Are there any comps you regret entering?

Biker*Chick

I saw in the IWIWIW section the other day someone had won a chicken coop with chickens TEXT DELETED TO ENSURE NO OFFENCE TO FORUM USER

It got me thinking about the comps I enter and are there any I regret in the cold light of day...:eek:

I know I entered one or two ipad comps last year then found out they were for 'trade' people only :rotfl: (but didn't win, so didn't matter :cool:) Am more careful now!!

I occasionally enter holiday ones for 2 people (although I have my OH and 2 LOs) which usually have an additional money incentive so if I was lucky to win, I rationalise I could just pay for my 2 LOs to come too!! (has anyone else done that??)

I also enter some radio station ones which require the winner to go 'on air' and again leave it to serendipity, although not sure what I would do if it actually happened! :eek:

So, has anyone entered something (whether they won or not) and really regretted it after? Just interested to hear your stories, that's all - thanks peeps!

:rotfl: :rotfl:

jeddentad

The recent spate of hotel stay competitions where the stay must take place between mid-Feb and end of March have been biting me in the backside. I keep seeing the date range a split-second after pressing go.

I like entering for the hotel stay comps as I like to go to places around the country but never really have a good enough reason. But I need more than a few weeks notice to organize!

Oh, and (sorry all who won) the ChromeBook comp. That one just seems to have been such a difficult one for winners and Google.

createbeauty

I entered a comp trying to win a Tom Tom ... and won £300 worth of personal trainer sessions. I really didn't want the win to go to waste but after two training sessions it just was not worth it, especially since it didn't get organised until mid-November and when I told him I couldn't go to any sessions in December, the personal trainer was not very nice! So I just said stuff it and have ignored him ever since, lol!

Biker*Chick

createbeauty wrote: »

I entered a comp trying to win a Tom Tom ... and won £300 worth of personal trainer sessions. I really didn't want the win to go to waste but after two training sessions it just was not worth it, especially since it didn't get organised until mid-November and when I told him I couldn't go to any sessions in December, the personal trainer was not very nice! So I just said stuff it and have ignored him ever since, lol!

Thanks createbeauty - that's really amused me :rotfl: (in the laughing with you not at you way, or course :eek: )

It's so easy to enter a comp with the main prize in mind, and forget about the runner-up prizes, or vice-versa (I'm guilty of entering 1 or 2 where the runner-up prize was far more appealing, but it's a calculated risk - and with the tiny win odds, worth a punt! I could always decline the prize after all if it didn't suit me, and give someone else the good fortune )

I_am_Noodle

No regrets about entering any comps as I don't enter unless I actually want the prize myself, or know someone who will appreciate it. I read the T's & C's before committing my details.

Since you used my post as an example, I feel I should make some sort of comment about it. I entered because I quite fancied the idea of free, fresh eggs. Since winning, I was told I couldn't keep them where I'd originally intended, so I was considering my options following a conversation with family members. This involved a clumsy thought process and conversations, and included asking here for advice. Poor decision as in the process, someone contacted them about it. So, no regrets about entering as I actually got what I wanted. Instead, I regret the method in which I went about my problem. The lesson I learnt: Don't post on MSE about problems with your prize.

Madrabbitgirl

I sometimes enter comps for items of furniture and then panic slightly as I don't know where it would fit in my small flat if I actually did win!
Also some comps sound good so I enter & then find out after that the prize wouldn't be suitable (for instance the 'Home London' tickets I won this month were for traders only so I couldn't go. It turns out the tickets are free anyway if you register beforehand! So not really a win after all...)
That's a shame I am Noodle that you have been put off asking for advice on here. I find some people are a bit judgmental when it comes to other people not using the prize in the way that they think it should be used. I think if you won a comp fair and square then it should be up to you if you want to sell or give it away.

Melli

No actual regrets - I try my best to read dates/times of prizes and to only enter for prizes I want or can use

I've ended up taking strange trips at odd times of year, but these included a trip to the Outer Hebrides which I took on my own 18 months ago - I'd never have considered doing that normally, but it was genuinely a life-changing experience, giving me time to reflect on my life and turn everything around

I have to say the nearest to regret was my entry to the Great Yorkshire Run in September - fab win btw - but the email came through when I'd just completed a 20 mile bike ride (first time on a bike in 30 years, lol) and it was for the following weekend - 6 days away!

Yes - I did complete the run and it was a fabulous experience, although I did have a very strange gait as I crossed the line! :eek: Just to confirm I do run anyway, so it didn't come as a complete shock to the system

Biker*Chick

I_am_Noodle wrote: »

No regrets about entering any comps as I don't enter unless I actually want the prize myself, or know someone who will appreciate it. I read the T's & C's before committing my details.

Since you used my post as an example, I feel I should make some sort of comment about it. I entered because I quite fancied the idea of free, fresh eggs. Since winning, I was told I couldn't keep them where I'd originally intended, so I was considering my options following a conversation with family members. This involved a clumsy thought process and conversations, and included asking here for advice. Poor decision as in the process, someone contacted them about it. So, no regrets about entering as I actually got what I wanted. Instead, I regret the method in which I went about my problem. The lesson I learnt: Don't post on MSE about problems with your prize.

Sorry I Am Noodle I really didn't wish to cause any offence by using your post as an example, it was just the one that made me consider the types of comps I enter and the dilemmas which arise from winning something that isn't what you thought, or isn't that easy to 'accommodate' - I have amended my original post accordingly, sorry again

Melli wrote: »

No actual regrets - I try my best to read dates/times of prizes and to only enter for prizes I want or can use

I've ended up taking strange trips at odd times of year, but these included a trip to the Outer Hebrides which I took on my own 18 months ago - I'd never have considered doing that normally, but it was genuinely a life-changing experience, giving me time to reflect on my life and turn everything around

Thanks Melli - that sounds amazing! :T I wonder what my OH would think if I disappeared for a break by myself and left him alone with our LOs...oh, if only :rotfl:

PlymouthMaid

Many years ago I entered a comp for a wedding dress thinking I could give it to my sis who was getting married. Turned into a nightmare with me having to attend a presentation with my partner pretending we were getting married, sound like an excited bride and then go to the wedding shop to look at dresses. I learned to read the terms and conditions at that point as I got myself into a right messy situation and ended up not taking the dress as it was so much hassle. Quite ironic as it is the only thing of much value I have ever won.

JamboDP

The only ones I regret entering are the ones I don't win, which is about 99.99% of them.

cheers Dave

brightonman123

comps where the r/up prize is more desirable (to me)..