Contests & Sweepstakes Tips, Advice, and Questions
 

The intent of this thread is for users, both new and not-so-new, to ask questions, and help with tips/advice. This is not by any means the "gospel". Please feel free to add your words of wisdom, and if you have questions, just ask! If you have a tip that will make sweeping easier for folks, please feel free to share. This is a community effort. We all will benefit in some way.


The Basic Advice/Tips for the new-to-sweeping folks.
Enter for the items you want/need. If you have no interest in trips, avoid the sweeps where the only prize is a trip. If you know you can't afford the tax on a new vehicle, avoid entering for those.

Set up folders in your bookmark/favorites. Create a separate one for each month, and file any sweeps you are interested in into the folder corresponding with when it ends. Then, if you have a day where you're pressed for time, enter at least the ones ending that day.

Play the instant win games.

Follow the rules! If a sweep is restricted to only females, a certain age group, certain states, etc, make sure you fit the criteria! If you don't, move on to another sweep that you do qualify for. Do not create a bunch of email addresses so you can enter something more than once, or so you can play an Instant win game more. The Sponsors can tell, and will DQ you. You're better off playing by the rules than cheating and getting disqualified and having NO entries.

Don't immediately dismiss essay required sweeps (or recipes, photos, etc)....well, unless you know you don't want to write something. A lot of people pass on them, so you might have a better shot at winning something.

Don't expect this to be lucrative enough to become a job. Yes, a lot of us win, and often, but not nearly enough to quit a job!

Expect things to go slow at first. It takes a while for the wins to roll in. But once they do...look out!

Expect to occasionally hit a dry spell. It happens to ALL of us.

DEFINITELY USE YOUR REAL INFO! If you use a fake phone number, and a sponsor is calling to notify people of wins, you'll never know what you missed out on. I, and many others, have been doing this for a long time, and we have no problems with sales calls. Also, use your real name. If your name is Robert or Catherine, using Bob or Cathy is ok, as they are known acceptable shorter versions of that name. if your name is Matilda, and you go by Fluffy, don't use Fluffy. Looking at your ID to get an affy notarized, they may reject it because the names don't match. The sponsor may also say "Fluffy won, not Matilda". So stick with using your real name, or something close to it.

Most of all, HAVE FUN! And don't be afraid to ask questions. We were all new to this at one time. Any one of us would be happy to answer questions.


For easy form filling, check out Roboform [roboform.com]. Google Tool bar and the autofill feature on IE also work well.

For Mac users, the best form filler is 1Password: http://agilewebsolutions.com/products/1Password (thanks javaFlower!)

FireFox Form Filler browser extensions: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/...ll&cat=all

To set up the autofill feature in IE: Click on Tools, then internet options, then choose 'content'. When that pops up, click on "Autocomplete", and make sure to check the boxes for forms and passwords on forms. This is not a good idea if you are on a shared/public computer!

February 17, 2009, 3:10 am: System Notice: This thread has been automatically renewed after reaching a post limit. Most of its content has been moved to this thread for reference purposes.

July 12, 2010, 3:23 pm: System Notice: This thread has been automatically renewed after reaching a post limit. Most of its content has been moved to this thread for reference purposes.

This post can and should be edited by users like you :)
 

Before we had this thread, limpstar posted this site for info on sweeps & taxes in the I Won Thread:
All About Sweepstakes Taxes
http://contests.about.com/od/taxe...gtaxes.htm

Also consider talking to your tax preparer and/or researching further into your tax responsibility.


I have found this page helpful in understanding some of sweep's law - a sweeps law co.'s site:
The Lustigman Firm; Attorneys at Law
http://www.sweepstakeslaw.com/
The Lustigman Firm provides experienced legal counsel that helps protect the business interests
of its advertising and promotional clients around the United States and Canada

What does " age of majority in your state or province " mean?
(sometimes abbreviated as AoM+ )

it's the legal age of that state or province...

The Age of majority is the threshold of adulthood as it is conceptualized in law. It is the chronological moment when children legally assume majority control over their persons and their actions and decisions, thereby terminating the legal control and legal responsibilities of their parents over and for them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_majority

there's a list by country and by US State there....

For most purposes, the age of majority in the U.S. is 18,
except for 2 states with the age of 19 (Nebraska,Alabama)
and one state with the age of 21 (Mississippi)
and two (American Samoa and Puerto Rico) that retain 14 as the age of majority.
Occasionally PA is listed under the 19+ or 21+

~javaFlower

Regarding missing prizes
If you were expecting a prize you've never received you can complain 1st to the sweepstakes administrator, then to the sweepstakes sponsor and finally to USPS Postal Inspectors

https://postalinspectors.uspis.go...laint.aspx

-Kotik


ePrize Contacts
bob.marsh@eprize.com - Bob Marsh, Senior Vice President, Midwest Region, Phone: 248.543.7522
darlene@eprize.com - Darlene Morris, Business Manager, Phone: 248.543.7403
alesya@eprize.com - Alesya Opelt, Vice President, Marketing, Phone: 248.543.7440


Occasionally a....less than ethical sweep will get posted.
You might end up finding unauthorized charges on your phone bill. Unauthorized charges on the phone bill are what's called "Cramming". Once you contact the company that's charging you, and you have requested your phone company remove the charge, if you so choose, you can file a complaint with the FCC.

FCC Online complaint form: esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm

You can also file your complaint with the FCC's Consumer Center by e-mailing fccinfo@fcc.gov or calling 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) voice or 1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322) TTY

You can fax your complaint to 1-866-418-0232

Or by snail mail:
Federal Communications Commission
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Division
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20554.

I also recommend a 3rd party block on your line to prohibit this from happening. 3rd party blocks don't affect your phone in any way, except by not allowing some company outside of your local phone company from adding charges to your bill.


Slickdealers on Twitter
(I don't really know where is best to start this list, but I decided to just start it here. If anyone thinks we should move it somewhere else, please do so.)

SD name	Twitter name
kdka421	k8fenner
Starbelly	Lunachique
dodgers77449	michael0902
bari	barifromsd
blueeyeleo

Slickdealers on Facebook
(Hopefully, it is allowed to post this here. If anyone thinks this link should be deleted, please do so.)
You can find the facebook slickdeals sweepers in this group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/310504039006252/




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This post can be edited by most users to provide up-to-date information about developments of this thread based on user responses, and user findings. Feel free to add, change or remove information shown here as it becomes available. This includes new coupons, rebates, ideas, thread summary, and similar items.

Once a Thread Wiki is added to a thread, "Create Wiki" button will disappear. If you would like to learn more about Thread Wiki feature, click here.

A sweeps can ask for your SSN as part of identifying you as a US citizen, too, which more & more sweeps are doing. They also sometimes ask in an effort to prevent one person winning multiple prizes under fake identities. It is most commonly collected for their tax purposes, though. Tax law requires sweeps to do a form for prizes given with a value over $600. but you can be sure that companies claim all prizing as expenses and keep track in order to prove them as legitimate expenses.

You (and your parents) need to decide if the company is legitimate and if the prize is worth risking giving your SSN to.
(Teen Vogue is published by a what is considered a reputable company, I would think.)

Yeah, okay. I'm nervous too because i only have 4 days to reply to the email and only 7 days to send out the affidavit. And since i emailed the address in a non-reply i hope they don't get confused or anything.

It's Teen Vogue, a well known magazine. I personally would have no problem giving them my SSN.

Can anyone post a guide for entering contests on Twitter? I found some last night, but I'm not sure I am doing it right.

try searching this thread with the word -twitter-
I seem to recall that some guidance has been posted in this thread already.

Why are all twitter parties for women only?
 

I've found the easiest way to win prizes is to be in those twitter parties, but it seems like they're all for women only. It's hard for me to crash those parties and try and pretend I'm a chick

I've found the easiest way to win prizes is to be in those twitter parties, but it seems like they're all for women only. It's hard for me to crash those parties and try and pretend I'm a chick LOL

I looked last night, but I was up late cause I couldn't sleep so maybe it just didn't make sense to my tired brain. I will look again. Thanks

Just a few quick questions for anyone who doesn't mind answering. :look:

I started into the sweepstakes/instant win game thing a few weeks ago. I probably do about 200-300 contests a day in my spare time around work and the kids. I know it will be several months or even more before I see a big one (if I even see one at all.)

