Harassment by other pinterest contestants

skater425

Member
Hi. I am just venting. I thought why not. I have had a rotten few days, and I feel so demoralized. The sad part is that it is not because I have not won anything. I have actually had several nice wins. But it is because a group of people feel the need to try to disqualify me from pinterest contests. I am used to the scheming and the little digs. But the straw that broke the camel sweepstakes's back came this weekend. I love doing the pinterest judged ones, because it allows me to be creative. It takes more time, but I find it relaxing. I posted my link for my board a few hours before the competition was expiring. Then on the weekend the comments began. First, someone with a fake profile posted that the last several boards were posted late which was a lie. I ignored it. Then someone posted that certain people were using multiple profiles to submit entries. I ignored it. But then they posted that me and a friend of mine were "the bottomfeeders of the sweeping world". That really affected me. They continued that we harass people and sponsors. And that we cheat. Then someone else posted who was part of the group. She claimed that she did not enter, but that I personally was a stalker and I needed to leave her alone. I am not even sure what she is talking about.

Then the lady who posted with a fake profile decided to post with her real identity. She stated that she was on vacation and would not have time for these tactics. But when someone asked why she had posted for contests within the last day, she said that she had technology on vacation. But then she started attacking me personally. I am not even sure why these people are attacking me. Maybe, because I have a few wins lately. I have had my name dragged in the mud. And it hurts. I have been in tears.

I asked the sponsor to withdraw my entry from the mix. I also asked them to delete the hateful comments. As a response, they deleted my entry from the postings, but chose to leave the hateful comments. I suppose they believed all the allegations, which makes me incredibly sad. I try to be a good person, and treat people kindly. Then a group of bullies beats me up mentally, and nobody seems to care. Not even the sponsors. I felt like the guilty party, when I was the victim.

So after this experience, I am doing some soul searching. I feel like my heart has broken. I feel pathetic, because I am actually praying that I am not chosen as a winner for any more. I think my days of sweeping are coming to an end. I do not want to feel like this. Maybe, if I leave the sweeping world, I will feel like a human being again.

I do not expect any responses, but thanks for the opportunity to vent. Writing my thoughts does seem to make me feel a little better.
 
Skater, I saw your post very late last night and really felt the need to respond. First, let me congratulate you on your pinterest wins!! I think the judged contests for pinterest are really hard and take a lot of time and honestly, I'm too lazy to even attempt most of them, lol...so big props to you!

People can be incredibly cruel sometimes (especially on the internet) and I usually refuse to read comments on most stories because I am so disgusted and hurt by the lack of kindness and respect people seem to have. I refused to join any forums because of this, but I joined sweeps forums when I started entering and to my shock-my experience has been overwhelmingly good, I was happy to see that people could actually be nice on the internet. I am sorry that these people hurt your feelings or made you feel bad in any way. And I'm sorry the sponsor didn't take down the comments. I'm surprised by this because for the most part, it seems like sweepstakers are pretty nice people. I'm all for people taking care of themselves, so if you need to take a break go ahead!! But I would hate to see you give up something you enjoy doing because of the words of a few people.
 
skater425 - I observed this "packing up" type of behavior at another sweeps site, many years ago. They take something you've {you in the any one of us sense} said or done in sincerity, and twist it into something dark and evil and paint you as the transgressor. There is no reasoning with them, because they believe they "know" better than you what you meant! It seems that mentality is prevalent in all facets of society of late.

I learned long ago that people who would do that, and those that would listen to them, are not worth my time or attention. Removing yourself from their "playground" is one way to deal with them. Denying them a reaction while continuing on is another.

Either way, it is beyond frustrating that a small, vocal, usually nasty, minority is presuming to dictate meaning in another persons words!
 
thanks for your words of encouragement. But I decided it is best for everyone to close my pinterest account and my twitter account. I have already taken these actions. I will probably close my facebook account within the week. It is bad enough when they attack me, but when they attack my friends and accuse them of being my fake profiles, then that is when it is time for it to end. If you want to see what bullying looks like, check out the following link.

http://www.remodelista.com/posts/pin-to-win-remodelista-in-las-vegas

It breaks my heart that the sponsor showed the ability to delete comments by deleting my original comment with the link to my board entry. But when I asked them to delete the lies and hateful comments, they chose to let them remain on the post. It just shows me that sponsors will believe all allegations, no matter how outlandish. I guess it is disappointing to see reality.
 
I'm sorry you had such a bad experience and if walking away from this helps you heal, then go for it! But I hope if in the future, you really want to enter these kinds of sweepstakes that you'll give it another shot. Good luck!!
 
Please please please do not pay attention to anything Shannon says. Everyone I know on Pinterest has had issues with her and dealt with her crap. She is a bully and a sore loser. A few years ago I thought her and I were friends until she flipped the switch on me and started talking smack about me because I was friendly with one of her enemies. Ugh :(. I've seen your boards and they are beautiful and you are very talented and creative. You beat me on quite a few pin contests, and I will admit I was secretly cursing you lol, I respected you because I could see all the hard work in your boards and you deserved the wins. Please do not let her and her "fake friends" get to you. Don't give up and give in to her, block her and ignore her and the rest of her bully friends and keep doing Pinterest contests (you are really good at it). Don't let her win, that's what she wants, less competition.
 
Thank you for your positive post. I am just rethinking things at this time. It is amazing how a fun hobby can become a throat slashing business. In the end, I may end up changing my mind, because I hate to allow the evil in the world to win. But I am just taking some time to gain some perspective. Her group is definitely similar to "a pack". I am just surprised that someone in the group would not wake up one day, and see the light. Shannon is a manipulator. And when she loses the power of manipulation, that is when she becomes the bully.

