Sweeties Inbox – Should I Enter Sweepstakes For Other People?

@SweetiesSweeps is answering your sweepstakes questions. Feel free to email Sweetie at [email protected] with any sweepstakes questions you want answered.

Jamie asked:

If a company asks for your name on a 3×5 card in an envelope but doesn’t ask for a SASE, can you send them a postcard? How strict are they?

You should never send a postcard if they ask for a 3×5 card. If they want a postcard they will specifically ask for it. A 3×5 card is basically an index card with no lines on it. That should always be inserted in an envelope. For those who don’t know, SASE means Self Addressed Stamped Envelope. As far as strictness, always follow the rules as they are written because you don’t know each company’s policy. If they are requiring that you follow the rules exactly and you don’t send the right thing your entry would get disqualified. It is better to be “safe than sorry” and just do what they ask.

Whether and how to enter “friends” to earn extra entries into sweeps (without being disqualified or annoying anyone – I guess a fellow sweep friend with a special email for this purpose would be the ideal)

I am not sure I totally understand the question but I will explain what I think it means in various ways.

Personally, I only enter for myself using one email address. If you mean “friends” as can I enter myself multiple times in sweepstakes by using other email address, I would say no. Personally, I never do that. I have disqualified a few people who entered my own personal giveaways because they entered for themselves using multiple email addresses. And, if you read many official rules you will find that the requirement is often – one entry per person per email address or one entry per person per email address per day, etc. so companies do not want you entering for yourself more than the allotted time and with only one email address.

Another way to look at what you are asking is – can and should I enter sweepstakes for other people. This topic has widely been debated in the sweeps community. Should you enter for friends and family? Do the rules allow it? In most cases you should not enter for friends and family if you are basing it on the official rules. The object of a sweepstakes is for a company to get exposure for their products, website, or help brand their company in the eyes of the consumer. When you enter for a friend or family member that person is not seeing what the company has to offer.

Does it happen? Well, yes it does. I enter for family and friends all of the time. I understand the company’s side of things but I also want my family and friends to win. Therein lies the dilemma. I enjoy winning prizes for other people and, I know I am not alone in doing this.

In both instances it is a personal choice whether you use multiple email addresses to enter a sweepstakes or you enter friends and family in sweepstakes. Also, in both cases, there is an agreement against doing it in the official rules.

Update: After reading Breezy’s comment below and re-reading what Jamie asked I believe she is talking about using other friend’s email addresses when entering sweepstakes that ask you to refer others to get extra entries.

From Breezy: I would ask permission from your friends before giving their email addresses for extra entries, there is a list of email addresses in the chat room that people have given specifically for allowing people to use them for extra entries. On some sweepstakes your friends have to sign up for you to obtain the extra entries and on some, you get to play again right away.

I agree with Breezy. You should always ask your friends for permission before using their email addresses to gain extra entries. Please visit the chatroom and take a look at the list Breezy has setup.

Well, now you have learned all kinds of things regarding extra entries 🙂