The Win Your Dream Kitchen, part of the Reader's Digest Winner Take All creative presentation and sponsored by Taste of Home made a change on their entry form on the 25th.
The form now has a user name and password field. You try and submit and get a "email address already in database" message and a submittal error.
You need to go to the site and register as a user now to enter. No where in the rules does it say that. Now I'm registered, which was a feat in itself. Went to the site, didn't have password (so I guessed), couldn't log in, said email not in database. Tried to register and said I'm already in database. Had email sent for forgotten password, was able to log in, finally found the entry form on their site and entered, getting the Thank you confirmation.
Just brought up the form from my bookmarks and it's the nice simple form. Closed the form, deleted all cookies, brought the form up again and the form with the user name and password shows up.
We'll see how the entry process goes tomorrow.
Edit 3/2/09
Well, there is now a log in link that works on the form. Log in and it brings up the form partially filled in. You would think that if they bring up a form with your info that the state field would be filled in also, but it's not.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Reader's Digest Big Money Joke Sweepstakes
The Reader's Digest Big Money Joke Sweepstakes is part of the Reader's Digest The $30,000 Winner–Take–All Prize (#002)creative presentation. The form is the same one used for the sweeps that expired this month.
According to the form, if you do not have a joke to submit, you can skip steps 2 and 3. Step two is an option as to what you are submitting: A Joke, A Funny, True Story, A Quote and step 3 is the content of your submittal.
You CAN NOT skip these steps on the form, Joke is already preselected and there is no way to normally clear the fields. I use RoboForm, and if I so desired, I could clear the option field, but that is not how the form is designed. With the option field already preselected, you HAVE to have something in the submit your joke (content) field, the form will not submit without it. Most often I will just put a period or dash in the content field.
They are fully aware that the form does not work properly and still have not done anything to fix it.
To find the sweeps, go to the Reader's Digest site and look for the sweepstakes links.
According to the form, if you do not have a joke to submit, you can skip steps 2 and 3. Step two is an option as to what you are submitting: A Joke, A Funny, True Story, A Quote and step 3 is the content of your submittal.
You CAN NOT skip these steps on the form, Joke is already preselected and there is no way to normally clear the fields. I use RoboForm, and if I so desired, I could clear the option field, but that is not how the form is designed. With the option field already preselected, you HAVE to have something in the submit your joke (content) field, the form will not submit without it. Most often I will just put a period or dash in the content field.
They are fully aware that the form does not work properly and still have not done anything to fix it.
To find the sweeps, go to the Reader's Digest site and look for the sweepstakes links.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Hachette Filipacchi Media Instant Cash Giveaway Sweepstakes
The Instant Cash Giveaway Sweepstakes now being sponsored by Hachette Filipacchi Media (Woman's Day, Elle, etc.) is a change from the sweeps previously run. For the past few years, they have participated in the "Dream" Series (Dream Come True, Dream of a Lifetime). This year, it looks as though only their magazines are involved in this particular creative presentation. Entry has been changed to one a month. Easy entry form. In addition to the prizes offered at the end of the promotion, there is a monthly prize, and the winners will be drawn much sooner than the 8+ month wait time after the sweeps ends of the "Dream" series.
Still a long running promotion, but in my opinion, much better than the previous ones.
Another change that I feel is great, the winners list for this promotion will be published online.
You should be able to find the entries at Sweepstakes Advantage
Still a long running promotion, but in my opinion, much better than the previous ones.
Another change that I feel is great, the winners list for this promotion will be published online.
You should be able to find the entries at Sweepstakes Advantage
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Offensive Error Messages
I guess one of my ongoing sweeps is no longer active. I tried opening the page from a bookmark in IE and was directed to the home page. That's no biggie. However, this is an error message I received when trying to open the same page from a bookmark in Foxfire (with referrer blocked):
403 Access Denied
Access to the requested resource has been denied. We suspect you are using an automated process to access this website. Please retry with a regular browser.
I do believe they could come up with something more appropriate and much less offensive. They could just state that you need to allow private headers.
