[AMA] Maximum Multiple Competition Winner

maximum on 14/05/2015 - 10:03

Hi
I have been asked to do an ama about winning competitions.

A bit of background I was bitten by the competition bug early my first known win was a mr men book from the local paper at 4 years old.
From there some of my big wins have been - a Commodore 64 when I was about 8, a $1500 heater , boot camp, 1st prize at the Sydney bridal expo - ($20000 wedding package).

Since last September last year from the competiton section here I have won $2000 in the Irish moss competition , a trip to New York for a movie premiere, a trip to Sydney for Cinderella premiere, a trip to La for the Disney music awards and too many movie tickets to count.

Any questions for tips on how to better your chances for winning I'm happy to help. I love seeing when other ozbargainers win.

Introduce Yourself

closed Comments

  • silverrat23 on 14/05/2015 - 10:20

    For those competitions that require a receipt after winning, in order to claim the prize (I presume you have won those), did they ever press on actually producing one?

    I remember winning and receiving a giftcard, but forgetting to submit a receipt. It was a very early Christmas present!

    Also, thanks for doing an AMA. :)

    • tanoshiiki on 14/05/2015 - 11:53
      +1

      Not the OP, but quite a few years ago, I won a prize that did require proof of purchase.

      Unfortunately, I had thrown out the receipt (had paid in cash).

      It was for a $500 Target giftcard, so that probably counts as a higher value prize and therefore I would guess the receipt was required in those instances.

    • spackbace on 14/05/2015 - 12:22
      +2

      Saw a comp recently where the re-draw was like 6 months after initial draw, and they still required receipts. Needless to say, only the serious 'compers' stood a chance at claiming that prize!

      I think with modern competitions, it doesnt hurt to scan receipts to a folder on a pc, rather than holding on to the physical receipts.

  • neil on 14/05/2015 - 10:27
    +5

    Looking at my stats (My Account-Lists-Competitions), I've entered 868 comps (19 wins) and the biggest win I've had is a $65 bottle of Bundy. So certainly not a great record.

    Do you enter a lot of comps or do you selectively do certain types (words or less)?

    • maximum on 14/05/2015 - 11:10

      I have entered 429 competitions and won 11 so not too impressive. I do prefer 25 words or less it cuts down the competiton and my favourite subject was English. I have spurts of entering - just while watching telly I go to competitions closing soon and enter.

      • djones145 on 14/05/2015 - 12:13
        +2

        for the 25 of less comps, what do you usually write

        a sad story? a joke? actually something promoting their product

        ahhhh found the answer below! sweet

    • inherentchoice on 14/05/2015 - 11:32
      +1

      Wow didn't know that info was there. I have 47 and 0 wins but surely am due for a win soon.

      • maximum on 14/05/2015 - 11:45
        +4

        Neither did I - it is amazing how much information there is. Just as long as it doesn't come up with a counter to say how long I spend on ozbargain - that would be embarrassing.
        On a side note . My mum signed up for woollies online shopping last week with her everyday rewards card and it picked all the things she normally buys. People are worried about the government having their information I am more worried about them.

  • maximum on 14/05/2015 - 10:38
    +1

    The only one that required a receipt of purchase was the Irish moss one. With the receipt the prize money doubled from $1000 to $2000 - so after I'd written the winning entry (or what I considered to be the winning entry) I went and bought a bottle for $5 - they needed me to send the receipt in.
    Others that I have won ( 15 personalised football jerseys from nutrigrain) and other supermarket wins I have never had to provide proof of the receipt.

    • rith on 16/05/2015 - 18:11

      Hehe, I also won the Nutri-Grain jerseys once upon a time! I have never ever worn them and I also donated a bunch away.

      • maximum on 16/05/2015 - 20:16

        We have our family name on them. My husband wears his heaps haven't seen the others for a while. Might have to dig them out.

