When you see this phrase in official rules
“Multiple entrants are not permitted to share the same email address. Any attempt by any participant to obtain more than the stated number of plays/entries by using multiple/different email addresses, identities, registrations and logins, or any other methods will void that participant’s plays/entries and that participant may be disqualified.”
What does it mean?
I means that you shouldn’t go out and set up 10 email addresses for yourself and then go to a sweepstakes or instant win game and use those 10 email addresses to get more entries. The sponsor and judging agency wants you to enter using 1 email address for yourself. Now if you enter for your spouse/partner and he/she has their own email address that is different because they are a separate person and should have their own email address. This phrase has to do with one individual person.
However, it also may mean that they want you to enter for yourself using your computer and then let your husband/partner enter for themselves using their own computer. I know that this is not always possible because you might only have one computer in your house or that other person never gets around to entering but they want to win too so you just enter for them.
This has always been a tricky topic and with many things in life you have to decide what you feel is right as far as entering for other people. Some companies have no problem with letting you do that and others will disqualify you for entering someone else from the same computer. In this day of technology your entries are easily tracked and they can pinpoint what entries came from what computer easily.
But, when it comes to enter under multiple accounts or email addresses for yourself I say – DON’T DO IT! You are cheating the system and whether you get caught or not it is still wrong. Remember that there is plenty to go around for everyone. Your turn will come to be a winner and you do not need to cheat to win a prize.
I recently came across someone doing this and maybe they know and maybe they don’t know but they are disqualifying themselves and losing out on prizes. What they may not know is that their entries stick out like a sore thumb.
When you are entering a sweepstakes you may think that no one is watching but you are wrong. The people who set up these sweepstakes have a vested interest to see they are run correctly and that it is fair for everyone who enters. That is why they setup official rules to begin with – to keep things fair and on a level playing field for all involved.
Thanks for explaining this Wendy. I have often wondered about it and have always used just one email. And I do not enter for other family members.
Wondering now…My hubby and I share a computer. He enters like 6 sweepstakes a day (honestly sometimes I do it for him if it's late and he didn't do it yet, but not always) that he's intrested in. I enter them too (I told him about them). Are we disqualifying ourselves because we come from the same ISP address?
Utrend,
In some cases you are disqualifying yourself but in most you are not. I enter for my husband as well and have many things for both him and me. Of course, for the sweeps you are disqualifying yourself on you probably have no way of knowing because they probably won't tell you. They will just disqualify your entry.
I wish they would do something about it though because how can they expect each family to have more than one computer? And, in their rules most say that you can't share a login or email address but sharing a computer is different.
Wendy
I enter a contest for myself using my email address and user ID — on the same computer
I have an email address for my wife and a
seperate user ID for her… Is it wrong
for me to enter for her?
It depends on the sweepstakes. Some allow it and others do not. I do it for my husband and will continue to do it so it is up to each individual to decide what is right for them and then let the company decide.
There was only 1 email address, 1name entered. Mom is 87 and it was easier for me to help her on my email address rather than have 2.I called sweeps office, they said it did not matter which email address as long as 1 person entered. was not trying to defraud anyone, just make it easier for mom.