My main question is about IWG's. When do most of you play them? I have heard that you should play at like 2-3 AM if you want any chance of winning, but that is just not something I can do everyday. Is it possible to win at other times of the day and if so what times are second best?

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help. I know this must be an annoying question and I apologize.

i always play IWG first thing in the morning when i wake up 7-9 . and i do decent when it comes to winning. some wins i got maybe noon to 1. 2-3 is only most likely to win since not many people are up and if its an hourly IW or they give away a lot of prizes per day. other times its timing. you can probably spread out your games during the day and see what times you usually win something and play around then.

i havent won anything majorly huge. biggest win was probably 500 bucks and second biggest was a portable dvd player but i have won a lot of stuff between 50 and 150. sometimes i like the cheaper prizes then the more expensive ones lol.

OH. Apparently, they only need my SSN if i want to send PICTURES of myself wearing it to them...
I just needed to reply to the email with my contact info to claim my prize. Here's how they put it in the winner's notification email/the first one:

"We’ll need you to reply and confirm your receipt of this e-mail and also provide us with your full name, mailing address, phone number, and size (XS, S, M, L) so we can send you your prize. We would also like to ask you to please send us a photo of yourself wearing your new Collection B jacket – we would love to show how great it looks on you on the Collection B website! Please send photos to SweepsSupport@condenast.com.
In addition, attached is an Affidavit that we will need you to sign and mail back. We must receive the original copy of the Affidavit before we send you your prize and please note, it must include your social security number and it must be notarized. "

I think that was pretty poorly put. But i'm happy i'll be getting it.

Posted this a while back, posting again:

http://slickdeals.net/?sdtid=8360...ntests.htm << basics of what you need to know.

Twitter Tips:
- Read the rules
- Look for the ORIGINAL tweet on the sponsors page to make sure you're tweeting the right thing. (I don't recommend just copying someone else's tweet because they might be Tweeting a contest that already ended. It happens a lot. Better to keep track yourself.)
- Hitting "ReTweet" on someone's tweet (who's not the sponsor) does NOT show up in the sponsors mention feed, unless they're using a program like TweetDeck, etc. (if that's how they're choosing winners). you're 'forwarding' that persons tweet per se to all your followers. (Referring to the NEW style ReTweet)
- Use lists to keep company twitters/regular ppl organized.
- Use your favorites list to keep track of contests.
- You can tell when sponsors pick winners randomly or based on creativity. They'll usually tell you so pay attention
- DON'T spam a contest (post them numerous times, consecutively).. you'll risk getting blocked, filtered, or suspended.

P.S.
I'd also recommend not copying every single post someone makes or hitting ReTweet on all their Tweets. You may get blocked ;)

I have a question about twitter, I completely new to it, how do you show a sponsor you tweeted?
I see people giving links like this- http://twitter.com/username/status/00000000000

below your message you click on where it say "..minute ago". Then you just copy and paste in the URL

Question. Today hubby listened to voicemail that said something about UPS delivering a package on 6-17-2010. Someone needs to be home between 8am and 7pm to receive package or a notice will be left on door. He thinks it said a package from T-Mobile. He DID NOT write down the tracking number and then promptly deleted it before letting me listen. Soooo...no package and no notice on the door. I have searched for "t-mobile" but can't figure out which sweep it might have been. Anyone else get something today from a tmobile sweep - haha? Also - any possibility I can get a tracking number from UPS? I called and the agent said no, but have other people had success? I guess I have to wait and see if they deliver it again...

Bah!

Hi all. I am new to sweepstakes and contests. I was in a car accident on April 27th and thought this would be a nice way to pass the time. I wanted to thank you all for all the great posts and.............. I won something!! Not big, but it was soo exciting to see a win!!!
I won a free jar of Pace today and $10 Best Buy Rewards from McDonalds. YAY!!!!!!!!

i'm not seeing any winnings and i've been entering everyday for the last two weeks, i feel like giving up on sweeping. my question is how many sweeps do you enter each day or week and out of that how many times do you win?

i enter like 70 iwg a day give or take. some months are better then others. sometimes i go a a couple of months not winning anything worth while and other times i can win something good once or twice a week.

play the SoBe IWG cause no one ever loses that lol

Touche, I haven't won yet...have been on vacation and only attempted twice--got bogo coupons both times.

Ummm, per the rules, the BOGO is a win............

You are so helpful to all of us:nod: I know you just haven't had the time to check out those pesky rules.

Now off to Target when they open to get more Sobe (hopefully with WIN codes and not "YOU LOSE"-last batch, had 4 of the game caps and only one winner.)

okay...
 

I'm an old pro at this... Master of none and so on though.
There ARE folks who will tell you the best time to play IWG's is at early morning hours & there may be some truth to that in some cases.

HOWEVER, I have won many, many valuable instant wins- playing during more reasonable hours. I've won from many large companies- everything from electronics to vacations on IWGs and I can tell 'ya I don't do much sweeping after midnight because that's my personal cut off.

People will constantly barage (sp police step in) you with tips and tricks they may swear by or that work for them consistently. Don't fall for it- you have 2 factors to consider, 1- if they KNEW how to win 'em all, do you really think they'd give out THAT to a complete stranger? I mean I'm a nice person- but, it's a Me world in my house! 2. EVERY sweeps is operated by different individuals, businesses, marketing agencies, promo agencies and so on. As such- each methodology for each sweep, can also be just as different. It is more of a numbers game than anything else... The more you enter- the more chances you have to win, however- there is also a human factor because most newer sweepers typically don't read the rules, which you will see written to do time and time again. Rules vary constantly, get changed or can just be read differently by different folks. Entering more than once on the blue moon, second week, 3rd monday of every month that has said circumstance could void your entry if they wanted only for you to mention the blue moon.

Find a method or system that works for YOU- don't try to take advice from strangers. Again, if they knew the secret to winning them all- they wouldn't tell you. (don't worry- I don't & believe most others don't either!) You will find often- the masses can be severely wrong- which helps greatly when YOU make choices on your own. Don't always trust them to tell you the truth or know it if they see it. I heard forever Readers digest is a scam, they will spam you- blah, blah, blah... Um, my shiny new car in my driveway came from them & not a lick of mail, phone calls (other than the win) or spam has come before, during or since I got that.

Try to filter for businesses whose names or agencies you do know, and work from there in a method that is reasonable and comfortable for you. I say this because if you don't do it that way- you will quickly lose interest during dry spells. It's hard to stay into it when you get a tshirt & pad of paper after a year or so... But, if you can stick with it- You will get a reward down the line if you do it long enough. The sun shines on a dogs behind & all... Eventually, it just has to happen.

I have a question for those who have experienced something like this.

A few weeks ago I won a fliphd video camera from hostess:
http://slickdeals.net/forums/show...&t=2007256
However, it came via ups requiring a signature while I was on vacation for two weeks and I just got back to find that the 5 day waiting period has expired and that it has already been shipped back but is still in transit. I didn't get a email for the win so I don't have anywhere/anyone to contact. Any advice/ideas on what I should do? The rules say that if the prize is returned undeliverable it may be void.

you should probably email the contest people and explain you were away. they may resend but might wind up charging you postage or something not sure. or depending on where the "in transit" is if its still in your state maybe you can call UPS and see if they can send it back.

You can look at the contest rules to see who the judging agency is and then go to their website and use the "contact us" link. HTH :)

Bauer Publishing Group Contact help!!!
 

I have been contesting since 1995 and my daughter started about a year ago, She has done pretty well but has run into a snag with Bauer Publishing contests. She won 2 contests off one of their sites, a movie projector and a Gossip girl tour. They were won in Jan and Feb of this year. The wins were confirmed by Bauer at the time but 20 plus emails or so later nothing was received.
Does anyone have any contacts other than the published ones on the companies web site or the magazines site???

I sure feel weird being in a twitter party. It's all women talking about gal stuff and I'm just there playing along LOL

Not anything that isn't online already, but...

I usually suggest you find contacts for customer service and some marketing/ad exec/peeps.
A polite email copied to a few of them usually gets some action.

