Telegraph Puzzles Christmas Day

[Muzz]

Did anyone sign up for the free trial on the Telegraph website? I've just logged onto it and looked for the GK Crossword and the Cryptic, but I can't see them. Has anyone else found them? Merry Christmas! Muzz

[BigDave44]

Both are available from the home page or by selecting "Latest Puzzles" from the sub-menu.

[Muzz]

Thanks BigDave. I was looking under 'prize crosswords' as it said in last week's Telegraph that they would be on the website. I've now printed the GK one, which looks like the usual one, and has a prize. However, the Cryptic one looks like it's just a crossword. That'll keep us going for a wee while. Thanks again, Muzz

[BigDave44]

The "Prize Puzzles" to which you were referring are part of a competition only available to subscribers.

Merry Christmas

[BigDave44]

The Cryptic is a prize puzzle. This was in a message sent to subscribers a week ago:

++ The Christmas Day Prize Cryptic Crossword will carry the usual Saturday prizes of a boxed Telegraph fountain pen for three winners plus Telegraph crossword companion notebooks for 12 runners-up. Entry will only be available to Telegraph Puzzles website subscribers. It will be numbered No. 100,002. You can enter in the normal way by printing out the crossword before filling it in and sending to: Christmas Day Prize Competition (DT 100,002), Telegraph Media Group, PO Box 601, London SW1W 0WW, by first post on Thursday, January 6. The winners' names will appear in a message here at Telegraph Puzzles.

[chokkie]

Mnay thanks for the information re the Cryptic prize crossword. I didn't realise that you could complete it and send it in. I did see the messages, but obviously didn't connect the two. Thanks.

[EMor1]

I am having difficulty signing up for the 7-day free trial. I am getting the message ' A system error has occurred, please try again later'. Obviously I cannot open any of the crosswords until I have been accepted as a subscriber. Is anyone else experiencing the same problem?
Thanks

[BigDave44]

It is probably worth trying a different browser. Which one are you using?

[EMor1]

Thanks Big Dave

My default browser is Microsoft Internet Explorer. I have also tried Mozilla Firefox.
Still no luck. I am getting the error message at Step 3 after I enter my postcode.

[Muzz]

Sorry, been away at sister's for Christmas lunch. The GK has the details of where to send it, but the Cryptic has no mention of it being a prize on. Will give it a bash. Time for a glass of wine now though! Thanks again for your help. Muzz

[PhilMcNeill]

Hello, I am the Telegraph Puzzles Editor. Many apologies to anyone unable to take the free trial for the Telegraph Puzzles website. I believe the problem stems from the sheer numbers of people who have taken out a trial subscription in the past two days. I am sorry if you have been inconvenienced. If you have the patience, try signing on tomorrow (Boxing Day) or on Monday. All the Christmas Day puzzles will remain permanently available, and the prize puzzles will not pass their closing dates until January 6 or later. The free trial offer is not limited to a certain period -- you can take it up at any time. Thanks, and apologies again to anyone who has been unable to complete their signing-on. -- Phil McNeill

[Muzz]

Phil, thanks for adding that information. I signed up on Wednesday, and that worked fine (although I would have expected an acknowledgement e-mail, but none arrived).
My only complaint is, as a user, that these prize crosswords don't appear under 'prize crosswords', but I realise they are only on there as prize crosswords, as the newspaper wasn't printed on Christmas Day. And, the cryptic one doesn't give an address of where to send it, but Big Dave has been kind enough to supply that information.

Again, I realise you've sent that information out to your subscribers, but I wasn't one of them last week! I don't know how many people enter the Saturday crosswords but I guess a large majority of them will have signed up for the free subscription, only so they can submit their entries. We're a faithful lot, the Telegraph crossword fans! (I'm referring to GK and Cryptic there).

Right, I've rambled on enough there! Or is it 'ranted'? I'll stick to the hard copy in the newspaper, I think, and leave the on-line stuff to the teccies! Thanks again for taking the time to add to this thread, and Season's Greetings! And now I'm off to try the cryptic one! Muzz