In the world of comping, it can be difficult to determine which are genuine competitions.
Some sites have a primary goal of collecting your data so that they can pass on your details. Whilst the competitions on those sites may be real and the prizes genuine. To maximise their chances of getting contact information, it’s likely they will be featured across many websites. Meaning they are likely to be entered by hundreds of thousands of people and your chances of winning are tiny. In addition, your data will probably be passed on to hundreds of companies, so you could be deluged with spam emails.
As with most things, if something sounds too good to be true, it often is.
Also, be wary of competition websites which charge you to view lists of competitions. Often, the competitions available will be accessible through other free avenues and the choice available on these sites is sometimes underwhelming.
To maximise your chances of finding good free competitions and to safeguard your personal data, stick to a website you trust such as Competition Finder. We maintain high standards of conduct and data management and only list competitions we believe are genuine.
Find Free, Genuine Competitions
Most competitions are set up by companies as a relatively cheap way to promote their products or services. For example, a tour operator may offer a luxury holiday or a car manufacturer may offer a brand new car.
These free competitions quite often rely on drawing your interest to their products by directing you to their site, but there will be no entry fee for the competition. They trust that by engaging you in the opportunity to win a big prize, you will become more aware of their goods and services and more likely to use them in the future in preference to a competitor.
Things to Watch Out For
Beware of competitions that ask for payment to enter. These are less akin to competitions and rather more like lotteries or gambling. They rely on attracting lots of applicants at a cost, thereby covering their running costs and making a profit. They are usually genuine competitions, but you could end up losing money.
Also watch out for premium rate telephone competitions. In many cases, these can end up costing a significant amount to enter. You could be paying £1 a minute and have to listen for up to 10 minutes before you can enter.
Sometimes, competitions are free to enter but then require you to pay a fee or deposit to claim your prize. Be very careful if this happens. In too many cases, the prize may never materialise. If you are asked for money to claim your prize it is usually safest to walk away, regardless as to how attractive or tempting it may seem.
Finally, unless you are sure of the source of the competition, it pays to be cautious. Studies have shown that a significant percentage of people will give out personal information for the chance of winning a prize, even when they have not heard of the company offering it. This can open you up to the risk of identity theft so make sure that you use a trusted source such as Competition Finder to source competitions to enter whilst keeping your personal information safe.