        • rith on 17/05/2015 - 20:57

          I've kept one with my favourite number on it, no name though. Wonder if I have any more laying around.

  • inherentchoice on 14/05/2015 - 10:51

    1. Roughly how much time do you spend entering competitions each day?

    2. Have you won a "tell us in xx words or less" competition? Can you share some of your winning answers? What tips do you have for writing a winning answer?

    • maximum on 14/05/2015 - 11:16
      +1

      I have spurts of entering when I sit down and do it I might spend an hour or two a week. For the LA one I spent about 5 hours - just constantly typing in my kids details. I entered about 100 times but this was a less than 30 hour competiton and had 101 prizes so chances were greatly increased.

      For the words or less cheesy rhymes or punny answers seem to work.

      • inherentchoice on 14/05/2015 - 11:22

        Okay cool. My cheesy rhymes and puns have failed to date. Will keep trying.

        I once wrote a cheesy one that was a play on John 3:16. But maybe the judge doesn't know what that is. It was a competition for the Taken 3 movie and I wrote "For Bryan so loved his family that he gave chase and run; and whosoever believes in Liam Neeson shall not perish from his gun."

        just constantly typing in my kids details

        Wow the Chrome browser can pre fill all the forms for me.

  • Luminary on 14/05/2015 - 11:00
    +1

    Do you enter every competition you see or are you selective? My biggest wins have been $1000, a laptop and iPad, and had about 40 wins in my best year but my dream would be to win something big that involves travelling interstate or overseas, i.e. a NY movie premiere. (Jealous!) I usually don't bother entering those ones because I think my chances are so slim so do you have any tips for those big comps. I usually go with rhymes or acronyms for those 25 words or less ones, but I think that's getting old and I'm not creative enough. Haha.

    • maximum on 14/05/2015 - 11:30
      +9

      I am old (40) you have to answer to a mid 20s pr girl usually . Something funny or a rhyme that will stick in their heads.

      For the New York one it was what is your favourite novel turned into a film. My answer was something like " fight club id tell you why but the first rule of fight club is you don't talk about fight club - shirtless brad Pitt doesn't hurt either"

      Irish moss was a limerick about the product

      Cinderella was who would you take to the premiere and why
      " my stepmother but the only thing wicked about her is her sense of humour".

      The movie premieres are time sensitive competitions so I think it cuts down the competition but you have to be able to go pretty soon. New York was a call on Tuesday leave Thursday. La was just under 2 weeks notice. Work have banned me from entering over the next few months.

      • Luminary on 14/05/2015 - 15:02

        Haha, I usually check the T&Cs to see the flight rules. Unfortunately I've just started full time work so I don't think they'd even let me go. It would be terrible to win only to not be able to travel. Thanks for your insights!

        • maximum on 14/05/2015 - 15:46

          One of the ladies I spoke to when I won said it was quite common for people not to have passports or to be able to go and so they forfeit the prize. I check the leave roster before I enter now.

  • rompastompa on 14/05/2015 - 11:14
    +1

    With 25 words or less;

    Do you use the same story? is it extravagant or sentimental? Are they lies/fiction? Are they always under 25 words?

    • maximum on 14/05/2015 - 11:37
      +13

      I never go the pity entry - I think everyone has a sob story and I think it would bring bad karma. In Facebook comps you see a lot of "I have cancer etc " but everyone has a worse story. I am a pretty positive person and believe that every time I'm nice to someone I store up karma points.

      If you can use the product name and make your entry funny I think it helps. Doesn't have to be true - eg. I don't have a stepmother -But it fitted with the Cinderella theme.

      • frewer on 15/05/2015 - 16:19

        Hmm karma, well then millions other ( including me ) whom dont must not have enough karma then. Btw according to Hinduism and Buddhism one can only reap their karma in the next life, in other word there isn't "instant-in-the-same-life-time" karma.

