Sweeps with Required Commercial Viewing to Enter

G

gabe2000

New member
Sweepstakes Plus Subscriber
We've all done these. You start to enter a sweeps and you have to watch a video commercial to complete the entry. Mainly on the 'creative' sites.
Well I say no more!

If I continue to support this practice of having to watch a commercial to enter a sweeps, other sites will soon do likewise and it will destroy our hobby in the long run.

So I am voluntarily refusing to enter such sweeps from now on.
I have no problem if a site has web ads surrounding my entry... but no more commercials to enter.

It takes too much time as well.
I will be emailing companies that do this to let them know I will no longer enter their promotions with such a practice.

Just my two cents.
 
I hear you gabe, but unless they "force" me to stay on that tab/window, I just let them run while I go to other tabs/windows!
 
Good to know Amy, Thanks.

It's been tricky to know exactly where to complain about the video commercials but I sent off an email voicing my displeasure to; support@meredith.com

They seem to be the parent company of many of the sites doing this.
 
I skip anything with a video, or if I get all those horrible pop-ups from some of the magazine sites. I don't think they really care about complaints. They don't make their sweepstakes for people that enter 1000 of them a day. I have been told that they won't play if you go to another tab.
 
Meredith was one of a very few sites offering "creative presentations" that I used to enter. I stopped entering prior to the videos because I found this in the rules:

LIMIT: One (1) entry per person and per email address, per day throughout the Sweepstakes Period, regardless of the Website used to submit entry. Entries received from any person or email address in excess of the stated limitation will be void.

These 4 websites are offering a $25,000 "creative presentation" : Better Homes & Gardens Online , Parents.com , Fitness Magazine Online and www.recipe.com/25kholiday - the 1 entry per day regardless of the website used to submit entry appears in the rules for all four sites.

If you choose to enter, it's a good idea to rotate and enter a new site each day for 4 days, and then start over again with the first site.

I've lost all respect for Meredith and haven't entered a Meredith sponsored sweepstakes since I first read the above on 9-2-14, the date the above sweeps were listed at SA.

Sweepstakes are advertising. The purpose is to familiarize you with a company, product or service. It should leave a positive memory not a negative one.

I don't know if Meredith has videos, but if they do and if enough people read the rules & object to the videos then the "hits" or entries should decline enough to get their attention. Many people on various sweep listing sites are already complaining about the videos. I'm sure that there are many people who are watching the videos and entering at all four sites that would be ticked off if they knew that 3 of their entries were void and they've wasted their time entering 3 of the 4 sweeps.

PS: Just for kicks & giggles, after the above post I entered the BHG sweep shown above. Yup, there's a video required. It's innovative how they tie it to the Recaptcha.
 
Ever since Meredith started with the videos a few days ago, I have deleted all of them from my entries. Even when they had captchas, they were annoying as often I had to enter the captchas more than once eventhough I was sure they were correct. There is no option to let the video continue playing on a separate tab since if you switch tabs, the videos are paused. I guess for the people that have the patience to enter these, this would be a good thing as I'm sure the majority of people will stop entering these also.
 
Oh, sounds like they went overboard!

Yes, for this, I'd consider letting them know that they crossed that fine line and instead of getting their brand on the tip of your tongue/front of your mind in a positive way, they've turned prospective customers off!!!

johninnyc said:
Ever since Meredith started with the videos a few days ago, I have deleted all of them from my entries. Even when they had captchas, they were annoying as often I had to enter the captchas more than once eventhough I was sure they were correct. There is no option to let the video continue playing on a separate tab since if you switch tabs, the videos are paused. I guess for the people that have the patience to enter these, this would be a good thing as I'm sure the majority of people will stop entering these also.
Click to expand...
 
http://www.sweepstakesplus.com/forum/showthread.php?t=73943

I posted the topic above several days ago concerning how to get around the video problem. If the videos pause in a tab when you switch to another tab, almost always you can get around that problem by doing this:

Instead of opening these commercial video sweeps in their own tabs, open them in their own WINDOWS, one sweeps to a window. Once the video starts braying, minimize the window, switch back to your other open window and continue on with your business. Eventually the video will stop - once it does, switch back and proceed to enter the sweeps.

