Is this math test for real? (AA/Oneworld 1000k promotion)
 

I swear I am not making this up:

Found in oneworld Sweepstakes Term & Conditions:

"Should a winner reside in Canada, he or she will be required to successfully complete a time-limited arithmetical skill-testing question."

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And as tummyg pointed out in the AA thread:

"Each time you fly American Airlines, British Airways, Canadian Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Qantass, Finnair or Iberia on an eligible ticket* between October 1, 1999 and December 31, 1999, you will be automatically entered into a drawing to win 1,000,000 AAdvantage miles!"

The link to this promotion can be found at AA.com, AAdvantage, newsletters.

I believe you Kyklin!!!

But if I win this contest is there someone out there with good math skills to tutor me through this???

I'll split the million! http://talk.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I've seen these dislaimers on many Canadian sweepstakes. Maybe someone from Canada can explain their laws.

Catman - unless you have given up your US residency you do not need the math tutoring.

[This message has been edited by pgupta011 (edited 08-10-1999).]

Yup, Canadian law requires it for all such promotions- on paper you get the prize for answering the question right. A typical question would be:

2 + 3 x 5

Lots of people calculate the answer as 25 (forget their order of operation ). So, for example at McDonalds, they just give people the answer to save them from embarassment. Other places will be like - ummm how about trying again, until you get it right.

Hopefully, all FlyerTalkers can answer the question w/o screwing up http://talk.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Yeah, in Canada they are not allowed to "give stuff away" for some reason on these sweepstakes. So they get around it by making it a skills test... go figure. I don't know the exact laws but I have heard of this many times before.

Qantass... nice. Hahaha.

And the ANSWER is?

In Canada, a company can not run a LOTTERY, that give a "prize of value". Only the government can run this kind of lottery.

What company therefore run a contest where you WIN the "right" to perticipate in a "Skill Testing" contest. You win the prize when you answer the question correct. Even at MacDonalds the game cards have a math question, but the staff will tell you the answer. It is simple a way of "following the law".

There is another rule in there...

"Void in Quebec"

Most Canadian based contest have this clause.

Is the answer 17?

And what do I win?

A free bottle of Molsen Golden?

The example of 2 + 3 x 5 I think doesn't turn up much. Since the purpose is to jump a hurdle and give you your prize, it's more likely worded 3 x 5 + 2 so there's no question.

The Quebec thing is I think two-fold. One is language related (if the game isn't available in both English and French, it can't be held in Quebec, I think), but also they have some pretty stringent rules and regulations that are too much trouble for many contests (especially if they also have to run it in French).

andrew

Yup, both reasons apply:

1. If offered in Quebec, it must be available in both languages. In fact, Quebec residents must explicitly sign that they wanted it to be in English, else it defaults to French.

2. To offer such a contest in Quebec requires the permission of some provincial agency - I forget the name - again another hassle esp. for Americans.

Catman you get a bottle of Moosehead lager -- more fitting for Possum Lodge http://talk.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif