Some people are ruining it for others

epm-84

As someone who has been involved with the running of some competitions, which finished up posted on here by another MSE user, I'm aware that some competition entrants are wasting their time while others are ruining it for the others.

Why do I say this?

Some people are sending multiple entrants when only one is allowed per person and this has led to all their entries being invalid, as per the T&Cs.

Others having been sending emails with their names and contact details on but haven't even answered the competition question. Again these entries are invalid.

Then with the people who have won some of them send a lot of communication chasing up their prize (and sometimes being rude in their communication) when they have been already told the time scale to expect it within e.g. after 7 days they send an email chasing it up when they have been told they'll receive it within 28 days.

The above increases the cost of running competitions and consequently it means future competitions are less likely to happen and if they do it's likely the prize will be for a lower value.

So read the details of the competition you're entering and if you're lucky enough to win any further communication you receive. Don't spoil it for everyone else just by being too lazy to read a few sentences.

Savvybunny2009

If people are disqualifying themselves by cheating then they are disqualified, that is up to them. A competition promoter can check details and quickly remove them. Standard part of competition administration.

If people are forgetting to put all details, it is likely an oversight, again, this is expected and factored into competitions.

People contact promoters when promoters aren't very good at comunicating about prizes, but again it is part of the job to respond to emails. In my job I have plenty of people calling to essentially say the same thing or emailing and I politely deal with it, it is my job.

I don't think making a post like this comes across as friendly, productive or in the spirit of this board. Obviously there is a cost for companies to advertise and it is up to them should they wish to run a competition, and responding to emails is part of most peoples jobs whether thats one or hundreds a day, but complaining at their target audience that they're costing them more money is, if anything, going to bring negative reactions to the brand and company. It is up to the company to budget for advertising not the consumer to reduce their costs. Just my opinion.

flandot

People are bound to accidentally miss something or accidentally enter the same competition more than once - I'm sure I have. I'm certainly not a cheat and don't intend to ruin competitions for anyone.

I agree with savvybunny in that answering emails is part of most peoples' jobs - it is certainly part of mine and I answer whatever I can because that's what I'm supposed to do.

Some competition winners have not received their prizes within the specified timescale or it is coming close to the date of a concert/event they have won tickets to and, in my mind, they are quite right to chase the supplier.

Entering competitions should be a bit of fun, a hobby to kill some time and something you can hopefully reap the rewards from. I think a lot of people make it unnecessarily political and mallicious when it is just harmless entertainment.

Blulu

The bunny said it for me too. We all make nistakes ;o) Not a biggie in my humbles.

hulahoop09

I have sent emails entering comps and forgot to put the answer but this is completely by mistake then as I press send I remember I forgot the answer. I have done similar when sending attachments to people and forgot to attach the file.

This sort of things is a genuine mistake. I dont think people would type out their contact details and purposely not put the answer. Well I wouldnt. Lol.

Elsbells21

I can understand about the rudeness... if you look on the Cartmel facebook page for example. If I was a small business and I got those responses I wouldn't want to run competitions!

Apart from that I'm pretty sure Savvybunny hit the nail on the head!

flandot

[text removed by MSE Forum Team]

I do understand your point about rudeness, but people are rude in every aspect of life - in shops, on the phone, in work... It's just human nature I'm afraid and I suppose we all have to learn not to let the nasty people ruin things.

In my experience on here, the vast majority of the users are pleasant and appreciative so it would be unfair to generalise.

epm-84

flandot wrote: »

In my experience on here, the vast majority of the users are pleasant and appreciative so it would be unfair to generalise.

Hence the title of the thread says "Some people" not "Everyone on MSE."

flandot

epm-84 wrote: »

Hence the title of the thread says "Some people" not "Everyone on MSE."

I didn't say you were generalising and am not personally attacking you. Just giving my view that most MSE users seem like lovely people.

mandycr

I Think its harsh for u to say that ppl who forget to add some details in the emails are ruining it, i often forget to add answer or phone number even though i know its asked, i try get thru as many comps as possible having 4 kids running around all the time i cant always get everything right, i understand there is no reason for rudeness or multiple entries but those ppl only risk being black listed promoters can do this

hannibal1970

i dont really understand the point of the thread

i presume you are telling us all just to be carefull with our entrys and only enter once if its in the t + c and remember to put the answers in??????