I'm not sure technically why this works but I know for a fact it does. In my link posted above try my recommendation out when you are given the option of watching 2 (2! arrgghhh!!!) videos in order to get an extra bonus entry - this is an odd sweeps since you can fast-forward the 1st video as I explain in the link but you cannot do that with the bonus videos.

P.S. A few years back I decided that I wasn't going to enter any creative presentation any longer, especially those of Meredith and the related sites. Far too much time and horrible odds. Any sweeps whatsover that has 'creative presentation' to describe it, I wish everyone GL but I ain't playing! :-)
 
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curmudgeon said:
LIMIT: One (1) entry per person and per email address, per day throughout the Sweepstakes Period, regardless of the Website used to submit entry. Entries received from any person or email address in excess of the stated limitation will be void.

These 4 websites are offering a $25,000 "creative presentation" : Better Homes & Gardens Online , Parents.com , Fitness Magazine Online and www.recipe.com/25kholiday - the 1 entry per day regardless of the website used to submit entry appears in the rules for all four sites.

If you choose to enter, it's a good idea to rotate and enter a new site each day for 4 days, and then start over again with the first site.
Click to expand...

I was not aware of this! Thanks for the info Curmudgeon.
 
gabe2000 said:
I was not aware of this! Thanks for the info Curmudgeon.
Click to expand...

TIP: when sister sites give away the same prize, check the RULES for this verbiage: "enter at {address} ^OR^ {address}" and "enter at {address} ^AND^ {address}"

So for ^OR^ = pick ONE site to enter thru
And for ^AND^ = you may enter thru all links
 
gabe2000 said:
I was not aware of this! Thanks for the info Curmudgeon.
Click to expand...

I posted a warning in the comments section of this sweep - -> BHG.com - Black Friday Shopping Spree Sweepstakes - - back on 9-2-14. I had intended to post a comment here in the Forums also. Guess I got to busy and forgot, as I can't find one.

:)
 
curmudgeon said:
I posted a warning in the comments section of this sweep - -> BHG.com - Black Friday Shopping Spree Sweepstakes - - back on 9-2-14. I had intended to post a comment here in the Forums also. Guess I got to busy and forgot, as I can't find one.

:)
Click to expand...

Ah, now that IS a REPORT PROBLEM issue!!! Oh wait - only the BHG is listed?


BHG.com - Black Friday Shopping Spree Sweepstakes
Enter to win $10,000.
Restrictions : 21+ US, DC | Limit : 1 Per Person / Email Per Day | Added : 09-02-14 | Expires : 12-31-2014 | Hits : 20681 | Rules
Entry Category : Daily


MODDED TO:

BHG.com - Black Friday Shopping Spree Sweepstakes
Enter to win $10,000. ^LIMIT: (1) entry per person and per email address, per day, throughout the Sweepstakes Period, regardless of the Website used to submit entry. visit www.bhg.com/blackfridaysweeps, www.parents.com/blackfridaysweeps, www.divinecaroline.com/blackfridaysweeps and www.fitnessmagazine.com/blackfridaysweeps.
Restrictions : 21+ US, DC | Limit : 1 Per Person / Email Per Day | Added : 09-02-14 | Expires : 12-31-2014 | Hits : 20681 | Rules
Entry Category : Daily


http://www.bhg.com/bhg/file.jsp?item=/contests/BHG_10kblackFriday/blackFriday10krules&temp=yes

It also busts my ^OR^ & ^AND^ tip since it says AND;