Here are some pages with some contacts that MAY work for you:

http://www.bauermedia.com/standort_usa.0.html
http://www.bauerpublishing.com/Co...ct_pr.html
http://www.bauerpublishing.com/Co...orial.html


If you like phoning, the main phone for them is Tel.: 1 (201) 569 - 6699
- with any luck, they can direct you to someone who can assist you!

This guy looks like a good bet for the marketing/ad guy:
http://www.bauerpublishing.com/Co...hnbio.html
http://www.bauerpublishing.com/Co...sales.html

I'd copy in similar people at the particular magazine, if possible.

ALSO, if you can copy the emails to the ad/marketing person and customer service of the brand of the prize, that can help.
Prizes are often a method of advertising and the prize brand usually will be concerned and try to get action too.

Good Luck!

Bauer publishing is a VERY well known company and they WILL deliver...

Sometimes there can be snags behind the scenes you aren't aware of. I think of my own- which was a significant win years back, it took nearly 6 months of calls & emails to finally get it resolved and in my hands. I found out later, that business portion was sold (it was a major company) to another, and I'm thinking perhaps they were debating whose lap it landed in to cover ME.

Here's MY methods of collecting- I'll do polite some time, then- we have to do what we have to do. I'd email and suggest to them that if not resolved within 2 weeks that you will report them to the states regulation boards. Most states monitor sweeps- I'm in FL & they are huge about protecting us floating idiots from the big old companies that will pounce on our stupidity. I've only had a handful (out of 100's) of wins I'd say were more difficult than average to get the prizes in on. Then, I've had a few- one recently, where I wasn't even TOLD I'd won until MONTHS later, recently it was one from JAN! When I first got major into it online- I had one send me a notice nearly a YEAR after it ended! lol. Such is the life of a sweeper... It happens. Chin up and move on- look to the next ones.

I've won from Bauer and I'm trying to think off the top of my head- but, I don't remember ever getting notices of wins, they just 'came' in the mail. I'd have to dig to see if I got a larger one- generally trips they will wait until it's about a month before to send more info. I had a trip win one year- for the following year, I didn't hear a peep until right before time to go & then I finally got a package with money, tickets and such to go. I think sweeping takes an extraordinary amount of patience & understanding. Sometimes, we're as green as the companies doing them!

Where are you guys finding 70+ instant wins to play each day? I've found maybe 3 max today... LOL

click on the "instant" flag to the left of an instant game thread
or at the bottom of the page on the left "Filter by Category" and it will show you all the instants.

Anyone ever have a contest tell them you would have to go into local office to pick up a prize (because they won't ship it directly to you)? I'm beginning to have a weird feeling about a win of mine, that maybe its just a sales come on or something. I know for a fact that is how those laser hair removal scams begin. I've also had a bad experience with a contest by treck bikes, where they told you to go into a retailer, then the retailer had no idea about it and wouldn't let me redeem prize coupons. Anyone else have exp with something like this?

Thank you ;)

In my experience most Radio Stations you have to go in and collect the prize yourself...

I'm not going to do anymore blogger giveaways. They have way too many requirements just to have a fair shot at winning it. Uh-uh, not worth my time.

I have won every big prizes I own from blogs this month I won a freezer, a flip camera slide,roku box, trimmer for the yard and some other really nice prizes got some tips if want on blogs send me dm if like and good luck stick with blog u have much better odds then any other contest.

I agree. Also a lot of blogs are run by well meaning people and not companies. This means less to lose if they don't fulfill a prize. I think their is a higher chance you might not get a prize from these types of contest. I think time to enter is a very valid reason for ignoring contests.

Wow! Care to sprinkle some good luck around? :D I've entered a ton of blogs and never won anything like that ever. I do prefer blogs to twitter though - I don't notice the same winners over and over and the rules are clearer.

Yes fill us in! It would be nice to have a tab under contests for blogs.

How does one go about finding Twitter giveaways and sweepstakes? Is there a section of Slickdeals that has those contests? (I tried searching...)

what is the best way to win an instant game[ making your chances greater]

Play when you have time to do so, assuming they are honest and truly random you have equal chances to anyone else. When you start altering your daily life then you have taken things too far.

whats the best way to organize 1 entry contests that you've already entered? is the ignore thread the best way?

Unlike dailies (where marking threads is pointless), I recommend you type 'thanks'--that way when your logged in a bulb will appear next to the post indicating you have written something in it. That way you quickly and accurately know which ones you have entered.

For dailies doing the same thing will just confuse (you) and annoy people. I would set up a series of bookmarks in your browser sorted by end date. You can then remove expiring contests and rotate in new ones easily. Or alternatively you could just do them 1 by 1 and go through them page by page (though a bit harder).

oh cool. didnt know about the bulb thing. thanks for the tip implode. gl to everyone

delete wrong section

Anyone ever get king size reeses coupons from FB game?

i actually asked about them yesterday on their facebook page and they said they are currently working to get them sent out.

here is there repsonse:

you read my mind, i was thinking about that win, i want my reeses.

Are there any twitter parties that guys can participate in? I'm getting bored talking about women's underarm

oh great, now the twitter party is talking about pregnancy test. I'm not even sure what I'm suppose to talk about

you can test the effects of a guy peeing on the stick :lol:

So basically your simulating the boy scout experience? I think I've peed on enough sticks/trees out in the middle of no where to say enough is enough.

I just won a prize from Maxim and it's under $600 dollars, but on the affidavit it has a space for my SSN. I wanted to make sure I could just write, "Under $600." or something similar and I would be ok? I know I have read something similar to this a while back, but I just wanted to make sure before doing it.

Oh on another note this ends my two plus month long drought!

Congrats!

No, every sponsor can have their own requirements. Your best bet is to contact them first and ask if SSN is required. Even though it may be less than $600, they can still require the SSN.

I won a DVD from them and they refused to let me omit my soc #, they also wanted me to send it back overnight mail w. tracking and notarize it. Can you say not worth the risk and money? With my costs of notary and mailing I could have bought the DVD myself. Looks like maxim employees want to pocket the promo items, instead of giving them out. Whole thing left a very bad taste in my mouth toward them.

I lost the SoBe IWG once. I'm probalby the only one who did. The guy ran around with his pants down LOL

You are not alone...I lost the SoBe IWG too. The girl opened a dictionary to the word loser and the screen said something like you're a loser:O

Congratulations!


This is just a follow-up email to confirm that you
received our previous email:
You have been selected as a winner of the Neutrogena Men's
Sweepstakes on Thrillist. Please provide us with your name
and address so we can ship your Neutrogena Men's products
as soon as possible.

Thanks and Congrats again!!

Thrillist Team

Anyone else get this e-mail? Is it legit?

Can you win this more than once?

http://slickdeals.net/forums/show...&t=2122604

i dont know but to be safe i would say no. seeing how its 30 bucks they may not allow more then one win.

LOL wow people still lose on this? only time i have lost is on the first day when the game was extremely glitchy. but i say keep on playing you never know. play at a different time of day then normal. just never choose the coach dude cause he likes sniffing dirty underwear lol

Ive never lost, lowest ive gotten is a BOGO. So far ive gotten 6 free product q's and a t-shirt.

im still waiting on the shirt win lol. ive gotten like 15/16 free ones itunes gift card and flip flops. but i get like a gazillion bogos. oh well its more free drinks and more chances to win.

I won 2 round trip Delta Airlines tickets from My Coke Rewards. The given ARV is $2,400.

I want to use them on a flight from San Francisco, Ca to Winnipeg, Canada which according to the airlines website is between $1,100-$1,300. I want to know what I need to ask/request in order to prove the flight isn't the full ARV of $2,400 so that I can pay taxes on the $1,100-$1,300 value.

Thanks in advance :)

does MCR give you a check or do they set up the flight for you? if they give you a check you can do what you want i guess but if they set up the flight or if its an airline voucher or something then you probably cant get the left over money.

do we get an email confirmation if we won the ipod nano from the sobe instant win game?

think the only time you get anything is if you win the mac book. but heard you need to wait a while till they send you info for that.

:lmao:

I think I got a win - see screen image - but I haven't received an email and at the bottom it says there are errors with the page.

I clicked on it (the error tab at the bottom left side of the screen) and the pop up says prize code is null.

