Competition sites not allowing MSE entries

DASONIA

I have been reading the entries at https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4550431 regarding the company not allowing competition answer sharing. In view of this and similar recent problems with Take a Break and Thats Life entries I was wondering.

When we go through the links in MSE to the competition site, can they recognise that we've come via MSE and if so and they felt we were not proper visitors to their site (if you know what I mean) , could they just ignore our entries.

Certainly www. Realnappyweek @ 4550431 were not happy and it looks as if they will be disqualifying those people using shared answers.

Any thoughts?

Zanzib

I don't understand the technicalities of how sites can see which entries come from where.

But if they don't want answers shared then they can ask that the answer is not shared on here- others do that.

As long as they make it clear in their t&c's that they are applying that rule.

It obviously doesn't stop a comper entering via a link from a search engine for example...unless they have the ability to check IP addresses and block them (?)

mjm3346

There was public access to a competition database a while ago which included visitor stats and you could see how people had arrived at the site and that included as much detail as the fact some visits had come from pm links on MSE (not just mse!), also the search terms that had been used on google etc that had led people to the site.

IP tracking is fairly standard even for a free forum.

EMMAP

Who are they to say what is a legitimate entry and what isn't? That really gets my goat. People are kind enough to share answers so we all have an opportunity to win. I don't think it's fair for prize givers to get sniffy and judge how the competitions are entered and from where.

It'd be sad if websites disqualified us. It's a harmless hobby and we've got just as much right to enter as someone who stumbles across a page and enters.

mjm3346

could they just ignore our entries

They could although they should not unless it is covered by their T&C's - some of those that could be used to ignore entries "entries found to be against the spirit of the competition", "entries from/via consumer groups" etc.

If your entry is ignored you will almost certainly never know.

Barnabysue

I can understand companies that ask you to search the site for answers or items not liking the answers being shared. The idea of the comp is to get traffic on to their site and to get people looking at other pages rather than just the comp form.

emiai

Just copy the URLS and open in a clean browser, youll have got there from google if thats set as your homepage

tghe-retford

The best way they should deal with this situation is to ask for the thread to be closed and have themselves added to the list contained within point 4 of this post:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/1014121

In terms of the realnappyweek example in the OP, it looks as if that URL has already been added to the refrain from posting list.

My main worry is that if they can log IP addresses and people assume that entering competitions via forums like MSE and other competition forums is "illegitimate", they might start using said IP addresses to send abuse reports to the ISP that owns that IP address. From what I know, it is possible to find out where you have come from (it's how some newspaper sites grant free access to their articles from Google but you hit a paywall if you visit from elsewhere) and your IP address. Add the two together and you have where they come from and their IP address.

I had to close my Facebook account before they outright banned me, because they do send abuse reports to ISPs of suspected spammers and abusers. As I just joined my ISP for fibre optic broadband, I didn't want to get off to a bad start with them.

Let's hope a competition organiser doesn't go over the top and start sending abuse reports to ISPs.

fire**fly

tghe-retford wrote: »

The best way they should deal with this situation is to ask for the thread to be closed and have themselves added to the list contained within point 4 of this post:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/1014121

In terms of the realnappyweek example in the OP, it looks as if that URL has already been added to the refrain from posting list.

hi, if a comp site needs to be added to VG's list 'sites not wanting thier answers/comps posted'
VG has to be pm'd & made aware so she can put it on the list,
the comp site owners don't usually do this unless one of the MSE members make them aware they can have this done,
the one above i pm'd VG to add to the list,
VG also would need the url/thread for the site not wanting them done so she can check it out etc.

custardcream1000

emiai wrote: »

Just copy the URLS and open in a clean browser, youll have got there from google if thats set as your homepage

Sorry for my stupidity , but is a clean browser a new window?

Thanks

emiai

custardcream1000 wrote: »

Sorry for my stupidity , but is a clean browser a new window?

Thanks

Yes I usually have two open, MSE and a second one to copy and paste the new URL into. xx Good luck