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forum threadFreebiesRGreat posted Jun 03, 2008 02:50 AM
forum threadFreebiesRGreat posted Jun 03, 2008 02:50 AM

Contests & Sweepstakes Tips, Advice, and Questions

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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.
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
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.

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Dec 14, 2012 02:06 AM
720 Posts
Joined Sep 2008
tunetokyoDec 14, 2012 02:06 AM
720 Posts
Ok mine doesn't have an apple on the key its just called a command key hence the confusion..now I know lol....

But by the way I still can't enter the drawing on Womans World or In Touch, no way to submit/enter button for phrases like "dish and the hopper" and the other phrases that appear.....I just don't get it....been entering these for years....

UPDATE..I figured it out, its making me put in a phrase for EVERY prize, when before I never had to put in a phrase or rarely did, tonight I only entered for the high value prizes, not gonna go thru 4 pages of entering a phrase for mostly blah prizes.....
Last edited by tunetokyo December 13, 2012 at 11:54 PM.
Dec 14, 2012 09:39 AM
72 Posts
Joined Nov 2009
badandy888Dec 14, 2012 09:39 AM
72 Posts
thanks!!
Dec 14, 2012 08:02 PM
14,593 Posts
Joined Jun 2007
JessibellDec 14, 2012 08:02 PM
14,593 Posts
Quote from maimaimai :
I use LastPass and I absolutely love it! It seems pretty similar to Roboform from what I can recall when I started looking into sweeping. Has autologin, profiles, etc etc. It even works when the automatic filling has been disabled on the page.
And in the rare occasion that it does not work, I have a stickie on my desktop with my email, home address and such that's a quick go-to for copying and pasting. HTH!
I just downloaded the LastPass FireFox add-on a few days ago, and I'm really enjoying it as well. I set up a keyboard shortcut (Alt+J), which may have been available with the Roboform add-on but I'd never used it. The shortcut is awesome!
Dec 14, 2012 09:51 PM
1,129 Posts
Joined Dec 2011
amarooDec 14, 2012 09:51 PM
1,129 Posts
Quote from Jessibell :
I just downloaded the LastPass FireFox add-on a few days ago, and I'm really enjoying it as well. I set up a keyboard shortcut (Alt+J), which may have been available with the Roboform add-on but I'd never used it. The shortcut is awesome!
Thanks for the tip. I can't get it to work in chrome though. I set up my default form fill profile and set up the same hot key, but when I go to a page and press alt+j, nothing happens. It fills fine the long way.

Any idea what I'm doing wrong?
Dec 14, 2012 11:10 PM
610 Posts
Joined Jul 2009
radbDec 14, 2012 11:10 PM
610 Posts
Who won MINI coopers at SD during Thanksgiving
Dec 15, 2012 02:09 AM
180 Posts
Joined Sep 2006
OwlsCallDec 15, 2012 02:09 AM
180 Posts
I'm always worried that I may miss an email of a win and I wondered if any of you could tell me how you handle email to avoid this. I have a different email account just for contests etc. but I still have tons of mail and I think I may not see an email announcing a win. Maybe i just don't win? hehe Any ideas appreciated!
Dec 15, 2012 03:14 AM
2,995 Posts
Joined Nov 2009
Rach24Dec 15, 2012 03:14 AM
2,995 Posts
Quote from OwlsCall :
I'm always worried that I may miss an email of a win and I wondered if any of you could tell me how you handle email to avoid this. I have a different email account just for contests etc. but I still have tons of mail and I think I may not see an email announcing a win. Maybe i just don't win? hehe Any ideas appreciated!
I made a new email that I only use for contests and I always unbsubscribe from their normal emails so I only get confirmation of entry or winning emails.