I'm guessing that means it can't process the screen or something; however, what do I do at this point?

while screen captures dont matter when it comes to saying you won a prize i would email them the screen cap anyway and the time you played and check and see if it was a real win or if the game just froze.

How long is too long to wait for a prize? I was notified of a prize win the first week in June, and had the affidavit notarized and back to them within a week. I followed up a couple weeks ago and the person who notified me said they're waiting on one portion of the prize. I e-mailed again today and haven't heard back so far...it's just getting really frustrating that it's been over 6 weeks and I still have no idea when it will be sent out.

ETA: The contest was from a very well-known magazine, so I'm 100% sure it isn't a scam or anything.

Since they have already let you know they are waiting for part of the prize, I, personally, would have waited until about 8-12 weeks before contacting them again.

It really is not that unusual for prizing to take 8-12 weeks.

That said, I had a reputable mag win take a little over a year and was emailing them every 3 months. It finally was sent out when I emailed the company of the prize offered and some of the mags' big-wigs.

It seems like you are in the acceptable range of delivery yet -
good luck to you

Thanks, Java. I guess I'm just a little concerned because the person I've mostly been corresponding with is an intern so it's very possible she won't be around in 8-12 weeks. Also, the contest was summer-themed, so I'd like to be able to use the prize before summer's over! Hopefully I'll have good news soon!

that's not a win. I've gotten that many times. It means the game is stuck. You click on refresh and it'll spin again

Sometimes on a facebook sweeps, the screen starts jumping. Does anyone know why?

what you mean like jumping? you mean when you click and it scrolls up? if thats the case its usually cause its flash and is "blocked off" and when you click it makes it active and jumps up. if its just that the page flickers or somethings its probably just a facebook problem cause ive had diffrent apps on there get glitchy from time to time.

do you guys usually get an email stating you've won a prize or does it just show up in the mail? i check my email everyday and no winning emails, i'm just sad, all my hard work just doesn't pay off.

Most times you'll get an email,
Sometimes nothing - Surprise Prize in the mail,UPS,FedEx,
Sometimes a phone call,
Sometimes a Surprise Affidavit in the mail, UPS, FedEx.

Good Luck!

Also beyond the sage and very accurate advice Java provided--you should know its not uncommon for it to take 2..3..4..months to start winning prizes. It takes a deliberate and consistent long term approach to win.

usually eprize IWGs once you win you get an email right away. other times you just get a winning screen and need to wait. non IWGs i have won i just recieved the stuff in the mail. havent won anything where i got a an email before hand.

ya i think when i started on a regular basis it was close to 2 months before i won anything. and once you start winning you win a few stuff but then there are those monthly slumps where you dont get anything :(

thank you for the feedback. i've been entering sweepstakes for the last two months more religiously about a month and half ago and i've won some fun stuff, mostly hair and facial creams, haha. i decided i'll only enter what i really want, its only fair, i stay away from vacation offers, can't afford the taxes. i got my folders set on my favorites and i enter each day, i hope we all win at least one prize a day. good luck everyone.

I don't think its possible to guarantee one prize a week, even if you enter every single contest posted.

when you guys enter the sweepstakes, how many people do you enter for each sweep??

when a sweeps states " one per person/per email addresss" can i still enter two people from the same household from the same computer but w/different email addy? or will it void out my entry?

IMO it is extremely dishonest to enter for other people. If you want to enter, please use your own name and address only. You can always gift a prize you yourself win.

Legally speaking it is fraud to enter for other people beyond yourself.

Many contests void all entries made by the same IP address, so stick to the rules and play fair. For best results stick to a single entry from a computer. Some even take it a step forward and compare phone #'s and addresses to their DB to screen for cheating.

i just enter for me. sometimes i enter for a friend who doesnt live here. in my house that is. but i dont cheat and make 50 emails for myself and enter the same contest over and over. only time i enter with another email adress is if the email i tend to use wont go thru or has some problem with it registering.

if it says per person/email then other people in the family can play with their own emails. if it says per household it only means one person from the house can play. most contests are 1 win per household so even if more then one person plays per day only one person can win altogether so if you win a prize then your mom/dad/brother/sister are not allowed to. or if you win a big prize like $50,000 and a family member plays and wins a 2 dollar keychain the rules might state one prize per household and if you win more then once you only get the cheaper prize. so youd loose out on the 50 grand.

I've been reading up on sweepstakes tax related info and it is very discouraging. Say if you won a trip for 3000 ARV, how much would you be looking to pay in taxes? I know with cars and stuff the taxes are way up there, but I'm trying to decide if I should stop entering sweeps with trip wins.

You would be taxed at the rate of your current bracket. For example say you pay 30% of your household income as taxes, you would likely pay the same % of taxes on your win. Then again it doesn't matter what you win, you should be paying that same tax rate on any prize you win. FWIW, I'm not an accountant or tax professional and am only relaying my personal experiences.

Another thing to consider is what constitutes fair market value. If you can get documentation of the market value of your prizes at the time of a win, and its considerably less then what the sponsor is claiming--you can document that and claim the lesser amount. Then again by rocking the boat your probably more likely for an audit.

In the end probably the simplest method for getting a good estimate is look at last years returns, getting a %, and applying that to the prize you want to win. While not perfect, its a good way of guesstimating.

I won a trip that was worth $5000. In my particular case, the amount was added to my total income I made for the year (they sent me a 1099 misc form). We didn't have to pay that much tax on it. I believe if you win something over a certain dollar amount you are outright taxed at a certain percentage.

It's always best to ask your accountant.

how long after entering for a sweep do you get and email stating you've won or the prize?

IWGs if they send emails you usually get those right away. other contests not sure but probably if it isnt just sent out to you then they would probably email you around the time of the drawing.

I didn't get an email but rather a phone call about a month after the drawing.

I think it really depends on the sweep. I won a sweeps that ended in March and I didn't get notified until early June.

what I do with bigger wins is look at the AVR and figure what 30% of that is and ask if I could swing the taxes or if its worth that amount in taxes to me. On trip wins some of them are overinflated like the ones where you meet and greet and there is really no way to give it a fair market price since your getting to see someone famous and then I figure if its worth the extra 30%.

Like with some of the meet and greets I dont really care about the person you meet and greet but its a place I would love to go to but once I figure the 30% on some of them I could pay for the trip for less then the 30%.

Also watch some of the sweeps like for purses that are worth $1500 to $2000 (yeap heard of someone winning one and wish she hadnt claimed it since she won other big things and ate up too much taxes)
Once you been in the game for awhile you will get in the habit of looking at the AVR. I used to not pay any attention but got stuck with some overinflated kayaks a few years back and I look now.

I won the weekly drawing in the sunkist dicky vitale swwepstakes last may and I was wondering what I should do if the prizes delivered do not add up to the ARV? I believe I shouldnt pay taxes on an amount I did not recieve

What should I do if the prizes recieved do not equal the ARV?

there is some good info here:
About.com's All About Sweepstakes Taxes [about.com]
and
How To Dispute an ARV on Your Sweepstakes Taxes [about.com]

I have been entering on average about 10 sweeps a day for the past 6 months straight. I have only won a dollar general $10.00 gift card. Am i just having a sloooow streak here or is it just very difficult to win?

IMO, your not entering very many. That is subjective. It also matters how many prizes are available on the sweeps you are entering and how long they are running for.

I would say you are just not entering enough.

I enter about 70 per day and many people enter 100+

wow ok , lol, i have 4 kids and so trying to find the time to enter that many may be tough. I will try to step up my efforts as much as i can though and see if it makes a difference.

To enter contests more quickly, I suggest you try out Google Toolbar for your web browser and use its autofill feature. It's available for Internet Explorer and Firefox.

someone a while back asked about the reeses free coupons from the iron man iwg. i received a coupon today so if anyone is waiting they are coming in :)

I got 3 of 4 of mine yesterday...all numbered in a sequence as if they sent them all at the same time. Wondering if someone nabbed one of them--as was missing one from sequence.

I got a bunch of the reeses coupon in the mail today. I think they made a mistake

I got a bunch of the reeses coupon in the mail today. I think they made a mistake

hmmm maybe. i only got 1 but won 3 :\ maybe the evil mailperson stole the other ones :mad:

I got call a "contest whore" on twitter an DQ'd from a contest for it today for the first time. Now, I understand that Twitter is the proverbial wild west of sweeping but it got me thinking...