        • maximum on 15/05/2015 - 17:20

          Ok maybe not bad karma but I definitely don't want to tempt fate by lying about or exaggerating medical issues just to win a competition.

        • frewer on 19/05/2015 - 20:35

          @maximum:I applause you for being honest and not lying.
          Please do understand i wasn't "attack" you, but merely debunk the "karma-mentality" that is runs rampant in the west. Not for benefits or one but many.
          Karma doesn't not brings about justice for majorities of us on this planet. However, knowing absolute right and absolute wrong do help an individual to understand more about life when injustice happens.

  • spackbace on 14/05/2015 - 12:21
    +2

    Side note, happy to see the comp wins from my posts going to someone grateful/deserving, and also someone on here :)

    What do your friends/family think about the wins? Are you getting a reputation or jokes made? Do you tell them about every win?
    (Just wondered coz since actively comping on here the in-laws keep saying how lucky I am lol but I only enter the ones I think I have a greater chance at)

    28 wins from 151 entries apparently, happy with that but need a big win right now!

    • maximum on 14/05/2015 - 14:12
      +13

      My kids just think we are lucky people and we are. We are happy ,- mostly healthy, have a great family and friends and everything we need.

      I find it hard to find that balance between positive thinking and you have to work hard to be so lucky. Don't want my kids to think everything just falls in your lap if you are a nice person because sometimes the nicest people have the worst luck.

      My husband wants me to try lotto but coming from a commerce/ accounting background I find this too illogical - and he also thinks I used the bulk of my good luck marrying him.

      Most of my friends think I am a little crazy - talking about trips that I am going to win (but a little weirded out when I do). I have a had people rub my head or arm when they hear about my win trying to get the luck.

      They call me the competition queen at work but I am not so affectionately known as the prize pig at home. I celebrate every win - a free movie ticket or a pizza adds a little skip to my step. I guess i am seen as lucky because even when I win little it's a big deal to me.

      I like to see the positive in most situations . On our Disney LA trip my son had a seizure and was in intensive care in hospital for 4 days. Bad luck maybe but he is fine now and if we weren't in a major city like LA with unlimited medical cover through travel insurance it might have turned out differently. So I am chalking that up as a positive -how many tourists can say they called 911 and rode in an ambulance?

      • Geewhizz on 15/05/2015 - 07:32

        Just for future reference, what travel insurance did you have?

        My husband …. thinks I used the bulk of my good luck marrying him.

        Hahahaha you could perhaps point out that luck had nothing to do with that one, as cats have 9 lives.

        • maximum on 15/05/2015 - 13:55
          +1

          Insure and go they were the cheapest and so far have been terrific. My fantastic mum dealt with them mainly as I was at my sons bedside. Mum has just gone through a claim from Allianz for dad and said insure and go were much nicer - and they seemed genuinely concerned for our well being.

        • Geewhizz on 16/05/2015 - 05:55

          Thanks for that. :)

  • Scratch2k on 14/05/2015 - 13:39
    +4

    For the record I won a laptop from Dell in. 25 words or less comp, a few years ago with a sob story (a genuine one, it was nothing to do with needing a laptop), so they do work.

  • Dominic on 14/05/2015 - 14:50

    Do you ever worry that your personal details are with so many companies?

  • maximum on 14/05/2015 - 14:58
    +1

    No I am not particularly cautious although I mainly just do companies I know of. I don't give bank account details - just name address phone number and email mostly. Not much damage to be done there. I have an extra email mainly for competitions to cut down on the spam. I am sure all the basic details are on a list that people can buy anyway.

  • illumination on 14/05/2015 - 16:12

    It's nice to know someone ACTUALLY wins stuff from the competitions! I've always been pessimistic about them.

    You said you won a Commodore when you were 8. What did you do with it? Give it to your parents?
    Have you always tried to find a use for the items you win, or do you try to "recycle" them by reselling?

