when is a 'win' not a win (or just partial win)

brightonman123

I am thinking re comps with say a car as main prize, but not including anything towards the insurance-
car is valuable in itself, but no use if you cant afford to insure it, so its not really a full (free) prize, if you follow?

on a smaller scale, holidays that have flights & accomodation, but you have to pay for the departure taxes..

without PAYING for either, you cannot gain any benefit from the prize..?

discuss!

starrybee

I think both your examples still count as wins to me, if it's still giving you something you couldn't afford otherwise.

To me the only wins that aren't wins are when they send you a congratulations email that gives you 20% off something and expect you to be grateful! :rotfl:

purplebutterfly

We've won 2 nights in Rome at a 5 star hotel that includes B&B plus flights.

Unfortunately, the airport transfers alone will cost us £200, then we've got to pay the cat sitter, get travel insurance (not cheap with a chronic illness), pay for food and sightseeing etc. It's going to cost more than we actually have so we're borrowing from family

I normally only enter holiday comps if they include transfers, spending money and/or meals so I don't know why I entered this one. Having won it, it seemed a waste not to take it up but I suggest that people really think before entering comps with added extras. Nothing bursts your happy WEM bubble like realising your win is going to cause extra stress and financial hardship.

On the positive side, we probably would never have visited Rome unless it was a win and we certainly wouldn't be staying at such a posh hotel.

I now make 100% certain that ANY comps I enter don't involve additional costs. Comping was never intended to bankrupt me! :rotfl:

jeddentad

when I enter for big prizes, I mentally go over the associated costs and decide if, in the case of emergency (ie a win) it would be okay

All holidays have associated costs (spending money, pet sitting, holiday time), as do vehicles, large appliances (removal and installation), even furntiture (removals).

I don't see them as partial prizes in that way at all. It's just the nature of the prize.

Take the campervan comp. My parter has wanted a campervan since childhood. If I, somehow, won one I've no idea how we'd handle storage and maintenance, but I figured it'd be worth it if I won.

Barnabysue

Sounds stupid, but I can remember once having a sleepless night when i first started comping, worrying about what I would do with a caravan if I won it. Where would I park it? Would our car tow it? Could we afford to insure it? Would the neighbours complain? Haven't entered a caravan comp since :rotfl:

Blulu

I just think it's about being aware of the costs involved before entering. Re the car example, I don't think that should be a prob, because one could always sell the car.

I hardly enter for holiday comps mainly because of the reasons you gave, but also because we have two dogs and we're new to this area, so we haven't really got a holiday home sorted for them. Although I still enter for a few holidays if it's somewhere really special that we want to go, because I figure we'll find a way somehow if it's 'a dream come true' type thing.

Blu X

hamsterfan1

purplebutterfly wrote: »

We've won 2 nights in Rome at a 5 star hotel that includes B&B plus flights.

Unfortunately, the airport transfers alone will cost us £200, then we've got to pay the cat sitter, get travel insurance (not cheap with a chronic illness), pay for food and sightseeing etc. It's going to cost more than we actually have so we're borrowing from family

I normally only enter holiday comps if they include transfers, spending money and/or meals so I don't know why I entered this one. Having won it, it seemed a waste not to take it up but I suggest that people really think before entering comps with added extras. Nothing bursts your happy WEM bubble like realising your win is going to cause extra stress and financial hardship.

On the positive side, we probably would never have visited Rome unless it was a win and we certainly wouldn't be staying at such a posh hotel.

I now make 100% certain that ANY comps I enter don't involve additional costs. Comping was never intended to bankrupt me! :rotfl:

I have the same problem with our holiday to Cyprus - we live in the Bristol area but have to fly from Stansted, our flight gets in around midnight so we have to have a private transfer - around 40 euros, and our flight times have changed coming back so we may need to stay overnight before coming home, so I'm also having to borrow from family.


I now rigorously check what's included in a holiday befere I enter

brightonman123

i understand costs will be incurred by using said prizes (petrol, spending money etc), but having to spend ££, just to GET the prize seems wrong.

Just my 2p!

mjm3346

The insurance is a legal requirement not something imposed by the prize provider and for some people would cost nothing while for others ,young/points/home address etc ,could cost as much as the car.