Do places like Eprize and Prize Logic note us sweepers and DQ us for entering too many contests?

Thoughts?

It may happen, but it can't be within the US sweeps law to disqualify people based on how many different sweeps they enter.

As long as you play within each sweeps' Rules, you should be fine.

that doesnt sound right. unless you were cheating you should be able to enter anything as long as you qualify in the rules. ive won many things, actually 90 percent of my wins are from eprize. eprize just hosts contests and other companies are the ones who set up the contests and rules and prizes and all that so i wouldnt think eprize can DQ you for entering too many contests. only way you would is if you cheat or you work for eprize or one of the companies it is hosting.

i dont know how twitter works or anything and not sure if its a twitter contest or the person you follows contest. it could just be someone lied about you and said you should be DQ cause they are jealous or want to win so bad they will slander those who play lots of contests so it gives them a better chance.

:nod:

So you were called that by a contest sponsor? Egads. Do they go and look at the tweets of every single person who enters their contest? I don't have an answer to your question about Eprize et al. but I am sorry about the rudeness of someone calling you a "contest whore" and disqualifying you.

I have won a number of prizes through Eprize. I have even had to contact them 3+ times over the past few months since I moved to have my address updated. I dont think they care as long as you play by the rules.

who r u?
 

There is a SMALL amount of rules/logic on twitter when sweeping... It IS the wild west though & nearly anything goes...

a few rules to follow...
1. you NEED those followers- especially the ones that sweep because they don't mind 3 billion retweet to win it posts. Plus often they run referral entries and such. I sometimes refer one follower to another- as each person is unique so are their online relationships. I am cozy with a ton of app developers, and loads of electronics and blog folks- because those are my interests. I may get an app write up for one developer on a blog of another follower. In return- he offers them free codes to gain followers, he gets free publicity- and me? I'm just in the middle...

2. READ, despite what you see posted- many of the sweeps do have rules somewhere down there. If they don't- ASK!

3. Be SOCIAL! While you may win larger pools where they give out tshirts- I've seen it time and time again- where the 'winner' of the sweep also interacts regularly.

4. READ! I giggle- because I often post crap for others to retweet but, it's NOT the sweep Im entering I'm just spreading love by doing it, yet they steal my post and retweet like crazy. It's up to YOU to figure it out- not me to tell you if you never asked before stealing it. I'd tell you if you asked though!

watch your timeline- I blow mine out at least once a day tweeting. Look for new posts that the possey hasn't found yet. Enter, enter, enter!

I win regularly- though if the biz doesn't announce it I may not either. I'm sure you know- folks can get a little testy about u winning when they aren't! This is true with regular sweeps, you don't announce your win until it's in your pocket and unable to be taken back! Having won well over 100k in mostly merchandise, I'm NOT in it for the thrill of playing silly games- this is a definite win in my household as we rarely buy gifts anymore & instead toss out flip camcorders, ipods & gadgets like it's a store here.

You CAN pm me- and, unless ur page reads like ur a hostile jerk, I don't mind following and tweeting with you!

as far as them DQ-ing you for entering... NO!
Now, nobody knows for sure unless they work there... However, I've won multiple larger prizes from both and tons of smaller ones.

Here's how this biz works... Say you own willy wonka electronics of tonka, you just spent millions producing the next widgety whir that is due to hit the market... You now have to MARKET the product. Marketing is simple- you are trying to build excitement/demand for your product. You do so by getting the word out- which is nearly wild west these days because of the internet. Commercials USED to be big business- because folks didn't have tivo to skip them, or egad, dvr's and such. These days- your marketing strategy requires hiring a biz that KNOWS the network. That would be your ad agencies, and they would recommend throwing a promo... Your promo may offer 10 free widgety whirs, for which it is advertised on tv, because most consumers are no longer going for annoying commercials it's a 'me only' society. If it serves no benefit we can skip it with tivo. Flash the word 'sweepstakes' or 'enter online' in that commercial, my pause button comes on and I rewind and listen up. Now, my teens are in the room listening because the widgety whir commercial is new, they KNOW I rarely watch a commercial for products I don't buy... I go online, I enter- if the agency is lucky that was hired for this, I spread the word in sweepstakes land for them, if not- they have to do that as well. Either way- in forums and sweepstakes land, we are all talking about the newest $199 product that there is a sweep on, we're studying what the heck it even is- and often learn, it's pretty cool now we HAVE to have it win it or not. We will still enter every day, week or month for whatever period because- the widgety whir is the thing to have.

Eprize & such- are used, because of their familiarity with this end of the market. It is no coincidence that in the middle of daytime soaps, YOU see ads for dish detergent. Traditionally, women do dishes and women watch soaps. It's not odd that your teen sees ads on FB for the latest apps, or new music- traditionally teens are the major purchasers OF those items (they THINK, in my house I am & I don't watch daytime soaps either!). Eprize, has organized all regulations and filed all paperwork necessary- which they've done millions of times before, so they know the process, who to send to, what to do, and where to get it done at. In Florida there are different rules- they basically eliminate all chance you are marketing to our residents and not about to pay up. Whomever promos the product, has to know each states laws and regulations- so they can meet them and fulfill them all BEFORE your widgety whir gets to market- so, that by the time you are ready to sell, they are ready to throw out the marketing campaign.

They are also heavily regulated by state government- now, I know there are laws but as far as HOW they go about ensuring the annonimity of the draws and such- is beyond me. I only know that they do have laws, not wether someone follows up on them. Just as the food industry has them- I'm sure there is a chance some aren't operating as they should. Unfortunately, with such a secretive process- there is no real way for us, the consumer to know or challenge the validity of that side, and even if we knew- most sweeps rules state you can't sue if you enter anyway- so, it's a crap shoot. All you would do by complaining is ruin your name for them.

eprize, amongst forums- has had trouble last year in doing things properly. I'm not sure what was going on. However, they are NOT the main or even only promo agency out there. Don Jagoda is one that comes to mind when I think of flawless execution. Some companies are so large, and run them so often- that they have it all in house. Many of the major networks do this. Just because a biz hires them- doesn't mean they aren't large, in the case of some brands I guess it's just not something they want to keep a full time staff to manage? P&G regularly runs promos- yet, rarely handles anything themselves.

I could make your head spin- but, also in these ad campaigns and promo blitzes you see- you will see coupons, discounts, bonus buys and other 'perks' to get you going. Once enough people depend on having say, a stove in the house- then, it's a fight to be the number ONE manufacturer and seller OF that stove, tv, or other gadget the households carry.

The guy up the street makes swingsets- he sells wood swings for $50. He has a sign in his front yard. He makes about $300 a month doing so. He's happy & it keeps him busy- but, he lives on my street so he's obviously not rich. The guy near my parents advertises in local papers and such, he has a near average income for our area- and, works from home doing it which he loves. However, there is a business that marketed themselves, sells to stores like home depot and such, and even places THEIR ITEMS on shows like HGTV, househunters, former fine living, house calls & other shows that folks watch to see other homes... Thereby WE as consumers all look & say- gee, we want the swing that JOHN makes and sells to Lowe's or Home Depot, it looks so pretty by that fence on that porch with those flowers. We drag home that swing, that we wanted- and put it on our concrete patio & wonder- why the heck our homes don't magically transform to the one we saw on tv, NOW we have to go get flowers, paint, etc... Chances are- most consumers will buy the brand they saw, because it's familiar- they may deny it, but- Paula Deen is making a fortune & I've tasted her food in her restaurant and it was AWFUL by Southern standards- I've had better stuff at local food buffets than in her place. Yet, millions of women consider her products and endorsement the authority on Southern food, cooking and lifestyles. They made her a millionaire and how her children and soon to be husband as well. I wouldn't be suprised to see her motorcycle riding husband soon promoted as the next expert on something.

As a majority- we ARE stupid consumers & there are agencies devoted to playing on our stupidity. We don't care if Emeril's food is really good- we buy his seasoning JUST so we can say, "BAM" when we put it in. It makes us happy. They are selling us happiness.

