Keeping your anonymity 14 November 2022 at 1:24PM in Compers chat corner 8 replies 497 views

Stapler79

Hello,
I occasionally enter competitions but always like to hide my identity for fear of unwanted publicity. Would using a pseudonym cause me a problem should I win big, for example, proving who I actually am as opposed to the name I used for the competition?
All advice from experienced compers welcome.  Thank you.  

hawest543

I've had a couple of prizes where I had to supply ID to prove I was who I said I was. I think they do it to stop people entering multiple times with different names

sarahrcj

I think a lot of comps are 'non transferable' so if you want a cheque or a holiday or something you might struggle with using a different name

One-Eye

Don't use a pseudonym - you will have horrendous problems claiming prizes.

It might be possible to use your middle name instead of your first name, eg. John Paul Stapler should be OK entering as Paul Stapler - but this is as far as I would advise you go.

mjm3346

Fromm one of the mag dailies

Claims are only valid if the winner's name and address are on the electoral roll. It is the winner's responsibility to ensure their contact details on the site are correct and up-to-date.

tghe-retford

Yes it will be a problem eventually.

I've had to show photo ID in person before to claim a prize.

NBLondon

One-Eye said:

Don't use a pseudonym - you will have horrendous problems claiming prizes.

It might be possible to use your middle name instead of your first name, eg. John Paul Stapler should be OK entering as Paul Stapler - but this is as far as I would advise you go.

I think it depends how big the prize is...  If it's something that can be posted then no problem.  If it's a bigger item to be handed over or banked then like sarahrcj said - you might struggle to explain why you want it in a different name.

I've been asked to show ID to prove I was over 18 once when the prize was alcohol.

Stapler79

Thanks for all your replies.  I think I'll forget about anonymity for now...

mjm3346

"like to hide my identity for fear of unwanted publicity."

GDPR protects you even if you give permission for publicity at the time of entry you can withdraw it anytime.
Unless you agree otherwise the only time promoters should use your details without consent are to provide winner details to the ASA if they ask to prove a winner was selected appropriately.
Nearly all free to enter competitions have prizes worth under £1k, most well under that and there is almost nothing worth say £500k upwards where publicity might be of interest to anyone else