    • maximum on 14/05/2015 - 16:25
      +12

      The Commodore 64 was a computer back in the olden days when I was a kid. Not a car but I thought it was pretty awesome.
      I don't enter competitions that I don't want to win - leave them for others- but I do share my prizes. I took my niece to New York . 6 cousins to the movies, $1000 to my sister and when I couldn't go to a concert gave the tickets to a friend.

      • Speckled Jim on 15/05/2015 - 09:41
        +1

        It only had an external tape drive, didn't it?

        For that reason, I went with Apple IIe. 5.25" floppy ftw.
        Then Amiga.
        (44)

        IIRC my biggest win was 1999-ish. Local newspaper, just send an envelope with name & address on the back. The prize?
        HP Officejet 635. Print! Scan! Copy! Fax! In one!

        I won some cool stuff during the 80s from Sydney FM radio stations. ~30 albums, 120+ concert tickets, dinners (inc a Mothers Day package) and best of all, a Perisher Blue weekend from The Reverend…The Doctor of Luuurve — Uncle Dougie!
        Couldn't take advantage of the skiing (I was still recovering from a motorcycle injury) but my buddy did, and I still had fun.

        • maximum on 17/05/2015 - 22:30

          I used to love radio competitions sitting by the phone and ringing to be caller number 5 etc. now our local stations have gone mainly to registering online and they call you or you have to ring back so you have to listen all day. Unfortunately as a working mum - who cannot listen to the radio or have my phone on at work - this rules me out.

          I used to win as often as I could . They had a rule one major prize every 6 months so I would have to keep track of my wins.

  • soza on 14/05/2015 - 17:40
    +2

    Entered 3 competitions over a 12 month period and won prizes in all three!! … over $1000 in total
    Don’t normally enter comps but these were photo and mini video edits and that’s a bit of a hobby of mine.
    First I won a GoPro3 white edition and $100 shopping voucher via the movie making phone app magisto that was for 3rd prize in an adventure movie comp.
    This is the video link here
    http://www.magisto.com/embed/OllMJUdSGysyXwJpYw?l=vem&o=w&c=…

    Six months later they ran another comp and I entered footage of my son snowboarding…entered in the wives name just in case and came 2nd so ended up with GoPro black edition and $100 so sold the GoPro white
    Then
    A photo competition ran by Nikon and falls creek ski resort, where a photo taken on the gopro won me a Nikon Coolpix AW120 worth $350
    Week 6 winner
    http://www.skifalls.com.au/FallsCreekNikonCompetition

    was supper stoked, its such a nice feeling to win something….maybe i should enter more.

    • maximum on 14/05/2015 - 17:55

      Cool! I'd love to be artistic I have absolutely no skill in photography. You obviously didn't win because of luck but because of skills which I think makes the win even sweeter.

    • rompastompa on 15/05/2015 - 11:01
      +1

      So you won a GoPro white, used that to win a GoPro Black, used that to win a Nikon?

      Impressive.

  • 28kb on 14/05/2015 - 18:04

    Have you ever won lotto?

  • maximum on 14/05/2015 - 18:27

    No - not more than about $20. I only play the big ones $1 million really wouldn't cut it. I have dreams that need at least $10 million . I only play the minimum amount with random numbers. That being said I think I'll win powerball tonight.

  • marka on 14/05/2015 - 18:39

    Don't want to ask anything. Just hear to say thanks.

    thanks.

  • Budai on 14/05/2015 - 19:27
    +1

    Why do I think I'm never gonna win these competitions and never really try?

    • maximum on 14/05/2015 - 20:38
      +4

      You've gotta be in it to win it!

  • CandyMan on 14/05/2015 - 19:30

    Which competitions are a no go zone
    How do you know a competition is genuine
    I'm asking as many of the big companies run their comps through competition firms

    Thanks for sharing you're experience:)

    • maximum on 14/05/2015 - 20:31

      I read the terms and conditions it tells you a lot of info re who is running and judging , how often you can enter and it gives you hints as to the legitimacy of the competition. Some Facebook comps have almost none of this so I don't bother.