NO, they will not eliminate us for entering too much- they laugh at us for being so frigging gullible as to keep both watching and entering HGTV each year, because millions of other morons spent thousands on products then stamps and such based on it. It is RARE we don't mindlessly and blindly hussle up $199 to buy the next product. Sure, the house doesn't look like that one, sure our tv is old- but, we'll buy a new box or gadget- because it's hot and we like it. In truth- they need us, as bad as the economy itself does...

Whew! That's my breakdown of WHY you aren't being dq'd most of the time if you follow the rules. Rules do have to be followed in most cases.

Is it really worth it to go through a travel agent to redeem Delta airplane tickets I won? I have never ever used a travel agent before so I have no idea what to expect.

Gobbin
 

Thank you

It's worth it if you want the tickets and that's the only way to get them. Any time I've won a prize that involved airfare, I was always sent a certificate that I needed to redeem with the airline over the phone except for one when the trip was in the immediate future so they had a travel agent book it for me but I never had to interact with the agent myself [the sponsor was the middleman between us]. I don't see why it would be a big deal, though, whether you talk to a travel agent to book the airfare or book it directly with the airline as long as the sponsor is providing the travel agent to you at no charge. In my experiences the airlines can sometimes be very frustrating - Delta, in fact, was the worst of the bunch and it was like pulling teeth working with them. No joke when I say I wasted HOURS just being on hold and that was the least of the problems I had. I would have much rather had a travel agent deal with all that and the subsequent issues that arose than having had to stress out over it myself, not just because it was super annoying but they're probably much better and quicker at handling those kinds of issues simply because that's what they do and I would have had another person on my side helping me.

yup!
 

I've won dozens of trips to more places & yes, if that's what they say do- do it! It's worth airfare whereever you are going!

Travel agents that do this end of it, typically aren't trying to sell you a thing as their 'big contract' is with the company that ran the promo and most major companies either have a travel department or agency they use! No stress, no headaches.

Of course- for average jo's, we have to do our own planning, budgeting and deal finding plus research... It's a perk of those wealthier though you would use one to book less expensive cruises in most cases :)

I did not note- but, will for efficiency in CASE a promo company or sponsor reads this thread! I ADORE sweeps that either don't LET you exceed the proper number of entries or that use the terms to state that if we do something so wildly crazy, only our first entry will be counted for the drawing! See- I myself was just at Lowe's, Home Depot, Kmart, JcPenney, Kohl's or WHOEVER's biz was running it & while I saw it and entered away last week- darned if I didn't forget I did that between raising the kiddos & trying to help hubby as well... I'd enter again, it's just my nature- I'm there, I see- I enter. I go again, I see AGAIN, airheaded me will enter again! Because I'm as dumb as every other consumer!

Question to those that have sweepstaked for a while.

If I win a t-shirt valued at $12, will I receive something that I have to claim the $12
on my tax-return or is it only the bigger items.

For instance, I won a SERTA plush animal lamb in the mail (only way I knew, didn't
email, etc) I don't remember the value of it, let's say $6, will I have to claim the
$6

Thank you!
Kathy

no you only have to claim things on your taxes over $600. then they will send you a form to fill out. sometimes they have you fill out info for cheaper prizes but you still dont have to pay taxes.

You have to pay taxes on ALL wins, just because you did not have to fill out forms because it was under $600 you still have to pay taxes on them.

There's a common sweepstakes myth that says you only have to report prizes worth $600 or more. This is not true -- all prizes, large and small, are legally required to be reported on US taxes.

MY Pepsi mini fridge I won died overnight....woke up the back wall had a big frozen chunk of ice, but rest of it and all my sodas were warm. I went about disagnosing the problem and realized the motor thing on the back was VERY hot. So hoping unplugging it, letting it thaw, then power it back up might help. Anyone who won one of these toolbox fridges experience anything like this?

I'm confused about how taxes work on sweepstakes.

I won plane tickets and I just booked them. However, Delta airlines required me to pay taxes upfront. Are the taxes I paid the same as I would've paid when I file my taxes in 2011 or do I still have to pay a different tax on them when I file in 2011?

The taxes you paid Delta are their own personal security fees, taxes, and whatnot. It's in no way related to your income tax and you'll still have to report the value of this win as part of your income come 2011.

i say keep all the paperwork and bring it in when you do your taxes next year. it might be how free coupons dont include tax and you have to pay that instore and if you had to pay a prize tax on a free hershey bar then youd have to put that on your taxes as winning a $1.

Summer pepsi / MtDew / dr pepperUTC games?
 

Anyone else extremely depressed by the lack of a major soda/pop under the cap game this summer? Ive done very well in these contest/IWGs for the past 3-4 years, and was very let down that there havent been any this season. Ive won everything from arcade machines to xbox 360 consoles, to snow boards etc and these games are a focal point of my summer.
I've been looking around and havent noticed any upcoming either. Has anyone heard of anything possibly in time for football season?

I agree 100 percent ! I've been waiting all summer for Taco Bell to bring back Baja Blast ! That was THE best contest ever !!

Oh yes I remember raking in the cash on that one too ! Only problem with it is now I'd have to use the money for sensible reasons like bills and school clothes for the children. If I win toys I can keep them to play with LOL

Unless it specifically states "one entry per household" or "one entry per IP address", Mr Freebies and I will both enter (if it's something we reallllllllllllllly want or can use). Otherwise, one of us enters.

hmm I find that odd considering the post..just sayin' :cool:

I have been doing contest off and on for a few years now and have been watching this thread since. A lot of the time I see the same people winning grand prizes and I am just wondering - how many contest do you usually enter in a day? I have made a few small wins but have never had a big win and would really really appreciate any tips.

i look carefully before i enter i dont want to void or re-enter something from the same household, i never try to enter people other than me and my other half unless i was asked to.

I now know the secret of winning contests on twitter. It starts with the letter "k"

On Facebook I log on using one e-mail address that I use for sweeps but I enter the sweeps using a different e-mail address because I don't regularly check my mail on the other. Would this be a problem and get me disqualified?

depends. are you using email a b and c and contests 1 2 and 3 like a1 2b 3c or are you using it like a12 b23 c123? if you use one email per contest then it should be fine but if your using all emails for one contest then you probably will.

I get that companies use sweepstakes to generate leads. I understand that I will get called by some of them trying to sell me something.

What I dont get is why the sales person on the phone has to get all pissy with me when I tell them I am not interested in purchasing their product and was only interested in winning it. I cant be the first person to tell them that.

I wouldn't understand that either. Though the frequency of getting marketing calls is at most 2-3 calls a month, and often much less then that.

Off the wall questions:

One of the things I love about this site is the variety of contests everyone goes to the trouble of posting. As a runner, I get super excited to see running related contests. Of course, I get a glimmer of hope each time, thinking that I should be able to win one of these things since most people wouldn't want a prize package that centers around running a marathon or half marathon, therefore narrowing the applicant pool (which is particularly the case when there aren't other prizes - i.e. shoes, shirts, etc. offered).

Of course, I have yet to win one of these contests...

1. Has anyone actually heard of anyone winning one of these race related contests?

Secondly, I swear, it must be a mental thing, but it seems the contests I've really wanted to win (i.e. race related contests) are the ones I don't win. Of course, a win is a win and I'm happy to win anything, but...

2. Am I alone on this? I know that's an odd question to ask, but does it ever seem the contests you want to win the most, you never do?

Curious about strategy here:

3. One time entry contests...do you enter them on the first day they open or wait a few days? I just wonder what produces the best odds.

Thanks as always everyone for any help.

1) I don't enter running related contests as its not something I'm involved with. I really strongly believe in letting people win who care about something. Can't use the prizes, don't enter. Pretty simple.

2) I definitely feel that way. I really wanted to win Magic card related ones. Never have won those. Be great to get some magic cards for once. :drool:

3) My theory is if the selection process is truly random, when you enter shouldn't matter at all. To assume otherwise would drive me batty. I like to imagine they assign each entry a random number at the end, then do a drawing from that range of random #'s at the very end.

got a question:

is there a place i can post in the forum section asking slickdealers to help me out by voting for me in a sweepstake's?? i dont want to offend anyone or have a mod come after me for violating any rules. i just want to know from the pros what and how to go by asking my fellow slickdealers to vote for me. all i need is votes, not promoting anything but asking for help.

thank you.

