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Free Travel Contests and Sweepstakes FAQ / Guidelines: PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

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Old Jun 28, 2013, 9:35 am
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A forum for news of free travel contests and sweepstakes that give away free miles or travel. Limited cross-posting is allowed to travel program forums for major mileage/points giveaways (i.e., win 1,000,000 miles). This forum is for sweeps that have travel-related prizes ONLY. Posting sweeps without travel prizes is NOT allowed. This is not the place to post your request for Facebook votes or similar. Such will be summarily deleted. Duplicate threads about already posted contests and sweeps will be deleted.

Contest/sweeps that do not have free miles or travel-related prizes are not allowed to be posted in this forum. Examples include, but are not limited to, cash only prizes, cars, sports equipment, concert tickets (without a trip attached), electronics, and non-travel gift cards. Non-travel sweeps will be deleted by the moderators. Facebook sweeps asking for votes is not appropriate for this forum & will be deleted.

PLEASE READ THE FAQ PRIOR TO POSTING. Thank you.
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Free Travel Contests and Sweepstakes FAQ / Guidelines: PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

Old Apr 13, 2013, 3:51 pm
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Arrow Free Travel Contests and Sweepstakes FAQ / Guidelines: PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

Free Contest/Travel Sweeps Forum Description:

A forum for news of free travel contests and sweepstakes that give away free miles or travel. Limited cross-posting is allowed to travel program forums for major mileage/points giveaways (i.e., win 1,000,000 miles). This forum is for sweeps that have travel-related prizes ONLY. Posting sweeps without travel prizes is NOT allowed. This is not the place to post your request for Facebook votes or similar. Such will be summarily deleted.


Contest/Travel Sweeps Forum FAQ:

General Flyertalk Rules Apply

General Flyertalk Rules/Terms of Service apply to threads and posts in this forum. If you are unfamiliar with FT Rules/TOS, they are listed here:

http://www.flyertalk.com/help/rules.php

What type of contest/sweeps can be posted in this forum?

Sweeps that give away free miles, hotel points, car rentals, and other travel-related prizes such as trips, cruises, travel vouchers/travel gift cards, lodging packages, and travel guides can be posted in this forum.

Entry methods can be online, postal mail, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, toll-free calls and text messaging.

What types of contest/sweeps are not allowed in this forum?

Contest/sweeps that do not have free miles or travel-related prizes are not allowed to be posted in this forum. Examples include, but are not limited to, cash only prizes, cars, sports equipment, concert tickets (without a trip attached), electronics, and non-travel gift cards. Non-travel sweeps will be deleted by the moderators. Facebook sweeps asking for votes is not appropriate for this forum & will be deleted.

Can blog contests/sweepstakes be posted?

If a blog contest/sweepstakes offers a significant travel-related prize (i.e., airline or hotel gift card, airline miles/hotel points; not amenity kits, drink chits, etc), it can be posted. If the prize is not travel-related (i.e., generic gift card, debit card, free subscription to the blogger’s site, coffee mug, etc) & the sweeps being posted is intended to only drive traffic to the blogger’s site, it is not allowed and will be deleted by the moderators.

What information should be posted when a sweeps is posted?

At minimum, a description of the prize and a link to the entry form (or whatever method is required for entry). A link to the rules is helpful, but not absolutely required. Additional information re: the prize, rules, name of company sponsoring, whether it is a one-time only entry or multiples, region it is open such as US/Canada, answer if there is a quiz portion, is helpful information that can be provided to FTers in either the thread title or the first post or both.

Not all FTers use Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, etc, so in the thread title if entry methods are such it is helpful if the post begins with the following abbreviations so FTers know whether to enter or to not open the thread if it’s a method they don’t use:
FB – so they’ll know it’s a Facebook only entry
TW – so they’ll know it’s a Twitter only entry
SM – so they’ll know it’s a postal (snail) mail entry
TX – so they’ll know it’s a text only entry
PI – so they’ll know it’s a Pinterest only entry
IN – so they’ll know it’s an Instagram only entry
Regular online entries & toll-free telephone entries do not need a separate designation.

What if a contest/sweeps is posted more than once?

Contest/sweeps for a particular sweeps should only be posted once in the forum. Occasionally an FTer will post a sweeps not realizing another FTer has already posted it. Best practice when posting a sweep is to check the list of sweeps already posted, going back for a few pages, to determine if it has already been posted.

The second posting of a sweeps may get the thread locked, deleted or moved to the already existing thread by the moderator, or it may simply be noted (politely) that it is a second posting of the same sweeps by either another FTer or by the moderator to alert other FTers.

Thank you posts are not necessary

It isn't necessary to post ‘thank you’ on the contest/sweeps threads, which results in bumping the thread up. FTers who post sweeps basically assume everyone is thankful/appreciates their efforts.

When FTers see responses to a thread they assume that's because there's additional information regarding the sweeps. So when they click on the thread & the response is just a thank-you by someone new being polite, it can be a bit frustrating, so please keep ‘thank you’ “virtual”.

If an FTer has posted a thank you without realizing it’s not required or thinks it’s the polite thing to do, FTers should not berate that individual publicly. If the person has posted multiple thank you’s, a PM might be sent to the FTer pointing them to this FAQ. Please note that FT TOS applies to PMs.

