Comping Guide - Getting Started & Other FAQs

[josie301]

The only advice I have left to offer is perhaps not to be so specific in the search criteria - I never use advanced search and only put in 1 or 2 key words, never the full url (I was surprised that worked for so many people actually)

I have started adding what I searched to find the original comps when marking duplicates so peole get an idea of what to search for.

hth

[Flickering Ember]

I search for the URL, eg ones I just posted today, I searched for them, and also key words, so now making this up, if there was a "Win a case of Bulmers cider with HMV" comp, I'd do "Bulmers", see what came up, "HMV" and see what came up as well, and also "cider". I search in the little box at the top RH corner and click the forums button so it does not search the main site, and also on the search tab under the welcome bit...and some come up which is why I don't post them but all the comps I post, they come up as not being there already...

[Flickering Ember]

Josie, I don't even know what an advanced search is so I am sure I am not doing them!! I don't think this is the place to go into all the rest of it, only focus on the matter in hand...I just think some people can be insensitive and tactless and it can be very upsetting, offputting and intimidating. I shan't say more as there is no point and I don't want to get ill again.

[Flickering Ember]

I do search that way, to the letter. And it does not always work, as is admitted in the post itself. This is not a place to start the personal attacks again.

[toniq]

No one wants to attack u FE, just help u too to use the forum in a way that we all do xxx why not spend some time going through all the buttons like i did when i first started i literally clicked on each one to see what it done!, familiarise yourself with everything and practice, soon it will be second nature. Dont make yourself ill over this its just a learning curve xxxx

[VelvetGlove]

Originally Posted by lilias

Could you add Craftmatic Beds to the list of spammy sites, please?

Have read the links & yeps they are added - what awful practices the salemen have! Scum! Thanks for alerting us to them lilias

[VelvetGlove]

Originally Posted by Flickering Ember

I don't even know what an advanced search is so I am sure I am not doing them!!

FE - the Comping Guide takes you step by step through the Advanced Search with screen shots to help you along the way. You may be doing them without realising as you say you've read & followed the Guide :confused:

The only thing I can add to what has been mentioned by other members is perhaps try the search just using the domain name. So in non techie that is:

I've just grabbed a random comp from the forum list. The link for the competition is: http://www.toyhound.co.uk/comp.php?source=NUK for £100 worth of ELC Vouchers.

When searching I would try an Advanced Search for: toyhound.co.uk - that brings back quite a few comps so I'd either scan down the list or search for toyhound.co.uk voucher (8 results) & also toyhound.co.uk £100 (2 results) to narrow it down. (If you want to try that search to see if you get the same results?)

I'm hoping this has helped a little? As Toni says, this is meant to be fun, not something to get worked up over or ill. If I'm online (little green light under my name) then feel free to pm me with a comp & I'll help with a second search if you want, so you can feel better about posting it? Not saying that any of us are perfect but sometimes another pair of eyes can help

[littleholly]

Originally Posted by Flickering Ember

I do search that way, to the letter. And it does not always work, as is admitted in the post itself. This is not a place to start the personal attacks again.

I don't know how you can say that you're being personally attacked. You create these scenarios by asking why the search doesn't work for you. The search works fine for most of us and people have posted helpful advice to guide you but you always say 'thats how I already do it'.
If you've read the guide and other peoples advice and the search still doesn't work for you then I really don't know what else to suggest. :confused:

[ontopicmagazine]

Hello there

We run a website and we want to post our own competition! Although I can't see it in the rules, I understand that this is frowned upon in MSE-land (i'm looking at this post specifically - http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/...tml?t=1114973). We're not evil spammers, and it's a genuine competition... any ideas about what we can do?.. Please feel free to delete/move this post if I'm unwittingly breaking any more rules!

Cath

[Cheeky Chicken]

Originally Posted by ontopicmagazine

Hello there

We run a website and we want to post our own competition! Although I can't see it in the rules, I understand that this is frowned upon in MSE-land (i'm looking at this post specifically - http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/...tml?t=1114973). We're not evil spammers, and it's a genuine competition... any ideas about what we can do?.. Please feel free to delete/move this post if I'm unwittingly breaking any more rules!

Cath

Hi, it's not in this guide because it's not a comp-specific rule, but a general MSE one (no promoting your own site/services)

I think you'll find the comp from your site has been posted recently though

Cheeky

[VelvetGlove]

The Guide has been updated with some new smilies which Cheeky Chicken created for us to use. Hopefully this will help the forum come together more with less misunderstandings when just plain words are used

Thanks CC!