No, sorry, SD doesn't allow self-promotion in any of the forums. :shake:

(SD considers asking for votes to help one win something as self-promotion.)

are you serious?? i'm sadden by that, i thought we are here to help each other out.

is there a rule that states that we can't help each other out, i'm curious?

Maybe in the Lounge? I have seen people do that before.

Edit: Nevermind, just read the rules for the Lounge. Maybe that changed recently though because I think about a year ago there were some threads asking for votes on pic contests.

Here is a link to the Acceptable Use Policy (Rules) that you agree to on SD.

What we are talking about is:

and from the New User Guide / SD FAQ Mega Thread:
NO Selling / No Self Promotion

* There is no selling or self promotion anywhere on the site or in any forum, period! The administrator of this site decided a long time ago not to have any members selling and this rule will not change, so please do not ask. Thank you.
* "Vote for me/my friend/my dog/ my design/ my whatever..." threads are NOT allowed.
See here or here or here



http://slickdeals.net/forums/faq.php

When you win a big prize, do you usually get an email or does it come in the US mail?

It is different with every company. I would say that 90% of the time I get an email/call first on all prizes. But occasionally, I just randomly will have a package on my door step.

Now if it is a "big" prize, you will definately get contacted by phone/email AND certified letter. They will need you to fill out paperwork and wont turn over anything until its completed.

Did anyone get their gc in the mail today from Net Spend Triple Play? I'm having such a hard time with NetSpend for activation. They don't seem to know anything about it. I hope the promotion wasn't a SCAM

maybe contact the contest hosts cause they would know better.
is it a cash card? maybe you have to change the pin number or enter the pin number if it was supplied.

Having a hard time as well. The person on the other end wasn't helpful at all. I emailed NetSpend and we'll see.

This is useful, thank you

Question:

If I enter a contest (for the lesser prizes - example: soccer ball, etc), but win the
grand prize (trip to some foreign country)...and I don't want the grand prize, can
I not accept it - and say that I wanted one of the lesser prizes?

The chances are that I'll NEVER win first prize, but you never know. I don't travel
very well, but on the contests would like to win second/third/fourth prizes, etc.

any advice?

You can ask for a lesser prize or even a cash alternative, but from my experience thats a bad way to go on several levels. The sponsor ends up feeling insulted for one. Secondly a lot of contests if a person doesn't follow through on a prize it is forfeited entirely (prize isn't awarded to anyone). Finally, their is the off chance you make it hard for someone who wants it to redeem in the short time span provided--because you wasted time.

When in doubt, you may be better off just not entering entirely. Plenty of good prizes to go around.

I won some plane tickets once. I told them my wife was afraid to fly and that they can give them to another person. They offered me the next prize down instead. I didnt ask for it though.

Milano Moment Winners
 

So, I don't know how many of you participated in the Milano Moments Contest but I just recieved an email that said I was a "Potential Winner" of a bushel (24 bags) of Milano cookies. Did anyone else get this email and do you actually think it's legit?

This is what the email said:

We’re pleased to inform you that you have been selected as a potential Grand Prize winner (subject to verification of your eligibility and compliance with the official rules) in the Share Your Milano Moment Sweepstakes.

Hi Kari,

I did not play this sweepstakes but I believe your email was legit :)! I read on another board there were many winners! Congrats to you and enjoy your prize :)!!!

Hello
 

Hello! I'm new to instant win/daily sweep games! I recently started playing the subway one, and I put my e-mail into a few others (milk, did k-mart a couple times, sobe, & quiznos), but I haven't been a winner yet. I've noticed lots of winners on here..so my question is. Do you sign up for about every sweep/iwg and just make sure to go on daily? -Seems like a lot of effort to play each game every day, but could end up being very rewarding.

-The only thing I have won is the bogo sobe, which I didn't print. :O

I hope soon I can have a list at the bottom of my sig with my 2010 wins. :)

Thanks!

welcome to the party ;)

most people that win a lot enter in quite a few a day. i enter probably 50+ daily.

my best tip is to pick up a program called roboform to help.
my second best tip is look for "Click Here". most sweeps let you skip all the animations and games that have no affect on your win anyway (they are maily time based for instant). they will have a section that says... If you cant see such and such "Click Here"

I enter almost every day (exceptions for when I'm out of town, or forces of nature knock out internet/power). Really something I can get done in 45 mins time for 75-90 of them. The hardest part is the initial sign up, after that is becomes a lot easier. The biggest tip is to skip playing the games. Since the times are all randomly generated win wise, the games just waste time. Use the link to bypass directly to game result.

As for my luck, I rarely rarely win instants any more. If you look at the # of page views you can come to a simple conclusion, they get entered a lot more then regular (Daily or Single entry) ones.

Then again patience is a virtue, don't expect to win right away. Takes most people a couple months to win, then 8-12 weeks for the win to show up. If your not having fun or getting really discouraged this hobby isn't for everyone. Don't let it affect your everyday routine. Oh yeah, and the cubs suck.

THANKS for the Roboform tip! I've been entering for about 2 months and using google autofill - it missed fields, didn't do birthday, etc. Roboform is GREAT! I usually enter between 100-200 a day, so this is going to cut down my time spent. THANK YOU!!!!

My big wins on IWG - Kraft outdoor fireplace (ARV $120) and the office depot $100. Some other smaller IW's...I don't know if it's usually this bad (not winning) or
if there is alot of cheating (like they're talking about with the Subway game)...I noticed today that KMart cancelled one of it's sweepstakes - they said because
there was a lot of cheating. But I haven't won anything on IWG's except the above and I play most of them daily...it gets real discouraging.

Haven't been playing long enough for any of the monthly or longer sweeps.

Implode hit it right on the head.

Twice.

My biggest suggestion is to enter your local radio contests, I have a great deal of luck with them. I imagine it's because they are targeted to a small pool of (local) people and said people are not crazy SlickDealers that commit a chunk of their day to sweeping. :heart: good luck!

The SUBWAY one has the most cheaters i've seen on one IWG. There have been a few sites already using bots and churning out dozens of PSN codes and retail games. It's a bit discouraging and I can only hope Subway figures this out and adds either IP tracking or a few more steps to log in versus just an email address.

Don't ask for the links but it sucked to see 30 lines of PSN codes for all the various online prizes.

Personally I've had quite a bit of luck when it comes to winning with my local radio station. In the past couple weeks I've won tickets to come to the radio station two different times to see a couple up and coming bands/singers and get to have a meet and greet with them. I got to see Ryan Star and Thriving Ivory. They both put on great live performances. It didn't have the flash and flair of a major concert but I was just feet from them while they played. It was totally cool and I also got a free download of their CDs for winning. I also won a $200 fossil purse that I wouldn't have been able to afford otherwise. So definitely keep an eye on local contests.

I've been doing sweeps/iwgs for a while now and it can be tedious at times but with patience it usually pays off!!

Anyone getting errors with ellegirl sweeps last two days? Keep getting down for maintenance??

Been getting that the past few days as well. I usually wait several minutes, refresh and then try again, was able to enter.

I'm really disappointed to hear about these bots that people are using for instant win games. It's really unfair to the rest of us that play the right way.

im wondering if when they use the codes to buy stuff and if its for the same order or mailed to the same place they will get caught. i mean 2 or 3 codes is one thing cause people may trade or what not but if cheaters are winning like 20 times it might be easy to track those people.

Some more sweep problems today...still having trouble getting any of ellegirl ones to work.

But now haveing a problem with this one:
http://dosequis.com/cargohunt/

NOT recognizing my log in, midway through todays play it glitched out on me--and was really laggy. Midway through it signed me out. Try to log back it and it doesn't even recognize my acct.

Edit: Appears they gixed dos equis sweep.

The Ellegirl one, what I do is refresh every single one of them one at a time, or open each sweep one at a time. Opening them all at once seem to give me the 'maintenance' message, but once I refresh one at a time, I could enter afterwards.

I can't get them to work at all--very very irritating. I wonder if I'm banned or something...very odd that I can't get into any of them all of a sudden. I open my links one at a time, refreshing is no help--get to the first page, then the second with form won't work.

:mad:

I have been waiting anxiously for my Sobe backpack to arrive. Apparently UPS tried to deliver it between the hours of 10 and 2 (while I'm at work) three different times and left notes on my BACK door. Of course I didn't find them until today because I rarely (pretty much never) use that door. It was actually just a fluke that I even discovered them today. I've no clue why they would go to the back door when it's blatantly obvious which door is the front.