  • folken on 14/05/2015 - 20:28

    Hi OP. When you enter a competition multiple times. Do you use the same details?

    • maximum on 14/05/2015 - 20:37

      I enter in other family members names for them if I think they would enjoy the prize or if I couldn't take the trip. But if you can enter more than once I use my details as I am luckier than them.

  • SydStrand on 14/05/2015 - 20:48

    I almost never enter competitions unless the barrier to entry is very low, i.e. if I have to hold onto a receipt or pick up a pen, I probably won't bother. That said, are these the sorts of competitions you generally win OP, or do you stick with the more bothersome ones that put off most laymen? As someone who's entered hundreds of these things, do you have any rough idea of how many people typically enter each one?

  • maximum on 14/05/2015 - 21:08

    I like the ones that have multiple hurdles . 25 words or less scare people off as do buy this, save receipt , go to the Internet enter etc.
    lucky draw ones have too many entries because they are easy. That being said I still enter - I just don't seem to win.

    I don't know how many entries they get but I know when I went to the Cinderella premiere I met one of the girls who read through the entries and she helped choose mine. So must be heaps as there were multiple people helping with the judging.

  • irishgal on 15/05/2015 - 10:14
    +2

    It is funny this post came up.I watched "The Prize winner of Defiance,Ohio"on Netflix the other night.It starred Julianne Moore.It is a story about a mother entering loads of competitions to help her feed her ten kids.It inspired be to enter a couple of competitions. dont have ten kids though!!!I have a bit of spare time on my hands at the moment.On sickness leave.I entered two last night.As they say if you aren't in it you cant win.Good luck to all entering.

    • maximum on 15/05/2015 - 13:58
      +1

      My Irish moss and New York trip came from a day I was stuck in bed ill and I entered about 5 competitions that day. Got to get something positive out of a negative .

  • theoneandonlylml on 15/05/2015 - 11:19

    Are you concerned about your private details being used for 'other' purposes, or even sold to third parties?

    • maximum on 15/05/2015 - 14:00

      Not really I try not to enter dodgy looking things without terms and conditions etc or incorrect spelling.

  • pg88 on 15/05/2015 - 11:50

    It's nice to see a fellow comper do an AMA to show that comping does involve some effort! Personal favourites are 25 wol :)

    I was wondering though, do you bother with facebook sweepstakes/popularity competitions? I've entered several and never seem to get anywhere with them… would be nice to know that someone actually wins.

    • maximum on 15/05/2015 - 14:01
      +1

      I enter but never win. I like to say because I win not because I'm luck but because I have the skills to pay the bills. I never do the get your friends to vote on Facebook things - I find it annoying and I don't have 600 friends - I know all my Facebook friends and would speak to them if I saw them in the street.

  • ChickenTalon on 15/05/2015 - 12:53
    +10

    interesting read OP As someone who's sat on the other side of the fence (sorry, not as a 20yr old PR girl. more like a mid-20s marketing guy) you've got the right winning formula. Anything witty or clever has the best chance. Here's how I used to judge them, mostly used for customer competitions.

    1. Put all the entries into excel.
    2. Add some columns to text check for valid entries (word count, character count etc, valid emails and phone numbers, current customer etc).
    3. If you have a truck load of entries, add a random number generator and discard entries to get to a manageable amount. (yes it sucks, but no one is going to read 5,000 entries of 25 words of less)
    4. Farm them out to others in marketing. everyone gets 100 or so to review
    5. Collate answers for a quick vote.
    6. Order and try to contact winners. you get maybe 2 calls 30min apart before moving on to the next entry. And I wouldn't leave a message, number would be private. To avoid having the "uhhh you were a winner, but sorry, not anymore"

    Entries that were discarded: crying poor, threats etc and "if I win i'll tell everyone" (which is usually about 30% of entries).
    Entries likely to win: Clever ones, that addressed the comp question and knew the product/service, good use of the English language such as a poem.

