For Those That Enter Competitions on Here, Do You Give Your Phone Number Away? Do You Get Spam Calls?

Twitchh on 14/04/2024 - 16:26

I occasionally enter some competitions that come up on here, except I've been reluctant to enter any that require my phone number, as I'm scared that it will leave me open to spam calls/texts.

So my questions, to those that enter a lot of the competitions:

  1. Do you give away your personal phone number for the comps? if not, how do you use alternate phone numbers?
  2. If you do give away your personal phone number, would you say you've received an increase in spam calls/texts?

Side questions: Do you guys actually wins stuff on the comps?

General Discussion

Comments

  • askbargain on 14/04/2024 - 16:35
    +3

    $10 amaysim PAYG. dual sim phone or another spare phone

    • Sinnerator on 15/04/2024 - 08:30
      +1

      don't put it in the your main phone, put the competition only sim in a spare phone, mute it, and check once a day

  • NotJustChickenDinner on 14/04/2024 - 16:36
    +2

    get a 2nd prepaid long term mobile just for competitions - works well if you have a spare phone/2nd sim slot

    I only enter shit load of purchase competitions and don't get any spam calls, only winning phone calls!

    • Twitchh on 14/04/2024 - 16:42

      Any particular prepaid company you recommend?

      • NotJustChickenDinner on 14/04/2024 - 17:46
        +2

        not sure if they still do it, but there was/is a $5 sim from Aldi mobile that works well prepaid last 365 days

        • Twitchh on 14/04/2024 - 22:27

          cheers mate

  • mantra on 14/04/2024 - 16:40
    +1

    i don't enter comps but majority of my online purchases tied to a 08 number i pay 55cents a month on a grandfathered siptalk plan which is set to immediately go to voicemail which sends an email with the voice message

    can also add a SIP phone app so your 08 number calls your mobile

    other times i use the profit or free boost sims those numbers should last 6 maybe 12 months after activated for incoming calls only

  • Baysew on 14/04/2024 - 19:17
    +2

    I never give my name, address, phone number or email when entering competitions. However, I still get spam.

    • fantombloo on 15/04/2024 - 00:06
      +4

      How will you expect to collect if you win?

      • pharkurnell on 15/04/2024 - 09:04
        +3

        nobody wins…. its farming for numbers,.

        • pegaxs on 15/04/2024 - 11:04
          +2

          Like those "drop your details for a chance to win a car!!" promotions at shopping malls… They are nothing but data harvesters…

    • jizmo on 15/04/2024 - 12:55

      Yeah, that kind of info is just crop dusting the farm ready for the harvester.

  • simplystu on 14/04/2024 - 19:38
    +4

    I used to have a 2nd SIM that used for comps (in a dual sim phone) … but still means you get the nuisance calls regardless (just that you can ditch number when you want).

    These days - only have the 1 SIM/number (but enter comps daily) - pretty much any recent high end phone has really good anti-spam detection - I have google pixel 8 pro.

    As said, I basically enter EVERY comp here on OZB (+ elsewhere) …
    get roughly … 1-2 spam calls a day blocked by phone. And maybe 1 will get through undetected every month or so.

    So … non-issue really.

    As to OP's side Q - in regards to winning comps - over the years …

    around 2016 won a V8 ute worth $52,000.
    2021 - won a computer package worth $3,500.
    2024 - won a VIC holiday worth $4,500

    • Twitchh on 14/04/2024 - 22:29
      +1

      Good to know - also congrats on your comp wins, i assume you'd win some of the smaller stuff as well. Might have to get on it.

    • Ramrunner on 15/04/2024 - 14:20

      My story is very much the same. Most spam gets blocked automatically (Pixel 7 Pro). I have to manually block 1 or 2 a month. No biggie.