[VelvetGlove]

Originally Posted by chickaroonee

A quick tip about googling for your name to see if you have won comps - google alert is a great feature, you can set it to search for a set phrase every day and it will email you when it finds a new site. I have mine set to search for my name everyday and it works really well, it does help that I have an unusual name I suppose!

This is the link:
http://www.google.com/alerts

I've been using this since you posted about it chickaroonee & it really does work like a charm! It flags up quite a few results which aren't comp wins but it did let me know that my recent Elemis win was now on site - if the email had gone astray or into my junk & I'd missed it then I could have gotten straight onto the site concerned Nice one, thanks for sharing it with us all

It's now included in the Guide

[VelvetGlove]

Please note that I've just updated post 8 with the smilies which we can all use to politely let other compers know 'stuff' Feel free to copy & use as required

[Naughtynat]

I am having real problems downloading roboform and google toolbar. I am clicking on RUN and it is coming up as a security warning for both. Can anyone offer any advice?

[Mamzie]

Maybe ask in the comp discussion thread as more people will see it there. I know I've had lots of help with roboform and forefox in that thread.

[VelvetGlove]

Couple of updates made to the Comping Guide :

1. EMAP radio stations seem to have changed their name to Bauer Group radio stations - amended on Getting Started (II) section, item 9 Can I enter the radio station / newspaper comps on more than one of the radio station / newspaper websites? Thanks to s0ulassasin for finding the name change!
   .
2. A couple more sites added to the spammy sites list - amended on Posting Comps section, item 9 Are there any sites, from experience, which are likely to generate lots of spam? Thanks to rrickuk for his pm telling me about more sites!
   .
3. Re-worded the Guide in light of no more 'Comps Ending...' threads & also the fantastic way posters are strictly adhering to theEnd Date Convention or other compers are asking them to edit their titles - amended on Getting Started (I), items: 1 I want to enter comps, what should I do first? / Where do I start?! & also 2 Why can’t I search for comps that are ending on a certain date? Thanks everyone!

[VelvetGlove]

Originally Posted by Naughtynat

I am having real problems downloading roboform and google toolbar. I am clicking on RUN and it is coming up as a security warning for both. Can anyone offer any advice?

Hi naughtynat

Security warning sounds quite dire! Do you know what the exact wording was please as with that then we may be able to shed some light on the issue?

Also, when you download any add-ons a box usually comes up saying something like 'are you sure you want to run this program - is it from a reputable source?'. If that was the error message then it should be quite OK to carry on as long as you downloaded them from a reliable place

Sorry I didn't reply to this last night, I'm gradually trying to work my way through the Regular Competitions sub forum too & I wasn't looking around on the rest of the forum

[Naughtynat]

Originally Posted by VelvetGlove

Hi naughtynat

Security warning sounds quite dire! Do you know what the exact wording was please as with that then we may be able to shed some light on the issue?

Also, when you download any add-ons a box usually comes up saying something like 'are you sure you want to run this program - is it from a reputable source?'. If that was the error message then it should be quite OK to carry on as long as you downloaded them from a reliable place

Sorry I didn't reply to this last night, I'm gradually trying to work my way through the Regular Competitions sub forum too & I wasn't looking around on the rest of the forum

I am clicking on this link http://www.download.com/RoboForm/300...dlPid=10476591 which was provided by another a MSE user. When I click on the link I have a download now option.

When I click on it, it says 'File Download - Security Warning' Do you want to run or save this file? Then I have the potions to save, run or cancel. Then it says that files from the internet can be useful, but this type can be harmful to my pc.

Anyway, when I click on RUN, it comes up again with the security warning and askes me again if i want to run the file. The hour glass comes up then it says 'AiRoboForm[1].exe has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience'

[VelvetGlove]

Thanks for replying I'll just wait until BF is off the phone (parents called him & it is his weekly catch up call) & I'll get him to take a look so I know what I'm talking about So useful to have a techy BF as I pimp him out all over the place

Hopefully back to you with a suggestion in a few

[Naughtynat]

Originally Posted by VelvetGlove

Thanks for replying I'll just wait until BF is off the phone (parents called him & it is his weekly catch up call) & I'll get him to take a look so I know what I'm talking about So useful to have a techy BF as I pimp him out all over the place

Hopefully back to you with a suggestion in a few

Ahhhh, thank you sooooo much for all your help! xxxx