will only be eligible for the percentage of the treasure fund equivalent to the total percentage of shares you have already purchased.

 

Combining Shares

 

Separate individuals may not add their treasure shares together to increase the combined value. Nor may you combine your own shares with those you gifted or transferred to someone else. The amount claimed can only be the total percentage purchased by one single individual for themselves from one email address. There is a slightly different policy for teams. (Please see Teams for more explanation on this).

No individual or team may claim more than a 100% share of the “treasure” fund.

 

Teams

 

You may by all means join forces with other individuals, but in order to claim the treasure, each individual must have their own set of clues and be able to provide a valid proof of purchase. This will not only prevent you from infringing on certain terms and conditions, which could otherwise lead to disqualification, but will also ensure that you receive your cut of the treasure if your team are to find it.

It is recommended that each team member buys in at the same percentage of treasure shares, otherwise the treasure would be paid out at the LOWEST percentage held by ANY member of the team, and then, rather than splitting the amount equally between the members, they would each get a different amount relative to their own percentage level. The easiest way to prevent this is to register as a team. To do so, first of all, choose a name for your team. Next, decide among you, which percentage share you want to buy in at. Finally, each team member must purchase a set of clues from our site, selecting the percentage level you all agreed on. At checkout, be sure to submit the team name and all member's names and email addresses, so we can connect you all as a team.

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Social Distancing/Covid-19 Restrictions

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By taking part, you agree to follow at all times, all current national and local guidelines and restrictions regarding Covid-19 that relate to your particular situation, wherever you may be. This includes social distancing, self isolation and the wearing of face coverings where required to do so by law. You must also adhere to all regulations with regards to travel restrictions. If participating in a team you you may only be physically present with those people that the laws relating to your whereabouts allow. For example, members of your own household or support "bubble". If you are unable to be physically present with any members of your team due to social distancing or self isolation rules you may communicate with them via other means such as phone, private message, email or even video conferencing. Just be mindful not to share any information with anyone not taking part as that would be a breach of these terms.

 

Gifting Clues

 

You may by all means gift clues if you so wish, but you agree to first check that the recipients are eligible to participate (see Eligibility). To gift clues, purchase them from our website and then send us an email with your gifting instructions, quoting your invoice number and including the name and email address of the person you want to gift them to. We will then take care of the rest. Be sure to send the email request, as without it, you will receive the clues instead of the gift recipient. This option will not be available after the hunt has started. You may not gift clues to minors under any circumstances.

 

Transferring Clues

 

If after purchasing your clues you find you are unable to participate but your refund window has expired, you may transfer your clues to a friend or family member. You agree to first check that the recipients are eligible to participate (see Eligibility)  then send us an email with your request, quoting your invoice number and including the name and email address of the person you would like to transfer your clues to, and we'll take care of it for you. Unfortunately, after launch day this option will no longer be available. You may not transfer clues to minors under any circumstances.

 

Alterations to Advertised Hunts

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You acknowledge that whilst we will do our upmost to ensure that all of our hunts go ahead as advertised, due to the possibility of unforeseen circumstances beyond our control, we maintain the authority to alter the time, date, venue, purchase price, reschedule or cancel altogether, any advertised Hunts. If we reschedule or cancel a hunt for which you have already purchased clues, if you request a refund and are eligible (see our Refund Policy) your refund will be issued minus the processor handling fees. If you are not eligible for a refund, we will honour the full amount of your purchase price as full or partial payment towards any of our future hunts.​

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Refund Policy

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Due to the initial uncertainty of an exact launch date or treasure amount, refunds will be available at any time during the pre-sale period. Once the pre-sale is complete which means a guaranteed minimum treasure amount has been established and an official launch date set, then all prior sales will become final. All sales made after this point will be eligible for refund for a period of 7 days after purchase, or until launch day, whichever comes first. 

All sales made after launch day are final, with the one exception of any sales made after the exact time all of the treasure has been allocated.

If after purchasing your clues you find you are unable to participate but your refund window has expired, there is an option to transfer your clues to a friend or family member. (See Transferring Clues).