    Edit: if you do win, be grateful! Show your appreciation. That way if you have won something time sensitive you're more likely to get flexibility.
    You'd be surprised at the number of people you call up to give a prize to and they're like "meh". In one instance a person was technically ineligible because they were underage, but very grateful. So we gave it to their parents.

    • maximum on 15/05/2015 - 14:09
      +4

      Yes I am always so thankful when I win. My husband thought I had lotto when I won the Cinderella comp because I was jumping round like a lunatic. I stick to the philosophy in life be nicer than you need to - and you know what most of the time you'll find that's what you get back.
      I have heard that a lot of places use 25 words or less but just pick randomly. my experience is that they usually tell me the loved my answer when they ring to tell me I've won - I sometimes have a questions spinning in my head for days trying to get the right 25 words combo.

      • ChickenTalon on 15/05/2015 - 14:30
        +1

        Some might use a random way to bulk discard entries, the effort of reading thousands of entries means that some will probably be randomly culled. Most are structured as 25 words or less because it means you don't need a permit to run the comp (at least this was the case 10 years ago when i was running the odd comp)it's classified as a game of skill, rather than a game of chance (or lottery). This also means that any potential tax implications lie with the winner, not the promoter.

        But I can assure you, in just about all competitions the winning entry will be read and judged, if you haven't got a reasonable answer to give then I wouldn't be bothered entering a 25 words or less comp. Which is why I don't enter many myself :) I'm no wordsmith.

  • Ramrunner on 15/05/2015 - 12:57
    +5

    Jeez Maximum I've really enjoyed reading your comments but I think the best thing I can do for ME to win these OB competitions (I enter them all) is to somehow prevent you from entering them!

    That's my tip lol

    • maximum on 15/05/2015 - 14:14
      +4

      Good luck - if you entered over the last few weeks - with my son in hospital and then catching up at home I haven't had the time to enter. From tomorrow though the competitions are back on. Mumma needs a holiday to get over the last one - a cruise would be nice.

  • FishesA on 15/05/2015 - 20:52

    Thanks for doing the AMA - loved reading it! Thanks for interesting questions and answers - good luck to all!

    • maximum on 15/05/2015 - 21:32
      +4

      You're welcome. I was worried no one would be interested - I thought I might have to make my mum ask me a question , and then I was worried she would ask me what a chrome cast is and I still don't know.

      • FishesA on 16/05/2015 - 20:13
        +1

        Id worry someone would ask me what an AMA is……………

  • sulmar on 16/05/2015 - 00:39
    +3

    You sound like a really nice person. Glad you won some nice competitions.

    When i was small, i used to enter in alot, but after not having won anything for a year or two, i gave it up.

    • maximum on 16/05/2015 - 10:42
      +1

      Give it a try again. The thing I love about competitions is that now you can do it online so there is no need for stamps and extra effort. This does increase entries but most of the people who say to me you're so lucky have never or rarely entered anything.

      If you look in the competitions tab under winners you can get some extra motivation. Try for movie tickets or little prizes too. Nothing sweeter than sitting down at the movies for free.

  • bargdebarg on 16/05/2015 - 14:41

    I once won a Michael Jackson cd…

    • gimli on 16/05/2015 - 17:19
      -1

      Isn't that more of a penalty

  • [Deactivated] on 16/05/2015 - 23:03
    +1

    Won a sin city pack which contains a jacket, posters, coasters I was over the moon.

  • Moderatorneil on 20/05/2015 - 01:26

    Big thanks to maximum for doing this AMA. Hope everyone picked up some great tips on winning comps.

    If you have any AMA suggestions or requests, then let us know. If you wish to do your own AMA, feel free to do so in this Introduce Yourself forum.

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