Competitions

As I mentioned in my last post I am addicted to entering competitions. This seems to have become even more of an obsession since I moved to New Zealand. Probably because I have won quite a few prizes and nothing fans the flames of an addiction more than the sweet taste of victory. However, I have to admit I haven’t won the “big one” yet but I do win lots of little things.

To name a few things I have won since moving to New Zealand (I can’t name everything as it would take up too much space): Microwave oven, Nintendo game system with two games (unfortunately this was stolen from our house in Papakura two weeks after we got it, back in 1997), dishes, movie passes, Easter Show tickets, Home Show tickets, Dorothy the Dinosaur Show tickets, $50 voucher for Pumpkin Patch, $40 voucher for NZGirl, books, CDs, DVDs, videos, stationery, LCD monitor, baby products, and so on.

Most of these things I have won in the last few years which is why I can remember them. There are some things I won I didn’t need or couldn’t use, like the Dorothy the Dinosaur Show tickets, so I simply on sold them. I can always use money. I do try to only enter competitions for things I want or need, however with the show tickets I didn’t read the fine print properly and it turned out the show was in the middle of the week when my girls were in school. I couldn’t take them out of school to go to a show in Auckland. However I made another family very happy by selling them the tickets for half the retail price on TradeMe. So it wasn’t a complete loss.

My advice is to read the fine print when entering competitions, even if you don’t think you’ll win. It is those times that you do get the prize.

Last year I had my daughters enter a colouring competition in the hopes that they would be one of the 50 runners up and get a double movie pass. Much to my surprise and my eldest daughter’s delight I got a phone call to say she won the grand prize which we didn’t even know what it was. A few weeks later at school she was presented (literally as it was wrapped like a Christmas gift) by an ASB bank manager a brand new Playstaion 2 console and a Buzz Junior game with controllers. She even got her picture in the local paper. That was a wonderful prize as I couldn’t afford to spend a couple hundred dollars on a game system, especially with my tight Christmas budget at that time.

The amazing thing was the next day a package arrived for my youngest which was a Leapster TV console game system that she had won (I’d entered her name in a mail-in competition). So both my girls had their own TV game systems and I could reclaim the computer, so I thought!

What has really increased my interest in entering competitions is the Internet. Now I can enter lots more competitions for free. In the past it would cost the price of an envelope and a postage stamp, which has just risen to 50¢. Now I can enter virtually hundreds of competitions, however the chances of winning are lessened because there are thousands (possibly hundreds of thousands) of people entering these competitions as well. But even with those odds I still seem to win a few.

My top 10 tips for entering competitions:

1. How many entries can you make? Many competitions only allow one entry per household or email address. However there are some, usually mail-in comps, which allow multiple entries.

2. Do you qualify to win? If you’re doing online competitions check to see if the country you live in qualifies to enter. You can’t rely on the URL to tell you what country the comp is for.

3. Are you prepared to win the major prize? This may sound like a silly question, however you must think about it. Many “trip” prizes are to be taken within a specific time frame, so if you don’t have a passport or cannot take time off work to go, then don’t bother entering the comp.

4. Are you willing to have your name or photo used for promotion? Most companies will print your name and possibly your photo if you are a winner. If you don’t want the publicity, then don’t enter the comp.

5. Don’t get your hopes up. I find that I don’t win the competitions I really want. However it is when I enter a comp and then forget all about it that I get the prize. I don’t know why or how this works, but it does.

6. Don’t enter competitions that charge you money. I’m always wary of comps which require an entry fee. If you aren’t getting something for your money then steer clear.

7. Don’t spend a lot of money on a competition. If you have to buy something to enter a comp then only do it if the product is something you would normally buy. Don’t go out of your way to spend a lot of money just to enter a competition. You will be disappointed in the end.

8. Beware of referral competitions. Many comps will give you extra entries if you refer friends – give out people’s names and addresses. Check that this is okay with your friends first, as no one likes junk mail. However I don’t mind as I can easily delete the email if I’m not interested.

9. Remember to read the fine print. It’s always good to check the rules before entering a competition. Some competitions have age restrictions and time limits. The deadline might be expired or years away, in which case you’ll have a very long wait to see if you win. You may even find that the company will send you emails or letters promoting their product. If you don’t want further contact then don’t enter the comp.

10. And finally, tell others about your wins. If you do win a prize let others know. The company that gave you the prize will benefit from you telling others. I believe it’s a karmic thing – if you share your good news, or even your prize, then good things will continue to happen. I’m hoping giving out these tips will put me in good stead (karmic-wise) to win the “big one”! I’ll keep you informed.

In the future I plan to create a Competitions link area on this blog, so if you know of any good comps let me know. Check back often to see my progress and please let me know if you win anything from my advice or blog.