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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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May 27, 2013 08:13 PM
118,455 Posts
Joined May 2006
implodeMay 27, 2013 08:13 PM
118,455 Posts
I've had some issues with woobox not updating my entries, very irritating...
May 29, 2013 07:38 PM
893 Posts
Joined Mar 2012
mannymannMay 29, 2013 07:38 PM
893 Posts
Got my first affidavit, any advice?
May 29, 2013 07:44 PM
118,455 Posts
Joined May 2006
implodeMay 29, 2013 07:44 PM
118,455 Posts
Quote from mannymann :
Got my first affidavit, any advice?
1) If they ask for soc security info, double check to make sure the judging agency is a legitimate one. Is person contacting you conclusively associated with said judging agency?

2) Make sure you meet return deadline.

3) Make sure you can prove you made return deadline, use registered mail with signature. Recording the tracking # is very important.

4) Make sure you can afford to pay taxes and know implications. Make sure listed ARV is fair. If not you may want to consider declining a prize.

5) Most banks can do notarization if it needs to be done.

Good luck!
May 29, 2013 07:46 PM
893 Posts
Joined Mar 2012
mannymannMay 29, 2013 07:46 PM
893 Posts
Quote from implode :
1) If they ask for soc security info, double check to make sure the judging agency is a legitimate one. Is person contacting you conclusively associated with said judging agency?

2) Make sure you meet return deadline.

3) Make sure you can prove you made return deadline, use registered mail with signature. Recording the tracking # is very important.

4) Make sure you can afford to pay taxes and know implications. Make sure listed ARV is fair. If not you may want to consider declining a prize.

5) Most banks can do notarization if it needs to be done.

Good luck!
Thank you for the response, I think what I won has the ARV of 360, I thought you only needed a affi after 500$ prize? How much do you need to pay in taxes? Appreciate the tips
May 29, 2013 07:50 PM
118,455 Posts
Joined May 2006
implodeMay 29, 2013 07:50 PM
118,455 Posts
Quote from mannymann :
Thank you for the response, I think what I won has the ARV of 360, I thought you only needed a affi after 500$ prize? How much do you need to pay in taxes? Appreciate the tips
You are supposed to pay taxes on anything you win...IRS may look the other way on small value promotional items like shirts, pens, buttons. But anything bigger you are wise to itemize.

Companies can make you fill out paperwork on any item they choose. In fact it benefits them to do so because they get tax breaks/benefits.

The $600 or grater area is the place where companies are required to fill out tax work by law.
May 29, 2013 08:06 PM
893 Posts
Joined Mar 2012
mannymannMay 29, 2013 08:06 PM
893 Posts
Quote from implode :
You are supposed to pay taxes on anything you win...IRS may look the other way on small value promotional items like shirts, pens, buttons. But anything bigger you are wise to itemize.

Companies can make you fill out paperwork on any item they choose. In fact it benefits them to do so because they get tax breaks/benefits.

The $600 or grater area is the place where companies are required to fill out tax work by law.
gotcha, do you know how much percentage is the tax you need to pay on sweeps wins?
May 29, 2013 09:12 PM
118,455 Posts
Joined May 2006
implodeMay 29, 2013 09:12 PM
118,455 Posts
Quote from mannymann :
gotcha, do you know how much percentage is the tax you need to pay on sweeps wins?
Unless it causes your tax bracket to rise, it will be the same as you are already paying. So lets say you are in a 25-30% bracket, expect to pay that much on your prizes. It is important to look at both state and federal when trying to make such an estimate. Because the ARV of your prize is so low its doubtful it will bump you, but on bigger prizes like trips/cars or winning multiple prizes it can add up (potentially changing your bracket).

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May 29, 2013 10:30 PM
3,884 Posts
Joined Dec 2009
sweepstakerMay 29, 2013 10:30 PM
3,884 Posts
Quote from mannymann :
Got my first affidavit, any advice?
implode gave you some good advice but I have to disagree with his suggestion of sending it back Registered Mail. Because of the extra security involved, Registered Mail often increases transit time substantially - even on expedited mail like Express or Priority. Time is usually an issue when returning an affidavit, so a better choice would be Certified Mail. Certified also requires a signature but doesn't slow down transit time.
May 29, 2013 11:38 PM
29 Posts
Joined Jan 2011
EPRMay 29, 2013 11:38 PM
29 Posts
HI!

