Location: Cary, NC, USA - '09 Precious Metal on US/AA/DL, Hil/Dia, Hol/Plat, Marr/Plat
Posts: 3,154
Well, two months ago through one of these FT contests, I won a $25 pair of Levi Signature jeans through Slim-Fast as one of their weekly prizes. I gave the coupon to a friend since I don't wear Levi's anymore. Lately I get more through S.P.A.M. or Idine, so my interest in these contests is waning.
I regard this as a 'hobby' w/ potentially good pay-offs. I think the only travel item I've won was 5,000 Hyatt points in '04, but the timing was good because I had booked a Hyatt award stay in Tokyo & was short points. The 5,000 points meant I didn't have to purchase any points.
I've won miscellaneous other stuff over the years. The biggest being a $1K gift cert at Office Depot. The rest smaller items, but said items have come in handy for me or make good gifts to others. If it's something I can't really use, then it gets donated to GoodWill or Salvation Army.
SPAM forum is good for minor items like free samples, but I wouldn't put it in the potential payoff range of a travel sweeps. Having said that, it's always fun to get the free samples in the mail.
Back in 2003, I posted a contest for Sheplers Western Warehouse - grand prize was a one way ticket to Wichita, KS to pick up a new F-150. I don't post contests anymore - I got too burned out doing it, and because of all of you, there's no shortage of contests on this board.
This Friday, I'm flying to Wichita to pick up a 2007 Ford Explorer. Sheplers picked up $20K toward the cost of the vehicle and booked my plane ticket (I have to bring a cashiers check for $5,900 for the amount over $20K). I wasn't sure about this at first, but I called a local Sheplers store manager who called the home office to confirm. The VP of advertising said there were roughly 60,000 entries (they had store displays where people could enter). Because I already drive a company pickup truck (we're in the construction business), my wife gets the Explorer.
Last year I won a Mission Impossible III contest - an 8-day trip to Shanghai (I posted this on another thread). After my wife and I talked about it, we decided to turn down the prize. Eight days just isn't enough to do China, and because I'm a partner in a small business, it's impossible for any of us to take off more than a week at a time (that's the thing about being a small business owner - we get a ton of miles and points via credit cards, but not nearly enough time to use them). Turns out I was their third pick - two other had also turned down the prize - so according to the rules, after three tries, they didn't have to award the prize. I wonder if this is the largest prize ever turned down by an FTer.
About five years ago, I won a six-day trip to the big island of Hawaii - coach airfare, five nights at the Fairmont Orchid, a $500 debit card, and the opportunity to walk the course with a couple of pros at the Senior PGA Championship (not behind the ropes - we were on the fairways with the players and caddies). We were paired with Fuzzy Zoeller and Jim Colbert. Fuzzy Zoeller was hilarious - he also went through almost a full pack of cigarettes in 18 holes.
We've also won several smaller prizes: 50,000 AA miles, $1,000, a couple of DVD players, $100 worth of books, and an untold number of coffee mugs and t-shirts. One thing I always look at in a contest the second and third-place prizes - they're a lot easier to hit than the grand prize, and they give you incentive to keep going.
If you're still entering these contests manually, you need to take a look at using AI Roboform:
I can enter a contest in a couple of seconds (and I always enter my wife) - just make sure you uncheck the spam-OK box.
I've been entering internet contests for almost 10 years now. I don't do the daily entry ones anymore (except for something like the HGTV contest for the house in Aspen). Someone has to win - it might as well be you. Good luck.
I've won a lot of contests, but not from Flyertalk till today,just a little one from Caribou coffee that I got from here. I think it was 4 expesso cups.
I have only been on this board for a short time and have won the Caribou traveling coffee mug (they must have thousands) and have just been informed that I won a laptop from FedEx.
Congratulations on the laptop win, Ethicist! And you, too, thanger - espresso cups always come in handy. I won the apron from Caribou which made me laugh, considering how I will do almost anything to avoid cooking.
I just got a letter from Irish Spring. I entered a contest for a free trip to Ireland and I "won" a "Zagat 2007 Guide to America's Top Irish Pubs" for being one of the first 10,000 people to enter. Woo Hoo! (The drawing for the trip is July 6, so I guess I still have a chance.)
I was notified today I won a $1,000 voucher on Northwest Airlines from the CheapTickets Cheaptips sweeps. Now all I have to do is figure out where I want to go within the continental US.
I just got a letter from Irish Spring. I entered a contest for a free trip to Ireland and I "won" a "Zagat 2007 Guide to America's Top Irish Pubs" for being one of the first 10,000 people to enter. Woo Hoo! (The drawing for the trip is July 6, so I guess I still have a chance.)
