Postal, Supermarket and Magazine Competitions (merged)

wannabedebtfreebeth

I can answer the last bit anyway - PM is private message - so it's only available to the recipient. If you click on their name it takes you to various options and one of them is private message. If you look where your name is above the threads you will see that it shows whwether you have any private messages and whether they are read or unread.

I have previously subscribed to various comping magazines and they often give details of comp clubs but not usre where to find out about them otherwise - no doubt someone will give you more info about that soon. ood luck with the comps.

Winjackie

Hi
Thanks so much for that, and good luck to you too.

Prudent

Elastoplast Sport’s Neoprene range has a support for common ankle, knee or wrist injuries, so if you experience joint or muscle discomfort during or after exercise, they can help to alleviate the symptoms of overuse.

For a chance to win, send your name, address and phone number on a postcard to CVZSTE02116, PO BOX 248, Haslingden, Rossendale, BB4 0BH by 28 February 2007.

Strepsy

Prudent wrote:

Elastoplast Sport’s Neoprene range has a support for common ankle, knee or wrist injuries, so if you experience joint or muscle discomfort during or after exercise, they can help to alleviate the symptoms of overuse.

For a chance to win, send your name, address and phone number on a postcard to CVZSTE02116, PO BOX 248, Haslingden, Rossendale, BB4 0BH by 28 February 2007.

What do you win Prudent, is it just like a tubigrip thing?

Prudent

Thta's what it looks like - photo too small too judge exactly.

Strepsy

This New Year look no further than New World affordable, practical and ultra-stylish appliances designed to make cooking hassle-free. Somerfield has teamed up with New World to offer 3 readers the chance to win a new 100cm dual fuel range cooker in satin steel finish worth £700.

To be in with a chance of winning send your name and address to

New World Competition
PO Box 1165
Bristol
BS99 2PB

Winners will be selected at random after the closing date of 30/1/07.

Found in January's Somerfield magazine.

Strepsy

Win and Trim!
Two-night taster break at Ragdale Hall and delicious Weight Watcher's fruity wine to be won.

Our first prize winner will win a two-night Taster Break for two in a superior room at the world famous Ragdale Hall Health Hydro, Melton Mowbray, plus two cases of Weight Watcher's Fruity White wine. Includes a 50-min body massage or natural harmony facial, or choice of two 25-min treatments. Includes breakfast, buffet lunch and dinner each day + use of all facilities.

Three runners up will each receive one mixed case (6 bottles) of Weight Watchers wine.

For your chance to win send your name and contact details to:

Somerfield Get Toned Prize Draw
PO Box 1166
Bristol
BS99 2PD

comperking

Hi Folks

Various MSE Members have PM’d me in response to a competition article I wrote earlier, “Secrets of Comping”. Sorry I have been slow in replying but here are some tips that may help beginners. I’m sure others members can add (“Tips on how to Win”) to this list and hopefully someone gets a win from it.

“Secrets of winning”, there are none! The secret of winning is an intelligent approach to what should be a hobby only and a treat when you do win. There’s always an exception to the way people win but if you want to be a constant winner through the year these tips may help.

Last month I won a luxury trip to Paris (£1000 worth) by doing a TV phone-in at 50p, I never do these in general! I won a case of wine by up-dating my BA details on the Net! Three Premium Bonds wins (£50 each).

The point I’m trying to make is to spread the competitions you do, if you enter a postcard comp from a magazine that has a hundred-thousand readers, what are the odds on you winning? If 1000 people enter the comp would you bet on a horse at these odds! No is the answer! The problem with postcard comps its pure luck if your card gets pulled out from the thousands. Far better to spread the type of comps you do!

The most prolific type of competition win is from tie-breaker competitions, these are normally entry forms which ask you to answer a question and tie-breaker in a limited amount of words. I love Shakespeare because: He is the bard that (Ann) Hathaway with words! Most tie-breaker comp entries get read therefore shortening your odds!

Each week there are hundreds of competitions to enter, be they in supermarkets, mail, stores and magazines the list goes on. If you think you will be a regular winner by doing two comps a week you won’t win! As a hobby it should be commensurate with what you can afford, one big win wipes out you initial annual expenditure!

In my experience the harder the comp is the more chance you have of winning it. Many companies require you to buy their product and send the receipt with answer and entry form, this may be something you normally buy so try swapping brands just for this time.
Why not sometimes do the shopping for friends and that way you get two or three entries. (Keep the receipts).

The next time you go shopping try and see how many competitions you can find in the stores and supermarkets, you’ll be surprised how soon your eyes becomes good at spotting entry forms and comps.

As I said in the beginning the secret is determination and to make it a fun hobby and if you win it’s a bonus! You’d be surprised at the amount of my friends that say “aren’t you lucky your always winnings things”! Luck plays a little part in the grander scheme, yes I have friends that win better than I do but they try harder, simple as that.

I hope the few tips listed below help some of you beginners as I myself have started 2007 with a vengeance and am determined to get a top prize this year!

• Spread the type of comps you are doing. (Not all of the same such as PC’s or only Internet).
• Join a comping club in your area, do a Google search or better still start one!

• Comping club can be a great source of getting EF’s (entry forms) and those elusive comps with low entries!

• Start to train yourself every time you are out shopping to get at least two competition entry forms.

• Try your local papers as they always have comps and like local people to winner.

• Start to read all the free mags issued in your town and you’ll be surprised how many comps there are in them. Doesn’t matter if it’s the “Parrot Weekly” or the “Compost Diary” they will all feature comps at some point!

• Subscribe to a competition magazine (Google it) make sure it’s good and a low subscription one. Many will send you a back issue so you can check. (http://www.isubscribe.co.uk/sub_cat_srch.cfm?subCatID=195)


• Borders and WH Smith have dozens of magazines that feature comps; most are shown on the cover page. I use one of those word scanners to quickly get addresses from the mag. Have a look on EBay as you can pick them up reasonable cheaply.

• Get Free postcards from Pubs and Cinemas and cheap envelopes from the Pound shops

• When it’s your birthday ask family to get you some books on competitions and tie-breakers, they won’t laugh when you start to win!

• Most of it is common sense, so shorten the odds and you will start to see results from your patience and persistence and best of all, enjoy it!

Good luck and may your 2007 be a lucky one!

Comperking

gingerchick

Hi comperking.
Thanks for all that info.

Can I just ask, what is a word scanner?
I've been on e-bay and searched for one, but nothings coming up.
I would like to get one of them for when I'm out shopping, save me scribbling all the addresses down.

My shopping habits have totally changed now I've starting comping.
I look out for all the competitions in the store, when looking at wine I look for neck labels for the comps. Washing powder and cereals nearly always have some comp of some kind on them. And hubby has been very happy when I've come home with some single bottles of beer because they had a comp on them!
And I've even started looking at the pet food aisle, even though I haven't got a pet. Just to see if any comps are there.

Also a tip I picked up elsewhere...If you do need to send in a reciept of proof of purchase, always buy that item seperate.
Because if you have bought two or three things with proof needed, and it's all on one reciept, you can only enter one comp then.
The cashiers think I'm mad when I ask for two or three different items to be scanned and paid for separetly!:rotfl:

comperking

Hi Gingerchick

They are like little hand held scanners/photocopiers that read the data and you can download onto your computer to read, life of me can't think what they called!

Ask on the forum as there's always some bright spark with the answers!

Have fun and win!!!

Comperking