If a refund is made, you will receive back your original purchase price minus credit card processing fees for both transactions. To request a refund please email:

team@reallifetreasurehunts.ca stating your name and order number.

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Calculating Co-ordinates

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You will be provided with map co-ordinates for each of the clues in the format of latitude first and then longitude. The initial set of map coordinates will be accurate enough to get you to the approximate location of the 1st clue (or at least close enough to help you find it on a map). Once you have solved it, the answer will be either four numbers or four letters. If it is four letters, you must next convert those into numbers using the puzzle key provided. It will be emailed to you along with your clues and can also be found in the training clue section of our website forum, and on our social media pages. It is important to keep the numbers in the same order as the corresponding letters. When you have your four numbers, separate them into 2 sets of two digits (1st two and last two). You are now ready to proceed to the 2nd clue (be sure to complete all clues in order). The coordinates provided for clue 2 will not be accurate for the location and will need to be recalculated. To do this you must complete a fairly straightforward mathematical calculation. You will be instructed to take the 1st two digits from answer 1 and either add them to, or subtract them from, the last two digits of the incorrect latitude coordinates. You will then take the 2nd two digits from answer 1 and either add them to, or subtract them from, the last two digits of the incorrect longitude coordinates This can be done using a pen and paper, or if you prefer, with a calculator. If you do use a calculator, be very careful to put a zero followed by a decimal point, in front of the two digits you are adding or subtracting. If calculated correctly, the new co-ordinates will get you to the approximate location of the 2nd clue (or at least close enough to help you find it on a map). You will repeat this process for each subsequent set of coordinates. The last 4 clues will not have any coordinates (unless you decide to purchase them). You will need to solve them from the clues alone. Instead of using their answers to form coordinates for the next clue, the answers to the last 4 clues will be used to form four new sets of coordinates for the final treasure location. You will connect the 4 points to form a box which will be your search area for the treasure. It is a little tricky to explain all this in words, and sounds more complex than it actually is. You should get the hang of it pretty quickly once you start working with the numbers. We advise you to take full advantage of the training clues to make sure you have mastered this process before the hunt starts. If you find yourself struggling with any of the calculations there is an option to purchase some of the answers. If you decide to do this you will also be provided with the coordinates for the next clue (see Purchasing Answers). Please use your common sense, if your recalculated coordinates point towards a location out of the search area, or a different city entirely, they are obviously incorrect and you should try again. If your calculating is correct but they are still pointing to the wrong location, then your answer to the previous clue could be incorrect and you may need to resolve it. Bear in mind that the coordinates are only approximate and do not lead to the exact location. You should merely use them as a starting point for your search and then expand out from there using the clue as a guide.

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Location of Clues & Final Treasure

 

As theses are virtual hunts, the treasure and all of the clues may therefore be located absolutely anywhere with very few restrictions. You are not required to, and are strongly advised not to, physically visit any of the clue or treasure locations as some of these may be in dangerous areas or on private property. All locations except for the very first are to be calculated by deciphering and answering previous clues. All clues must be answered in order and they will be located within the general search area announced at the launch, for the city or cities you are participating in.

Here are some guidelines as to where they may or may not be situated:

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Cemeteries

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From time to time some of the clues or even the final treasure may possibly be located in cemeteries, graveyards or memorial gardens, etc. We understand that some people may find this disrespectful, but this is not a view that we share. We feel that if, for example, we set a clue as a name from a grave marker, we are honouring the memory of that person and helping to immortalise them. In the same way, we feel there would be no greater honour than to refer to someone as a "treasure" and are sure that they were treasured by their loved ones.

 

Not Indoors

 

They will be outdoors - no clues or treasure will be located inside any buildings. (At least until further notice).

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Possible Danger

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As these are virtual hunts, it is possible (but still unlikely) that some clues or treasure may be located in areas the would be considered dangerous to physically visit. You acknowledge that you do not need to physically visit any of the locations and agree that under no circumstances will you physically search anywhere dangerous, including but not limited to:

In, under or above any water source, including but not limited to: lakes, ponds, pools, streams, rivers and oceans.

