A legitimate win

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Hello I'm New here! Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 18

I got an email last night with the subject "Congratulations - you have one more step before becoming a winner"

Naturally I thought it was a scam but decided to read it anyways. It turns out that I won a trip for 2 to LA from Coca-Cola. I remember entering the draw and I called the prize agency (which is about 3 miles from where my office is) and confirmed it's legit!

I have to answer the skill-testing question and sign their waivers before I am "officially" declared a winner. No bank account info. No personal info (other than what they got when I entered the draw). Woohoo! Laughing

Boody

Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 3:12 pm

Congratulations.

A few years ago I entered a competition in the London Evening Standard - I had to collect about 15 tokens to get a chance of winning a new Docklands flat. I got a call a couple of weeks later to say that I had won their competition for....

....two tickets to see the Test Match at Lord's (another competition that I had entered by text and then forgotten about).

I went through a range of emotions during that phone call.

** ACCOUNT CLOSED ** Joined: 15 Apr 2007 Posts: 766

So it is 100% risky free!

--J.D.

Okay, own up! Which one of you are sending him on a safari to LA?!

Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 5:54 pm

Congrats Boody!

happy crowd

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 18

^J.D.

It could be my parents or in-laws wanting to spend 4 days with their grand daughter...

Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 7:33 pm

BoodyBoo wrote:

... I won a trip for 2 to LA from Coca-Cola. ...

Read the small print carefully. These things usually end up costing more than I trip you arrange yourself.

The "trip" you won is usually just the plane ticket, or just the hotel room. You have to pay the rest, but at their conditions.

Be carefull.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 18

^^^

Thanks, I'll be sure to check it out. I know I'm responsible for ground transportation and food. Hopefully they'll put up for a decent hotel.

Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 7:40 pm

^^^ Whatever you do, don't be blinded by the hype of having "won" something.

Do the math first.

Consumer groups often warn about these trips.

Some are a bargain, some not.

Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2007 7:03 am

Prize agency? I thought it was Coca-Cola. KD has hit the nail right on the head. At the best, it will be a flight out to LA complete with 8 hours of a time share offer shoved down your throat. You will be picked up at LAX, driven to a hotel meeting room and before check in, the hard sell. At the worst, a package scam that may seem so-so, but you will never be able to use any of the parts of the package.

I would pay not to have to go to LA.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 18

^^^^ It's a company that runs the contests and promotions on behalf of other companies or "Sponsors". I used to deal with these "fulfillment centres" in my previous life as a PR/Marketing hack. I knew the name of it when I saw it in the legalese of the contest rules.