Anyway, I called and they said the truck would not be back at the store until 6:30 PM and I had to be out of town this evening so I couldn't wait for it. They are going to return it to Sobe. Should I just cut my losses or do you think I should contact Sobe?

With my limited experience, unless you really do not care about getting the backpack, you should call. Especially since they haven't received the backpack, it should be really easy for them to return because it hasn't been filed away elsewhere. I called when my flip camera was returned and had an excellent experience as they shipped it as soon as they received it. If you do call, good luck with it.

I wanted to state a work around that lets you avoid maintenance issue with elle girl sweeps. You have to let the entire page load, or it gives you the message. This is problematic because some ad loads can hang up and or take a long time to load. NOT good for those entering a ton of sweeps, because it can take mins to load up the entire page even on a fast connection.

what do you guys do with all the spam that goes into your mailbox when you enter all these contest? I've got so many it's getting ridiculous. Can I unsubscribe these before contest ends, or would that disqualify me?

I usually just take the time to delete them. I never unsubscribe for fear I'd be disqualified. I've seen it once so far where a second winner was drawn because the original wasn't following the sponsor. That one was for an Ipad....ouch.

IMO, reputable contests allow you to opt out of spam in the first place. If you are still receiving spam you can set individual domain name blocks or keyword blocks that deliver spam straight to your junk mail box. As for your secondary question, some contests require subscription to email lists and most don't. Read the rules for a specific contest before unsubscribing.

This all goes full circle to how you should originally set up for entering contests. Ideally you should make an email box just for entering contests. You should then take great pains to opt out of emails. Then avoid entering sweeps that force you into spam--such as newsletters, solicitations, etc etc. You may miss out on some stuff, but reputable companies respect your need for privacy. Always, always opt out.

good luck!

OK thank you guys for the advice

Are all the HGTV related contests giving you guys the following error the last day or so after hitting SUBMIT?:

enter-today.com error

Sorry, there has been an error proccessing your request.
Please use the link to return to the the refferring page.

yes...actually getting a ton of really random errors last week. HGTV, Elle Girl, and another one.

ADD: Womans day, intouch, j-14, life and style etc etc to contests not working--the transfer service seems broken.

hehe
 

DO NOT subscribe to everything unless it's specifically required to enter- though, in most cases that clause violates the terms of running the promo in most states laws.

Yes, go in and unsubscribe. It won't hurt you.

There are a few sweeps' rules that specifically say that you must still be on their email list in order to claim the prize, should you win...as I recall, it used to be the Neiman Marcus' and subsidiaries whose rules used to include that.

Best to opt out of all you can as you enter and unsubscribe to any others you aren't interested in carefully.

Hi everyone!
I won a guitar in the Office Max Jonas Brothers IWG. The AVR is $1000. I looked through the rules to try and find out what kind of guitar it was, but it didn't say. I used the email link for eprize and asked, but a few days later they responded that it would be at the sole discretion of the sponsor. The affy had to be back to them 10 days from notification, so I went ahead and sent it in. Today, I received the guitar. It's a Maestro by Gibson, sold on Best Buy's website for $149.99. I know it's autographed and everything, and I don't want to seem ungrateful, but I already have an entry level guitar and don't want to potentially pay more in taxes than the guitar is actually worth.

I guess my question is, has anyone tried to return a sweepstakes prize? Thanks so much for your help and input! :)

id say just sell it on ebay or something if you really dont want it and use that money to pay of taxes. also if you can prove that its only 150 bucks you probably wont have to pay taxes on it and if its an autograph thats just photocopied on then it wouldnt be worth anything. if its a real actual autograph they personally took a pen to then find out how much a real autograph would be from them and have it as proof for the taxes. and just ask your tax person about the legal stuff.

Last month (august) was the first full month (every day) of entering contests (magazines, plus any other that offered prizes). Entered almost every one that wasn't a travel sweep. Do they usually pick the winners on 9/1 and then notify?

I guess I'm asking since I haven't gotten any winning emails.
Can I assume that I didn't win most of the contests for the month?

depends on the rules of the contest. the game could have ended august 31 but the drawing might not be till september 10 and may not notify anyone till spetember 20. also sometimes they may just mail you the prize without notice. i say wait till the end of this month and if you dont hear anything then assume you didnt win.

Could be longer. The Reeses Sweepstakes ended on 05/31, but the prizes (free Reeses single coupon) weren't sent out until AUGUST! For Grand prizes, it seems that it could be a month, but in the little sweeping that I have done (mostly played IWG until May and not many sweeps yet at that) it takes AT LEAST a month or more to see a prize come in the mail/email. So far, from May I've received the Reeses coupon (in August) and a T-shirt (in July). From June, a $15 NASCAR online gift code received in July. Playing the Barilla Pasta Fridays Sweeps and those notices come either the same day or a week delayed-per the email-the coupons won't come for 8-10 weeks. No notifications on the other prizes, the prizes just showed up. It does make the mail even more interesting.

Good Luck!
:woot:

First of all, allow me to thank you to everyone who posts contests and sweeps in this Thread, especially FreebiesRGreat and YARDEE!! :worship:

One question regarding RoboForm (the free version) can you have more than 1 identity in the free version - i.e. If I want to sign myself up and then my wife or do I have to buy the software for 2 identities? Right now I have only been signing myself up (Haven't won a darn thing!!) but I thought I could sign up DW on a few too while I am at it. Thanks.

One only without paying if memory servers.

I don't know about the free version but I was able to get a free full version of Roboform through TrialPay and yes you can set up multiple identities. You would need to buy additional license add-ons for multiple computers though. I also use roboform-2-go and run it from a jump drive.

I got the free Roboform version - THX again to the person who mentioned it- it has saved me tons of time! I have myself and my husband set up. As he lives in MD (because there is no work here in FL - we see him about every 3 weeks for 5 days)...
so we actually have 2 addresses to use.

Good Luck. I also have not been having any luck winning. Hopefully it will get a little better at least!

Congrats to all those who have been winning!

Am I correct in assuming this $150 guitar has an ARV of $1,000 because it's autographed by the Jonas Brothers? I would contact ePrize and see if it's coming with a Certificate of Authenticity verifying the autographs. If it does then you may be able to sell it for a pretty good price on eBay. If it does not come with a Certificate of Authenticity then the autographs have zero resell value and may not be worth it. Without a COA how does one know if the autographs are even real thus adding value to the prize?

\you can contact the sponsor and ask them to adjust the price of the AVR. They can always say no but let them know you have researched Fair Market Value and think that 1,000 is very inaccurate. If it came with a COA for the signature you may have a hard time disputing because a real signature can be valued differently. Anyways if it is not a real signature (like jonas didnt take a pen to it) and they still refuse to lower the AVR on your 1099 form than you can go to the IRS and dispute the AVR. Let me tell you many times i have won something that is AVR at a crazy price but when i get my 1099 form it is usual Fair market value.
Example I won a pair of gucci shoes valued at 1,200 but sold in stores for 200.00 when i got my 1099 form the value on it was only for 200.00!

If worse comes to worse and you get the 1099 form and it is valued at 1,000 assuming its a copied on signature not a real pen signature than you can always do this
Call the IRS at (800) 829-1040 and ask them to send a Form 4598, Form 1099 Not Received or Incorrect to the sponsor. Letting the IRS know they are not giving you fair market value of the prize. Keep Documentation of what the fair market price is on your prizes always!!

Hi. Today, I received a notice of an attempted delivery of a LETTER shipped via Certified Mail. I have never won a large prize, so don't know how they are delivered. Are valuable prizes and/or affidavits sometimes shipped via this method? Also, I haven't been contacted saying I won a prize. Do you usually get contacted via phone or email. Thanks.

Certainly, an affidavit may be delivered by Certified Mail.
It is fairly normal to be contacted before they send out an affidavit, but it DOES sometimes happen that the affidavit arriving is your first clue.

I hope your certified letter is good news!

When you get called by the sweepstake , does it usually say "Private caller" on your caller ID? I got a call by a Private Caller the past couple of days but missed the phone call. And they didn't leave any messages

When I got called it showed the company name.