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Dec 16, 2012 03:01 AM
1,377 Posts
Joined Nov 2012
RebootSequenceDec 16, 2012 03:01 AM
1,377 Posts
Quote from rach420 :
I made a new email that I only use for contests and I always unbsubscribe from their normal emails so I only get confirmation of entry or winning emails.
So, when I enter into these sweeps and I start getting the regular emails from these companies, I can go ahead and unsubscribe? I assumed that you have to stay subscribed or you'd be disqualified.
Dec 16, 2012 03:21 AM
27,601 Posts
Joined Dec 2006
suncat77Dec 16, 2012 03:21 AM
27,601 Posts
Quote from OwlsCall :
I'm always worried that I may miss an email of a win and I wondered if any of you could tell me how you handle email to avoid this. I have a different email account just for contests etc. but I still have tons of mail and I think I may not see an
email announcing a win. Maybe i just don't win? hehe Any ideas appreciated!
In most emails you can do a search for certain words. My contest email is a gmail address, and I search for "congratulations", "congrats", "winner", "notified", "selected", etc. It makes it easier to weed through stuff. Also, I make an effort to clean out my contest email daily if possible. Don't forget to search in your spam folders as well.
Dec 16, 2012 04:27 AM
13,686 Posts
Joined Dec 2007
heyjupiterDec 16, 2012 04:27 AM
13,686 Posts
Don't unsubscribe from all those emails... Some contests you enter by subscribing, so if you unsubscribe you may void your entry. I get a ton of email, too, but it only takes a few minutes to sort thru it all.
Dec 16, 2012 09:07 AM
1,133 Posts
Joined Nov 2007
chuckecheezDec 16, 2012 09:07 AM
1,133 Posts
Quote from suncat77 :
In most emails you can do a search for certain words. My contest email is a gmail address, and I search for "congratulations", "congrats", "winner", "notified", "selected", etc. It makes it easier to weed through stuff. Also, I make an effort to clean out my contest email daily if possible. Don't forget to search in your spam folders as well.
Great tip. I would just add that searching for "congrat" should take care of all the different variations, such as "congrats", "congratulations", etc. The search will find them all using just the 1st few letters. Out of all my wins, I would say around 90% use some form of that word, so you should be able to locate most that way. The other key words mentioned should get the rest. That being said, everyone should really be checking email at least a couple times per day if you're a heavy sweeper; the only surefire method is to look at each notice. Once you get used to it, you should be able to scan through sender and subject line pretty quickly to find win notices. The search should be used as a backup in case you happen to miss one.
Dec 17, 2012 09:55 AM
180 Posts
Joined Sep 2006
OwlsCallDec 17, 2012 09:55 AM
180 Posts
Thanks for the tips everyone! Happy holidays!
Dec 17, 2012 09:14 PM
6,323 Posts
Joined Sep 2006
KMADec 17, 2012 09:14 PM
6,323 Posts
I just received an email that I won this http://slickdeals.net/f/5652828-Modern-Furniture?v=1 (thanks decowright). Unfortunately, I have to either pick it up in Georgia at the warehouse (several states away) or pay to have it shipped (around $250). Why can't they put that requirement in the rules (or did I overlook it)? Had I known that I would haven't wasted my time. Any suggestions?
Dec 17, 2012 09:32 PM
1,358 Posts
Joined Apr 2006
jesterfxDec 17, 2012 09:32 PM
1,358 Posts
Quote from KMA :
I just received an email that I won this http://slickdeals.net/f/5652828-Modern-Furniture?v=1 (thanks decowright). Unfortunately, I have to either pick it up in Georgia at the warehouse (several states away) or pay to have it shipped (around $250). Why can't they put that requirement in the rules (or did I overlook it)? Had I known that I would haven't wasted my time. Any suggestions?
I didn't see anything in their rules after a quick scan. That is pretty lame to be honest. I wonder if it's against the law too?

If nothing else, if they aren't willing to get you your prize and pay to get it to you you could always take it to the public by posting on their facebook and such trying to get them to give in with public pressure.

No way they should be making you pay shipping if they didn't flat out state that in the rules. Although it's probably just a cheap company, it could be an outright scam.

Personally I'd try to talk them into shipping it as part of the prize and if that didn't work, I'd take it public and let others know that you "won" but they won't give you your prize unless you pay hundreds to have it shipped.

As a last resort, maybe list it for sale on craigslist in Georgia and when you have a buyer, have them pay you paypal and let them go pick it up laugh out loud

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Dec 17, 2012 10:07 PM
6,323 Posts
Joined Sep 2006
KMADec 17, 2012 10:07 PM
6,323 Posts
They also wanted a copy of my driver's license. Here's what the email said
Quote :
Congratulations...you've won the Modern Furniture Collection "Pin to
Win" contest! You will be getting a black exhibition chair.

In order to claim your prize, please furnish us a copy of your
driver's license (to confirm you are over 18 and a US or Canadian
resident). You may pick up your Exhibition Chair at our warehouse in
Chamblee, Georgia or we can arrange shipping for you; shipping to most
places in the US is $250 USD or less.

You may email a picture or scan to my email address
(XXX) or mail a copy to Modern Furniture Collection, 2105 N Decatur Road, Ste 405, Decatur, GA 30033.

You must claim no later than 5 p.m. on December 27.

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