Ask if you can send the notarized documents via email. When I've asked, companies have never refused it.Wink
May 30, 2013 12:23 AM
118,455 Posts
Joined May 2006
implodeMay 30, 2013 12:23 AM
118,455 Posts
Quote from sweepstaker :
implode gave you some good advice but I have to disagree with his suggestion of sending it back Registered Mail. Because of the extra security involved, Registered Mail often increases transit time substantially - even on expedited mail like Express or Priority. Time is usually an issue when returning an affidavit, so a better choice would be Certified Mail. Certified also requires a signature but doesn't slow down transit time.
All I meant by registered, was use a method with tracking number, so you can prove you sent before the sending deadline.
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May 31, 2013 06:09 PM
3,567 Posts
Joined Feb 2009
rachaelm
Pro
QA
May 31, 2013 06:09 PM
3,567 Posts
I got a tracking notice from FedEx, 1 lb from Sara Bonafide @ LeadDog Marketing, Reference 504 - Kohl's DL 13.

I did a search here & got a hit for a twitter/instagram contest that BoydSchidtt posted, but I'm not showing that I entered that one.

Anyone else get one of these notifications?
May 31, 2013 06:35 PM
22,131 Posts
Joined Nov 2010
BoydSchidttMay 31, 2013 06:35 PM
22,131 Posts
Quote from rachaelm :
I got a tracking notice from FedEx, 1 lb from Sara Bonafide @ LeadDog Marketing, Reference 504 - Kohl's DL 13.

I did a search here & got a hit for a twitter/instagram contest that BoydSchidtt posted, but I'm not showing that I entered that one.

Anyone else get one of these notifications?
LeadDog Marketing is who shipped the Kohl's $100 GC last week, but they had sent me a Direct message on Twitter for confirmation. They are also sponsoring the Kohl's Vera Wang's Be Glamorous Be You Be Jeweled-Sweepstakes that ended 5/27, did you enter that one?
http://slickdeals.net/f/6006530-Kohl-s-Be-Glamorous-Be-You-Be-Jeweled-Sweepstakes-5-27-2013?v=1

Congrats!
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QA
May 31, 2013 06:43 PM
3,567 Posts
Joined Feb 2009
rachaelm
Pro
QA
May 31, 2013 06:43 PM
3,567 Posts
Quote from BoydSchidtt :
LeadDog Marketing is who shipped the Kohl's $100 GC last week, but they had sent me a Direct message on Twitter for confirmation. They are also sponsoring the Kohl's Vera Wang's Be Glamorous Be You Be Jeweled-Sweepstakes that ended 5/27, did you enter that one?
http://slickdeals.net/f/6006530-Kohl-s-Be-Glamorous-Be-You-Be-Jeweled-Sweepstakes-5-27-2013?v=1

Congrats!
*sigh* I use thumbs up to track most entries & I didn't TU either of those contests. I'm not following Kohl's on Twitter either. IDK? Anyway, it's exciting, I know it's something free & that's awesome. Thanks Boyd!!
May 31, 2013 07:55 PM
976 Posts
Joined Oct 2008
miggy82May 31, 2013 07:55 PM
976 Posts
Most of the time sweepstakes rules state the amount of time to expect to receive a prize but sometimes it isn't stated. What is the recommended amount of time to wait to inquire about the status of a prize after you have given the sponsor your information?

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Jun 01, 2013 03:46 PM
118,455 Posts
Joined May 2006
implodeJun 01, 2013 03:46 PM
118,455 Posts
Anyone else having issues with Good Housekeeping sweeps? I try to opt out of subscription and its not working. Click the alt entry thing and nothing changes on the form. Just a warning to pay attention if entering, I see a lot of forced subscriptions in the future.

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