HOW TO ENTER: During the Sweepstakes Period, visit www.bhg.com/blackfridaysweeps, www.parents.com/blackfridaysweeps, www.divinecaroline.com/blackfridaysweeps and www.fitnessmagazine.com/blackfridaysweeps (each, a “Website”) and follow the instructions provided to submit a completed online entry form to receive one (1) entry. There is no cost to register or enter. Entering the Sweepstakes will automatically register entrant at www.bhg.com, www.parents.com, www.divinecaroline.com andwww.fitnessmagazine.com if entrant has not already registered. Entries generated by script, macro or other automated means or practices, or by any means which subvert the entry process will be void. All entries must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. CT on 12/31/14 to be eligible. All entries become the property of Sponsor and will not be returned.


BUT...

LIMIT: (1) entry per person and per email address, per day, throughout the Sweepstakes Period, regardless of the Website used to submit entry. Entries received from any person or email address in excess of the stated limitation will be void. You may only use one (1) email address to enter this Sweepstakes.
 
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curmudgeon said:
Sorry, wrong sweep. I posted the comments here: BHG.com - Kitchen Essentials Sweepstakes
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They don't clearly state the name of the sweeps, so there is no continuity, and offer multiple entry links when people can only enter once.
 
Here's my original post from the comments on 9-2-14

Topic: Parents Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2014 11:38 AM
curmudgeon

The SA link to the rules is wrong. It's for a $10,000 sweep, not the $25,000 sweep. I've notified SA of the error. - - - - - - - - Creative presentation with a new twist - one entry only, not one per website. - - - - "LIMIT: One (1) entry per person and per email address, per day throughout the Sweepstakes Period, regardless of the Website used to submit entry. Entries received from any person or email address in excess of the stated limitation will be void"

SA subsequently changed the rules link to the correct one:
Parents.com

I also posted the comment to the BHG sweep, without the comment about the rules, as it had a correct link.

Excerpt from the rules:
HOW TO ENTER: During the Sweepstakes Period, visit Better Homes & Gardens Online , Parents.com , Fitness Magazine Online and www.recipe.com/25kholiday (each, a “Website”)

I think we only posted 2 of the 4 sweeps.

These sweeps are a non-issue for me as I'm no longer entering any Meredith sweeps.
 
Yeah, too confusing so I quit long ago too!

Easiest if you report when found since the comments aren't always monitored, plus it's extra work to track back to the listing to update it, thanks!

curmudgeon said:
Here's my original post from the comments on 9-2-14

Topic: Parents Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2014 11:38 AM
curmudgeon

The SA link to the rules is wrong. It's for a $10,000 sweep, not the $25,000 sweep. I've notified SA of the error. - - - - - - - - Creative presentation with a new twist - one entry only, not one per website. - - - - "LIMIT: One (1) entry per person and per email address, per day throughout the Sweepstakes Period, regardless of the Website used to submit entry. Entries received from any person or email address in excess of the stated limitation will be void"

SA subsequently changed the rules link to the correct one:
Parents.com

I also posted the comment to the BHG sweep, without the comment about the rules, as it had a correct link.

Excerpt from the rules:
HOW TO ENTER: During the Sweepstakes Period, visit Better Homes & Gardens Online , Parents.com , Fitness Magazine Online and www.recipe.com/25kholiday (each, a “Website”)

I think we only posted 2 of the 4 sweeps.

These sweeps are a non-issue for me as I'm no longer entering any Meredith sweeps.
Click to expand...
 
Meredith Sweeps and videos!

Now those BHG, Parents, etc. sweeps are wanting me to watch a video EVERY time I try to enter one! It is SOOOOOO annoying. I'm giving up on these. Does anyone ever win them anyway?
 
I agree! Stopped entering them last week when I noticed if you click off that tab to enter other sweeps to save time, the video stops and you have to press play again. So tedious and it's two stupid videos that I have no interest in. I guess that it has cut back on people entering...so you can look at it that way.
 
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