However, if there is a thread in a different forum where an FTer has taken the time to provide detailed information on something you asked about (such as information re: a hotel in a hotel forum), then a 'thanks' would be appropriate in that situation.

What if I think an FTer is ‘post-padding’ in the forum?

Occasionally an FTer might ‘post-pad’ (post multiple times rapidly) to increase their post count.

If you think that is the case w/ an FTer in the contest/sweeps (or any other) forum, do not accuse the FTer publicly on the thread or via PM of post-padding, but simply click on ‘report bad post’ (the red triangle in the left of the post) & notify the moderator(s). The moderator(s) will then follow-up & determine if indeed the FTer is post-padding (or not) & take appropriate action.

Some General Sweepstakes Entry Information

Listed below is some generic and hopefully helpful information regarding entering sweeps. Internet Brands, the owner of Flyertalk, does not accept responsibility for the information provided, and it is listed in this FAQ merely as information to be helpful. The information was gathered by FTers in previous sticky threads & posted in this new FAQ. As with all things, when in doubt, read the contest/sweeps rules or contact the company sponsoring the contest/sweeps with any questions or additional information. In the case of tax & liability questions, for definitive answers please contact your accountant or tax attorney. Information provided by FTers on the thread is intended to be helpful, but not provide or replace tax/legal advice by a professional.

Contest/Sweeps Restrictions

Companies sponsor contest/sweeps to promote their products to their target market. So some sweeps might be limited to a geographic area such as the Midwest portion of the US, USA & Canada only, males/females only, smokers/non-smokers, those with a driver’s license, or a certain age group. Or they might limit it to a certain method of entry, such as Twitter or Facebook, to gauge which method is better in promoting their products. It is the prerogative of the company sponsoring a sweep to impose any restrictions they wish regarding entries or entry methods. If the sweeps excludes you (you in a generic sense), move on to other sweeps for which you are eligible.

Often the contest/sweeps posted in this forum will be for US or US/Canada only. That is because the parent company &/or judging agency is US-based, and the contest/sweeps rules are set up to comply w/ US/Canadian rules & regulations. International contests/sweepstakes are not as prevalent as they are in the US, and/or the rules vary so much by individual country that it’s easier for companies not to make the sweeps international. Sweeps open to other countries, when found by FTers, will be posted.

Some sweeps will exclude certain states or provinces, usually to comply with state/province regulations. This is especially true of sweeps sponsored by alcohol companies.

Automated Entries Prohibited

Most sweepstakes have an ‘automated entries prohibited’ clause in the T&Cs. This means that entries generated by auto-entry sites on your behalf are not eligible/will be disqualified. Using Roboform or ‘form fill’ features on a laptop are usually acceptable when entering sweeps, as they’re form fillers & not auto entry. Some sweepstakes will require that entries be manually key stroked; in that case, neither Roboform or form fill can be utilized & you will need to key in the entry information yourself.

ePrize (now HelloWorld) is a judging agency that often restricts entries to a single IP address. What this means is that even if you are entering different people (say spouse’s email as well as your own email) from the same computer, the additional entry will be disqualified.

Snail Mail Entries

Online entries are the norm, but some sweepstakes are open via postal mail (snail mail) only. Some general information regarding snail mail is as follows. Snail mail entry form and envelopes need to be handwritten.

Entries will say card or paper; traditionally these are 3x5's (i.e., blank, not lined, index cards or note pads) and mailed in #10 (regular business size) envelopes; both easily available at local office supply stores. Occasionally 3-1/2x5 or 4x6 paper or cards required; someone can create their own by cutting down a larger size of paper or card. Using a standard size when non-standard is requested usually results in disqualification of the entry.

Post cards - you can buy blank postcards w/ postage already stamped on them at the local post office. Traditional post card size is 3.5x5.5. Occasionally a sweeps will say 3.5x5, so you have to cut it down (takes 2seconds). If it says 3x5, that is too small for the post office so use the slightly larger size. Regular postcards bought at stores can be used; affix the proper postage.

Sweepstakes Resources

Internet Brands, the owner of Flyertalk, does not accept responsibility for the information provided and does not recommend or endorse any of the sweepstakes resources listed. They are listed in this FAQ merely as information to be helpful. The information was gathered by FTers in previous sticky threads & posted in this new FAQ. The links are valid as of the time of the posting of this FAQ.

Some of the sweepstakes resources listed require a paid subscription. These newsletters/websites provide news about sweepstakes/contests. Bear in mind these newsletters cover ALL categories of sweepstakes - not just travel. They are primarily aimed at US and Canadian residents.
Also, some airlines magazines such as KLM or Southwest also offer travel sweeps:
Announcing Wins from a FT Contest

It’s great when FTers win travel contests/sweeps & even better when it’s from a sweeps that was posted on FT. If you’ve won something & want to share the joy/let your fellow FTers know, please post in this sticky:
Good luck entering travel contests & sweepstakes!

Last edited by SkiAdcock; Jun 28, 2014 at 8:59 am Reason: add lodging packages
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Old Apr 15, 2013, 9:10 am
  #2  
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A tip of the FlyerTalk hat to SkiAdcock for authoring these FAQ!

Last edited by JDiver; Jun 19, 2013 at 10:55 am Reason: update img url
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