Competitions

fade2black

Take, just as an example, the competitions in the tabloids at the weeked.

Win FA Cup tickets by Midnight Tonight.

Win an I.POD by midnight tonight.

Win €1000 by midnight tonight.

Firstly, have many people ever entered these, and if so, have they ever won.

I'm intrigued about competitions like these and also the ones that involve the stubs on winning streak scratch cards, mainly because we never get to see who's won.

The cost of a text entry to the mirror competition is €2 a pop, you probably get a reply similar to "thanks for entering, you are in the draw" or "Enter again to increase your chances of winning".

Has anyone ever seen a list of winners? I haven't.

I'm also tired of seeing companies using competitions to entice people to fill out surveys - another one where you never get to see who has won.

So, opinions?

Have you entered?
Have you won?
Have you seen the names of others that have won?
Is it all a big rip off?

mickymg2003

Never Entered, Never Won. I generally dont win competitions, so i dont bother.

Terry

read the fine print. they have to publish the names of the winners somewhere. it might be on a website or you may have to contact them for the list of winners. either way, someone has to win.
i don't go near the competitions in the tabloids. they are also open to people in the uk and this lessens your chances of winning.
in the end though it is all a big scam.
i tend to go for free entry competitions. safe ones like the ones on sky's website of the paramount comedy website.
paying for entry is just gambling and not really a competition at all.

lodgepole

People do win. The amount of money made on those kind of things more than subsidises the cost of the prizes.

fade2black

There's a particular reason why I've asked this. I've also mailed them to get a list of their recent winners.

Terry

what's the reason?

fade2black

An article about text competitions and the revenue generated from them and comps like You're a star, X factor etc..

Binomate

I worked for a graphic design company which was linked with promotions during work experience in TY. There was a competition on that required people to explain what their idea of the perfect holiday was. I was given the task of processing entries of a competition for a cruise around the the caribean. After entering in a couple of thousand entries in to excel, I was then told I could pick the 10 winners of the competition. I've picked winners before, so there must be some truth behind these competitions.

RotalicaV

I entered a "F1 Fantasy Game" in 2003 but it was really complicated and just seemed like aload of effort so after i finished the form i just forgot about it. You were supposed to keep track and alter your settings etc for each race but i didn't.

A year later some guy calls to my house, tells me ive won a crate of bpm (vodka mixer!) and a f1 game for this game i had signed up for.. no complaints i laughed and took the stuff.

Three months later i get a letter saying this..

http://www.yorema.com/~vac/whoot.jpg

I ring them up, they explain i've won a part of the championship or something and i get a free holiday and it was ****ing brilliant

Binomate

Nice work.

fade2black

Haha brilliant. As will all these things there are heros and villains.

rubadub

I have an aunt who enter millions and wins a lot. You have to pick carefully. In free tesco magazines they used to have postal contests where you send in the answer, so you paid for a postcard and stamp. They had lots of prizes, the trick is to enter the one with the worst prize since few people will enter! if they are going to just enter one and pay for a stamp they will usually risk it on the best prize. Maybe best to pick the second worst prize to stop other people doing the same scam.

I used to enter the local raffles in fairs, like these bottle stands. If you worked out the odds if you play long enough you will get far more booze than your entry fee. It always worked.

deisemum

I won €500 Woodies voucher before christmas from filling in an online survey about banking. I've won loads but not from expensive phone in or text competitions.

Things I've won online include a weeks holiday for 2 to the Algarve staying in a 4* hotel, a night in Gleneagles in Scotland, €725 Smyths toys vouchers, €100 voucher for the Baltimore Harbour Hotel, make-up. I entered a competition last sept (either postal or online entry - I entered online) with creative ideas/solutions to encourage children to eat things they might not like) I was one of the 3 national winners. I was only hoping to win the €20 voucher that the first 100 replies who would win. My prize was a night at the K Club or the value of it in vouchers for a travel agents. I went for the €1300 voucher which will go towards our family holiday. It didn't cost me anything to enter these.

Other prizes that I've won are a 2 night break at the Wineport. That was on Ireland am, I think it may have been cost of regular text but it wasn't more than a euro.

Most of my wins have been from the radio (now banned on local radio because I won so much) or local newspapers. Hubby and I won a makeover on Open House which was great until we had to go live on the programme.:D

Wins have included weekend breaks, meals out, lots of vouchers for clothes, CDs, food, etc, furniture etc €500 one4all voucher on Todayfm before christmas (postcard entry) hampers, pottery, nearly all my CD collection, playstation games, personal stereo, recently won a miller party pack which consisted of 24 cans, an electric miller beer can shaped cooler, DVD and CD, I've also won VIP days out and last October I entered hubby's name and he won a VIP trip to Anfield which was flights to Manchester, 2 nights in a top hotel, private coach to Anfield with 5 course lunch in corporate box before game, dinner in a top restaurant and my hubby and 8 year old son were very well looked after and didn't have to buy as much as a drink.:D

I don't bother with tiebreakers or slogans, most wins have been luck of the draw. Winnings seem to come in phases, I mightn't win anything for months then could win several things in quick succession. I don't have the time to enter much at the moment.

dSTAR

I won a trip to Japan last month worth $19,000AUD. I don't even enter many competitions. Originally the prize was to win gold class movie tickets in Crown Casino to see Memoirs of a Geisha. with lots of free champagne and sushi which great in itself. So when we won the trip we were stoked.

Below is the letter we got. Still haven't organised the holiday yet though...

Mr Magnolia

A friend of mine has won several holidays and cash prizes through competitions in tabloids. Completing a crossword or an advertising slogan (ie. I like blah blah because...... in 10 words or more) she enters anything she comes across so this may be why she seems to win so often. There are genuine winners

deisemum

Sparks400 wrote:

A friend of mine has won several holidays and cash prizes through competitions in tabloids. Completing a crossword or an advertising slogan (ie. I like blah blah because...... in 10 words or more) she enters anything she comes across so this may be why she seems to win so often. There are genuine winners

Most people avoid these because they're fairly difficult but they usually have the best prizes

Sam Vimes

Lodgepole wrote:

People do win. The amount of money made on those kind of things more than subsidises the cost of the prizes.

of course people win. i got a text yesterday that said "bill in glasnevin won €500 euro yesterday"so it must be true

deisemum

Got an email this afternoon, just won a Bulmers Essential Sports Kit for voting for sports personality on Todayfm website.