fairviewroad

They certainly set some of the rules. But sweepstakes are also governed by applicable state and federal laws. IANAL so I can't say whether the Facebook restriction is legal, but I would assume that Alaska's marketing department has done due diligence in this area.

missydarlin

Not sure whats stopping you?

How to Enter..You may enter the Sweepstakes starting on March 11, 2014 at 8:00 a.m. PST by visiting www.facebook.com/AlaskaAirlines and completing the online form in its entirety... Entries must be received before the cut off time of 11:59 p.m. PST on March 20, 2014.. Alternatively you may enter by sending a 3x5 card with your name, address, e-mail address, date of birth, and phone number to Alaska Airlines Taste Washington Sweeps, Alaska Airlines, P.O. Box 68900, c/o SEAVX Seattle, WA 98168. Mailed entries must be received by Thursday, March 20, 2014.

jsguyrus

Thanks for the info. I guess I was hoping for an alternate entry method that did not require reading the legal terms and conditions of the contest. I guess I just don't understand the AS single minded devotion to FB promotions.

WestSideBilly

It's not devotion to FB. They're using the contest (basically giving away something worth a couple grand) to generate interest in their Facebook page (which is an advertising tool). The more people click that Like button, the more effective the page is in reaching potential customers and generating future revenue - they're essentially buying a mailing list, but one that's full of younger people (e.g. future customers). Once people Like an FB page, it shows up in their feed. Without the Like, it's a passive marketing tool with very little value.

If you want a better example, look at Quicken Loans / Buffet Billion for picking the perfect bracket... Buffet uses his name and wealth (with very little risk involved) and Quicken Loans gets tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of new eyeballs to market via FB.

The flyertalk demographic is not the target audience for Alaska's FB promotions.

ANC

Thats what I was thinking and wondering. I know that a business or organization cant "technically" require a purchase to enter a contest. Lots of entities have the make a purchase and automatically be entered into X contest but when you read the fine print anyone can enter on their own supposedly. I often wonder how many of those seperate entries in those situations are tossed in the trash. Im guessing social media requirements are exempt from these laws since social media is so new. IMO I think there should be some sort of law created to address the situation however. It requires you to be a member of a particular site which I think is illegal and no different than requiring buying something to be in a contest. It must be illegal to soley enter on FB since in the terms and conditions you can send in the usual 3x5 card. Like I said how many of those actually go in the trash since these days winners are usually electronically generated

There is also the same stuff going on with food companies, pet food companies, etc with coupons. You have to like them on facebook to print the coupon....fair enough if thats how they want to play. Like them on FB, print the coupons, and then unlike them. Problem solved.

fairviewroad

But--not to defend Facebook--it doesn't cost anything to have a Facebook account. So that's a fairly low bar to set and is a far cry from requiring a purchase. [Personally, I don't enter anything that requires me to "like" a company.]

ANC

Oh I dont disagree that its not quite the same as requring a purchase to enter but it is the same as requiring you to sign up for a newsletter or some other free subscription to be entered in something. In those cases thats not legal either.

ANC

the FB obsession is because its F-R-E-E that spells free.... web adversting on FB baaay beee. As for alternatives to enter being hidden, they usually are for most promotions. They want you to buy stuff or sign up for stuff which is against the law so they bury the alternative so far into the TOCs that people dont bother to read it

prmetime

I just wish they'd put for US residents only on the front page or within the body of the email so I don't have to go to the rules and regs to find out I can't enter. On that note, how about a contest for non-US residents?

Tide_from_PAE

Doesn't AS typically make contests open to Canadians (Quebec excluded due to provincial laws) by requiring all Canadian winners to answer a skill-based question? I seem to recall the reason being that this requirement made the contest not a lottery, but a game of skill. The question is typically a math question such as 1+2 or 2+2.

CZBB

Alaska Airlines is stopping me; and to repeat the original post. "It's very annoying when Alaska's Marketing Department send me an invite to a contest that they know I can't enter". I can't say the frustration level is lowered any by an Alaska Employee implying I didn't bother reading the whole thing and that I still had a method of entering.

CDKing

If its such a big deal, unsubscribe from the newsletter and you will no longer risk getting an email that may include somthing that does not apply to you.

dadamn

I love the irony of people who refuse to get a Facebook account due to privacy concerns complaining that AS should have known they don't have a Facebook account (i.e. intruded their personal privacy by tracking their non-participation in a social media site) and excluded them from a contest.

CZBB

So what you're really saying is; you didn't read the OPs comment saying the exclusion was because they're a resident of another country.

Snowdevil

While I understand the point about receiving an e-mail you find doesn't apply to you, why not just hit delete and move on?