Who has won anything from FT contests? A show of hands please.

[chaunceysf]

Not yet..... but I'm hopeful...

[TIGA31328]

I just won a LARGE Chic-Fil-A Chicken Nugget Tray. WOOHOO!!!

hehe


Patrick

Originally Posted by outoftown

Although we all have probably won something in our lives, has FT brought any more contest winnings to you? Please also say when...

I would like to start. I have won two contests that involved free air travel. One with 50,000 United miles & a W hotel stay 4 years ago and this year one with a NW rt voucher good anywhere in the US.

[kipper]

Chick-fil-A Nugget Tray and more Dr. Pepper than I care to drink. I wonder if they'll let me get Diet Coke? Oh, and a $10 iTunes gc, along with 10 iTunes from another contest.

[iflydc]

i've received 1099 on major prize wins...though I haven't won anything major in over 5 years boo hoo

[Naoma Foreman]

Someone sent me a contest and I told them I hoped I didn't win. It was for a personal trainer and personal chef. My husband is a personal trainer and my "cook." I did win. I won First Prize and am in the running for the Grand Prize. Just sent in my official affidavit.

[volleyca]

Won some itunes from contests in the SPAM section. Nothing from these sweeps. Any hints on which contests are better to enter?

[outoftown]

Originally Posted by volleyca

Won some itunes from contests in the SPAM section. Nothing from these sweeps. Any hints on which contests are better to enter?

In the last 2 weeks I just won some Chick-fil-a nuggets from Chick-Fil-A Bowl game, chance for $100,000, select US states, daily, dl10/29/05

and a CD from Trip to NYC to see Kelly Clarkson on 10/16/05, 50US&DC, 5x daily, dl9/18/05 (contest is over).

The trick with any contest is to increase your chances by entering those with limited entries (local or radio sponsored contests come to mind), or limited time of entry (those with year long entry periods (like publishers clearing house) are long shots to win anything) and those which are not crooked (McDonalds Monopoly game anyone?). The Kraft sponsored (probably not crooked, but the downside is that it is probably a nationwide contest) South Beach Diet trip to Miami I just posted will have 100 winners and a limited entry window (1 month), both of which will help your odds of winning, so entering daily I suspect will result higher than normal probability for a national brand sponsored contest. The travel contest I won on FT was sponsored by a dot.com that made computer parts, so I knew that wouldn't attract mainstream interest. I entered by regular mail and won. My wife won a $2700 IBM computer system that was from a contest at a mall that specialized in shoe stores. When we each put our names in the box for this one day contest, it was obvious there were only several hundred entries.

[TMOliver]

Originally Posted by Flyingmama

Yes. For any prize over $600, the sponsor will send you a 1099 at the end of the year which you treat on your tax return as ordinary income.

However, you (and your accountant) may want to dispute the value shown on the 1099, making a reasonably documented case that the air fare was available for less (copies of webpage printouts), hotel rooms were available at a lower rate, etc..

TMO

[pgary]

Moderator: This topic might make a good sticky. Hopefully we will be able to continuously post wins for contests introduced here.

[kid]

Doc had also posted a thread on this same topic a while back as well

Entering lots of contests? So what have you won?

[cambridge_mass]

I won a free ticket to Loews Cinema, good for one year, thanks to an FT posting. Man, I saw so many movies that year...

[rain]

I've never won anything in my life! Did I mention I was born on a dark and stormy night?

[micksgirl]

I think it was from an FT contest (although I am a sweepstakes junkie, so maybe not) -- last night in the mail I got one of the first prizes in a sweepstakes - $25 gift certificate to a spa website, which I used to buy some very fancy body scrub.

[GregL]

I just won my first ePrize contest -- a month subscription to NASCAR's TrackPass subscription service.

Not the prize I had hoped for... Is anyone interested in it? I won't use it. If you are, PM me.

Greg

[FourFoxesinPA]

Thanks to the OP of the AirTran 1,000 flights in a week. I just got an email that I won a coach ticket up to $500. Woo-Hoo. FT rocks!