Anywhere you would be required to climb to retrieve them.

Anywhere where there is a risk of you falling from a great height.

Anywhere in the path of moving vehicles including but not limited to: roads, highways, runways, race tracks, train tracks and cycle paths.

In or around electrical boxes.

Anywhere next to exposed wiring.

In or under any dangerous vegetation, such as stinging nettles, poison ivy, blackberry bushes, rose bushes, etc.

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Private Property

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As these are virtual hunts, some clues or treasure may be located on private property or grounds. You acknowledge that you do not need to physically visit any of the locations and agree that under no circumstances will you physically search anywhere on private property, including but not limited to: private residencies, condos or apartment buildings, business premises (including grounds), factories, schools, or anywhere you see a "No Trespassing" sign.

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No Digging

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As these are virtual hunts, you do not need to physically visit any of the locations. There is therefore no need for digging of any kind. In fact, digging is not only unnecessary, it is dangerous and expressly forbidden. There are thousands of cables and pipes buried beneath the ground within each of the cities where our hunts will take place. You agree not to do any digging whatsoever.

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No Climbing

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As these are virtual hunts, you do not need to physically visit any of the locations. There is therefore no need for any climbing. Climbing is dangerous and is forbidden. You agree not to climb on anything during the hunt.

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Purchasing Answers

 

If you are struggling with a particular clue and unable to make any progress, we suggest that you persevere and try looking at the clue in different ways. You may just need a slightly different perspective and it will suddenly “click”. If you are indeed really stuck there will be an option to purchase the answer to a clue for a small fee, but it will be limited to 1 answer per 24-hour period since launch. This option is open to everyone and will become available as soon as the hunt has been active for the first 24 hours. Once active, there will be a link on our website showing which numbered answers are available to purchase. This option will give people a chance to “jump start" their hunt if they join in late after the hunt has started. The cost is £5 per answer. You may find it useful if you are having difficulty calculating the co-ordinates, as you will receive the answer to the clue you have purchased as well as the calculated co-ordinates for the following clue (see Calculating Co-ordinates). If you purchase any answers you will not need to provide photographic evidence for the location of the clues you have purchased answers for, provided you purchase them from the same email address that you used when you purchased your original set of clues (see Photographic Evidence). This option will not be available for the last four clues or final treasure location. You may purchase the map co-ordinates only (if needed) for any of the last four clues for $5 per set, but you will still need to solve the clues and acquire photographic evidence for them.

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Photographic Evidence

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You acknowledge that you, or an official member of your team, must provide us with an image of every answer and every clue location including that of the final treasure. This is to be done via online searches only as you are not required to physically visit any of the locations. The only exception to this is if you purchase any answers from us (see Purchasing Answers). As part of the authentication process, the finder will be asked to provide photographs taken of each answer (except any purchased) and the final treasure, as proof that they have solved each of the clues. You will require at least two photos at each location, one of the answer to the clue and another of the location. These may be screen shots, downloaded images, or photos of photos, but please make sure they are of fairly good clarity and readable.

Without this photographic evidence the treasure will not be awarded. We therefore highly recommend that you take photos of the answer to each clue as you find them, and follow whatever measures you see fit to protect those images. You agree not to send any images to us (unless you are the finder and we request them), post them online or share them with anyone who is not an official team member of yours, as that would be a breach of these terms. We will only require them at the end of the hunt if you are a successful finder of the treasure.

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Searching for Treasure

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In order to reveal the approximate location of the treasure you must correctly solve all of the prior clues and accurately calculate and follow all of the map coordinates. After successfully solving all prior clues you will be lead to your final destination. This will not be an exact location but more like a general search area. The final clue will describe what you are looking for. It will represent a treasure of some kind. It is NOT something we have physically hidden, it is pre-existing.

