Automated Competition Entries - Compers Unite!

ehlittleone

I'm thinking of putting together a little email to send to companies - maybe eventually we can get a list going and I can ask them what they think. I won't be rushing into anything - so any help on companies to target will be appreciated.

mjm3346

It's hardly Ideal that one of the shopping channels promotes what is probably the biggest auto entry lot. But I was a bit surprised to see WH Smith flogging it through their magazine subscription site.

The auto entry site does say they do not enter where the T&C's forbid it so presumably they will just pack up if more promoters ban it (although @ around £144 per year per punter they may not).

jdsaint

It's hardly Ideal that one of the shopping channels promotes what is probably the biggest auto entry lot.

Yeah that lot dump 4000+ entries into competitions. They do seem to try and respect the "no automated entry rule" so as you say the more promoters who decide it's not for them the better. Still never managed to get a comment from the shopping channel about their views on the service though (i.e. how would they feel having 4000 people enter a promotion on their site but never visit it).

Another service is advertised via Studio 24 - you are offered the chance to sign up when you go to checkout. They're the ones who do the biggest data dumps.

There are a few more which seem to either stay under radar or don't have the volume of subscribers to get flagged up. At least one of them ignores the "no automated entry rule".

Jason

ehlittleone

Thanks Jason, I'm working my way through the list and have emailed a few already. Will see if I get a response although its difficult to know if they will reach the right person. Hopefully even a little helps.

£144 wow they must be raking it in - so for 4000 entries/punters they are making about £600,000 per year!

I wondered if anyone here has paid to use their services and if they got a return on it at all? Just interested.

ehlittleone

http://blog.loquax.co.uk/automatedentries/did-your-competition-get-automated-entries-in-december-2025.htm

a link to your latest blog.

The_3rd_Zebu

I like entering the puzzle magazine comps like Take a Break, That's Life, Chat, etc.

I've done them for years but I've not won a bean from any of them

I do sometimes wonder whether these too are targetted by the Automated Entry organisations.

I know that with most of the puzzle mags one is required to log in to make an online entry but maybe there are ways round that for these people who put in several thousand entries at a time.

Does anyone here know if this is happening?

If it is - then these automated entry people would have it all on a plate.
They would not even need to solve the the puzzle answers either.
They would only have to come onto forums like M.S.E and others to find all of the answers neatly displayed in front of them for them to duplicate several thousand times over.

jdsaint

Does anyone here know if this is happening?

You don't see these sites appear as being targeted by auto-entry services.

Just to underline the issue though - a siteowner has posted this on our blog this evening re: their January competition

within 8 days we had just shy of 21,000 entries (but only 1,400 or so page reads).... I’ve had to find a solution sharpish to secure the competition....If they get past this current level of security – there’s not much more I can do, apart from discontinue the competition.

Jason

The_3rd_Zebu

jdsaint wrote: »

The main things that come to mind are just explain the issue to other compers (probably better than we have).

Plus, send emails/Facebook/Tweet to promoters to indicate they're being targeted or could be targeted - and their position.

If you have any ideas/suggestions that'd be cool.

Jason

Just found that one of them lists the comps that is entering (whilst they are still open).

http://www.wewin4u.co.uk/currcomps.php

Though they do not name the actual competition the prize listed gives a fair indication of which competition it is they are entering.

For example:


Holiday for 2 on French Riviera on luxury yacht

Lazy boy chair

Selection of honey

etc etc .......


Maybe it is best to contact the promoters of those competitions whilst they are still open.

OK it might turn out to be a different competition but at least it alerts yet more competition promotors to the activities of these automated competition entry companies.

Marg2k8

I think that your idea The 3rd Zebu is good. The problem is perhaps laziness or lack of time. I for example, don't have the time to enter as many comps as I would like to, never mind searching to see which company has offered the honey prize for example and then finding out their contact details and sending an email. If this is to work, then it really needs to be done in a systematic way, so that people are only one or two clicks away from making a complaint. For example by a continuing thread, such as this one being used by us all to add links to particular competitions that we think are being targetted and perhaps one person starting a thread on the promoting company's facebook page, so that the rest of us only have to add to the comments or like the post.

Incidentally, I only ever use MSE for my comping, but I have now signed up as a member of Loquax, not because I want to switch to Loquax for my comping, but because I was impressed on reading Jason's comments in this thread and wanted to read the link to Loquax, where he had covered this topic. I would like to say to Jason that it is very well covered on his Loquax blog.

The_3rd_Zebu

Thankyou marg2k8


Well I am making a token start today because I think WeWin4u will stop listing current comps as soon as they see people are complaining to the promotors using their list.

The promotor I am emailing today is Channel 4 (E4) regarding the Win a trip for 2 to Seattle competition:

https://www.e4.com/competition/doitandwin/46943463336b7d03b677620c61a43590/participate.e4

This does not close till the 29th of January but it is listed on WeWin4u's list of current comps.

If anyone else is thinking of doing the same for other current comps I would urge them to be quick because I have no doubt that all these automated entry services read MSE and Loquax and are wise to what goes on within comping circles.

They probably get the competitions from here in the first place.