Thank you for your nice comments about my boards. I do try to tell a story, and I enjoy attempting to make something beautiful. I am not always successful, but I do feel passionate about creating something pretty. So when I am called the bottomfeeder of the sweeping world, it hurts. It cuts close to my heart. I have always admired your boards as well. The admiration is mutual. I do thank you from the bottom of my heart for your inspirational words. This may not be the end of me. But maybe, just a break. I guess time will tell.
 
Allyson,

You claim that you have no ill will towards me, yet here you are talking smack about me. Give it a rest already! You started all of this on the remodelista page. All I did was simply enter the contest which I have every right to, and somehow my name gets drug into the mess between you and Serena. I usually ignore your childish rants and talking crap about me and my friends, but you just keep on and on with it. I gave you the benefit of the doubt and felt bad for you because you were bullied by the same "pack" of friends that you talked crap about and are now "friends" with. I genuinely felt bad for you and then you go and start crap with Kasey, Serena, Linda and others which I felt was not right. Other people have a problem with you because when you lose you feel the need to say things on social media pages, you get lippy with the sponsors if they don't choose you, you have written things on pages when me or my friends have won and you even made a fake Pinterest and Twitter page named "Jasmine Russ" trying to disqualify Kasey by putting a picture of her daughter and sister on there (which you had to have gotten from Kasey's daughters FB page - that's creepy!) You failed to realize that in your screen shot of the picture in the upper right hand corner it said your name Allyson Becker on it and we all have screen shots of this and it was reported. You were trying to pose as someone with my last name to stir up drama, which is what you do best. You were messaging Kasey on FB with a fake "Amanda Jones" FB page, the same name who commented on the remodelista page. Fortunately we are all on to your fake profiles and none of us buy into your shady tactics.

So you see Allyson - these are the reasons why people have a problem with you, myself included. And this might be the reason that whoever said you were the "bottomfeeders of the sweeping world" because doing shady things like that is wrong, it's manipulative and people tend to not trust someone who makes up multiple fake profiles, talks smack about people when they win, tries to get people disqualified, and plays the victim role when in fact, they are the bully.

I don't care if you or anyone else wins. Sweeps are there for everyone and you are talented in your own way. If you win fairly and honestly then good for you. What I have a problem with is the childish behavior. Sweeps are supposed to be fun and a little hobby. It shouldn't be your whole life, taken that seriously or something you feel that you need to back stab another person over. In the end, these are just material objects and you can't take them with you when you die so why be so cut throat over it, just have fun and if you make a few friends along the way, even better.

With all of this being said, please just keep my name out of your mouth. Stop the childish b.s. and stop playing the victim pity party role when you start drama and I defend myself. If you make up fake social media pages about me, it's very immature and reflects your character. If you write snarky things about me on FB pages when I win, it also shows your character. If that is the person you portray yourself to be on social media, well I don't think myself, other sweepers and sponsors will take you seriously.
 
As for you marie, yes we were "friends" when I first started pinterest a few years ago. I didn't and still don't care if you are friends with Jacqueline. People are free to be friends with whoever they want, this isn't high school. We are all grown adults who can be friends with who we want. You are the one who turned on me and wrote stuff about me on twitter, including making your fake woof woof woof twitter page saying very nasty things about me, my 4 yr old daughter, my husband etc. It's funny how people over the internet that I've never met a day in my life act like they know me personally. You don't know anything about me or my life. I don't care who wins, everyone is entitled to win contests, it should be fun but when you make it personal by making up fake twitter pages and talking about a little girl, my daughter, and you say nasty vile things about someone that you don't even have a clue about, yes, I have a problem with that. I haven't even given you a thought since all of that drama happened back in the day so not sure why you are talking about me.
 
Well, folks. You can see why I quit pinterest for the most part. This person is crazy. She makes up outlandish lies, and then bullies and harasses. I know I gave her what she wanted. I am sure she is winning lots and lots. But it is just not worth it. She continues to harass me on facebook. I blocked her profile, and then she proceeds to use her husband's profile to continue to harass. Her favorite terms for me include "internet troll" and "bottomfeeder of the sweeping world". I ended a lot of friendships, because I did not want them to be pulled into her crazy antics. Now she wants to accuse me of having fake profiles. I think she is mentally ill. I have chosen to only enter random contests, because I do not want to be subjected to her antics. I had 2 peaceful months without her disfunction in my life, and then she messages and starts it all again. I even was subjected to comments referencing my ebay business. Telling me that a business on ebay is not a real job. And get a real job. If anybody has advice on how to proceed, I would be grateful. I cannot honestly take it anymore.
 
I know this twitter story is not true. I know for a fact that she has claimed the "woof woof" story about other contestants, but never Marie before. She needs new material. I really feel sorry for her. I don't dislike her. I just want to be left alone. Luckily, I am blessed to not have the "woof woof twitter story" credited to me. I have been harassed a lot by her, but I have been safe from that story.
 
skater425 - In my experience, bullies & emotional leeches will continue as long as you allow them to.

While it's maddening to have people say things against your character, and the impulse to refute them is *very* strong, reacting to them is what gives them their power over you.

It's why I advised :

... I learned long ago that people who would do that, and those that would listen to them, are not worth my time or attention. Removing yourself from their "playground" is one way to deal with them. Denying them a reaction while continuing on is another.
 
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