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Finding the Treasure

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The first person to correctly identify the treasure and send to us, via email to: team@reallifetreasurehunts.ca (put "treasure" in subject line) a description in full detail of exactly where and what it is, will be known as the "finder". The exact time and date that we receive the email will be the time that they are deemed to have found it. Emails must be sent from the same email that you used to purchase the clues. If you use a different email, we will not be able to verify your purchase and your submission will not be considered. Any shares purchased from the email used to send the correct treasure, after the exact time that the “treasure” email was received from them, will not count towards the finder’s total . You agree not to email any photographs to us until we request them from you, as this may clog up our system and could delay answers from getting through. We will not reply to any incorrect entries. Even if you are the finder, you may not hear from us right away. Our team is normally available between 9 am and 9 pm, so answers sent outside of those hours will likely be scrutinised during the following period. Answers sent during normal hours may also not be viewed right away. The length of delay will depend on the time of day sent and how many other submissions we receive during that period. Please bear with us, we will endeavor to review all answers as quickly as possible. Unless you are 100% certain that you have found the correct treasure, we encourage you to keep searching until we have informed you that you are indeed the finder. If the finder does not have 100% treasure shares they will not be notified right away and the hunt will stay active (see Left Over Treasure).

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Left over Treasure

 

Once we have verified that a finder has located the treasure, we will ascertain their total percentage of shares. If we discover that they have less than a 100% share, the hunt will remain active. They and any additional finders will not be notified until all of the treasure fund has been allocated. Whatever amount is left over in the treasure fund after the first finder’s share has been allocated, will remain available for the next finder of the treasure. The total amount of the treasure fund will continue to reduce in this fashion until the whole amount has been allocated. At this point the finders will be notified of their allocated treasure amount, and will be required to submit correct answers to each clue and photographic evidence for each location. If any of the finders are unable to provide us with all of the correct answers, photographic evidence for all locations (except any purchased), or are found to have broken any of these terms, then the portion of the treasure fund that would have been allocated to them will not be awarded and it will “roll over” to the next hunt.

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Authentication

 

The finder (or finders) will be contacted by email within 24 hours of the entire treasure amount being allocated. At this time, the authentication process will begin and they will be required to provide us with correct answers for each clue and photos of each location (see Photographic Evidence) by return email. Finder(s) must provide requested information within 24 hours of us contacting them or their share of the treasure will not be allocated. Once we have allocated the entire treasure amount to finders, we will announce that the treasure has been found, and the hunt will end.

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Photo ID

 

The next step of the authentication process is for all finders to provide us with a photo ID as proof of age and identity. You agree to provide us with a current, valid photo ID if you are a finder of the treasure, and acknowledge that without this no treasure will be awarded.

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Awarding the Treasure

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After the authentication process is complete, provided that the finder(s) have not violated any of these terms, they will be awarded the announced treasure amount for that city multiplied by the total percentage of treasure shares they purchased to participate in the hunt, up to a maximum of 100% of the treasure amount. Under no circumstances will any one individual or team be awarded more than 100% of the total treasure amount advertised for the city they were participating in. With regards to teams, each legitimate team member will receive an equal share of their entitled treasure amount to be determined by the amount of treasure shares each member purchased. All finders will receive their allocated treasure amount by our choice of either a cheque or electronic bank transfer, within seven days of authentication. At our own discretion, cheques will be awarded in person by one or more representatives of our company or by registered mail. If any of the finders are determined to be in violation of any of these terms they will face immediate disqualification and will not receive the treasure. If we discover these terms have been violated by any of the finders after they have been awarded the treasure they will be legally bound to return to us the full amount they received from us. Should they not be able to return the treasure amount to us in a reasonable time, simple interest will begin to accumulate 30 days following the date any amount owing becomes due at a rate of one half of a percent each month, or the highest rate permitted by any relevant laws, whichever is the greater, until such a time that the total amount owing including all interest accrued is paid in full.

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No Substitutions

 

The treasure will only be awarded exactly as described by either cheque or electronic bank transfer to a verified finder or finders. It may not be substituted, and is nontransferable to another person. But hey, if you really want a chest full of coins, we can point you in the right direction as to where to spend your winnings!

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Taxation

It is the exclusive culpability of the finder or finders to remunerate all taxation relating to the treasure they are awarded.