      I have won $10k on a radio dial in
      A trip to the WRC in Coff's Coast including all car hire, flights and accomodation - this was one of my favourites the wife and I had an absolute ball.
      7 nights in a luxury chalet Big4 - Took the kids to QLD
      VIP package to the V8s here in Perth with what was then Volvo. Was cool hanging with McLaughlin and spent ages chatting to John Bowe. Included bevvies in their corporate tent and pit garage - Gary Rogers cracks me up.
      Earphones
      Wireless speaker
      Countless movie tickets, concert tickets (most recent last week Chris Isaak, but have seen Day on the Green B52s, Simple Minds. Also By The C Suzi Quattro, screaming jets etc. APIA tour Black Sorrows, Mental as Anytthing Deborah Conway
      NBL Prize pack
      Heaps of DVDs, CDs
      Westfield vouchers
      $3000 worth of M.J.Bale clothing

      And I'm sure I've missed a few.

      Whenever I see a comp I click. Been doing it consciously since 2016.

      A lot of friends and family say clicking comps is a waste of time then always say I'm super lucky and roll their eyes when I win something.

      FFS you want to win it be in it. Simple.

  • dtc on 14/04/2024 - 19:51
    +1

    I give a legit email (just for competitions) and a fake phone number. But I’m never sure if the fake number means I never win.

    • simplystu on 14/04/2024 - 20:04
      +1

      you never know.
      I have my own server/hosting … so for some years had been using a LEGIT email of "[email protected]"

      It was only recently, when I won the VIC holiday … they said to me, they thought the email was fake - and were going to disregard me as the winner … Unsure if do same thing with phone numbers.

      In terms of my past winnings - they pretty much always try contacting you by phone first (anything over $100 win) - but will usually try acouple of times to make contact - including BOTH phone + email, before they redraw the prize.

      • dtc on 14/04/2024 - 21:28

        I have hoped that a real email will work and I can pass off the fake number as me making a mistake when typing it…not that I enter a
        huge number of competitions so there is that affecting my chances of winning

    • jizmo on 15/04/2024 - 12:58

      Don't they by law have to publish the winners?

    • CrispyChrispy on 14/04/2024 - 20:21

      Is this a question or a flex?

  • DingoBilly on 15/04/2024 - 06:39

    I use a separate email address but just use my normal number.

    Haven't really seen an increase in spam or anything for phone. Definitely get a lot of garbage emails.

  • Jac33au on 15/04/2024 - 08:44
    +3

    When I had a dual sim phone I did, now with google spam filtering its been a non issue to give a proper number.
    With my email i use the old gmail "+" trick [email protected]

    Entered hundreds, maybe thousands of comps here and never won anything. I'm convinced most are just data grab scams

    • Twitchh on 15/04/2024 - 09:21
      +1

      Sorry for ur losses :(

    • KovinKing on 15/04/2024 - 10:05
      +1

      Entered hundreds, maybe thousands of comps here and never won anything.

      Seems SimplyStu won everything… but like Powerball, keep trying… it's good to have a dream, no matter what the odds are…

  • greenslade on 15/04/2024 - 09:23

    I only recently joined ozbargain, gave my phone number a few times in competitions, and my spam calls have increased dramatically compared to before. Regretful. I will get a cheap SIM as others have suggested.

  • The Hawk on 15/04/2024 - 14:20

    I use one of my real email accounts, get LOTS of marketing emails which are filtered out into another folder, although I'm forever adding to that filter.
    I get the 'usual' number of SPAM SMS and phone calls, but nothing much. Mostly just email rubbish.

    I go through spats of entering lots of things then nothing for a while unless it's interesting looking. Typically only local (not international) comps.

    Over the years I've had a couple of minor wins, an iPod Shuffle and speaker back in the day and I've won a Keyboard from JBHiFi twice over the years. I think there was a camera from some Canon photo comp my wife won too. There is probably one or two other little things, but never a car or house or lotto… and nothing recent… so I must be due… right?? RIGHT?!?!

    **not including Maccas Monopoly prizes :P

  • WT on 16/04/2024 - 10:35

    I rarely enter comps elsewhere and get spammed the following month

    if i have to use a number, they get pizza hut

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