403 Access Denied
Access to the requested resource has been denied. We suspect you are using an automated process to access this website. Please retry with a regular browser.
I do believe they could come up with something more appropriate and much less offensive. They could just state that you need to allow private headers.
Monday, January 19, 2009
HGTV Dream Home Entry Form Disappointing
The HGTV 2009 Dream Home Giveaway could use a change in their form. Really disappointed in it.
If you tab through the fields, it skips over the state field. It does it in Internet Explorer and Firefox. You should be able to use your keyboard to get to a field. In addition, at one time (not this particular sweeps) the phone field was one line and they wanted it formatted as (xxx) xxx-xxxx. The phone field has been changed to three fields (area code, prefix and last four numbers), but the notation for how they want it formatted has not been updated, and the area code field is not large enough for (xxx).
If they're worried about automated entries, they should put in a security code. (An easy to read one please)
The prize is great, the form sucks.
If you tab through the fields, it skips over the state field. It does it in Internet Explorer and Firefox. You should be able to use your keyboard to get to a field. In addition, at one time (not this particular sweeps) the phone field was one line and they wanted it formatted as (xxx) xxx-xxxx. The phone field has been changed to three fields (area code, prefix and last four numbers), but the notation for how they want it formatted has not been updated, and the area code field is not large enough for (xxx).
If they're worried about automated entries, they should put in a security code. (An easy to read one please)
The prize is great, the form sucks.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Disappointed in Kimberly Clark Room-a-Day Sweepstakes Rules
According to the rules, [...]Every online entry submission must be manually keystroked and manually entered by the individual entrant; automated and/or repetitive electronic submission of entries (including but not limited to entries made using any script, macro, bot or sweepstakes service) will be disqualified and transmissions from these or related e-mail or IP addresses may be blocked.[...]
It's the manually keystroked part that bothers me. For the normal person, no problem. But doesn't that seem like it might leave out people who have a hard time with a keyboard? I quite often have difficulty with keyboarding, comes from a "vascular event" that occurred in my brain. What about those who have difficulty seeing a screen? People rely on form fillers for a lot of different reasons. Doesn't it seem like they are actually trying to alienate the same people who buy their products?
For those who use the capabilities of their browser, Internet Explorer as an example, to remember their user name and password; if you were to go to the site and your browser fills in the fields you've just disqualified yourself.
I use RoboForm, sometimes for entering data on a form. As much as possible, I use it to enter user name and password fields. Personally, for online business and shopping, I shy away from sites where I cannot use RoboForm, especially for my user name and password. RoboForm is one of my means of protection in addition to be a handy form filler.
The instant win game is a disappointment as well. Instead of of quick 1-2-3 your done game, or better yet an option to skip the game and see if you are an instant winner, you have to match up the products, like concentration. You cannot advance to see if you're an instant winner until you have matched all of the products. It's like 10 or 12 products to match up.
That doesn't mean I won't enter the sweeps, the prize is too good. It just means I'm disappointed in the wording of their rules and the game. Doesn't leave a great impression of the company.
It's the manually keystroked part that bothers me. For the normal person, no problem. But doesn't that seem like it might leave out people who have a hard time with a keyboard? I quite often have difficulty with keyboarding, comes from a "vascular event" that occurred in my brain. What about those who have difficulty seeing a screen? People rely on form fillers for a lot of different reasons. Doesn't it seem like they are actually trying to alienate the same people who buy their products?
For those who use the capabilities of their browser, Internet Explorer as an example, to remember their user name and password; if you were to go to the site and your browser fills in the fields you've just disqualified yourself.
I use RoboForm, sometimes for entering data on a form. As much as possible, I use it to enter user name and password fields. Personally, for online business and shopping, I shy away from sites where I cannot use RoboForm, especially for my user name and password. RoboForm is one of my means of protection in addition to be a handy form filler.
The instant win game is a disappointment as well. Instead of of quick 1-2-3 your done game, or better yet an option to skip the game and see if you are an instant winner, you have to match up the products, like concentration. You cannot advance to see if you're an instant winner until you have matched all of the products. It's like 10 or 12 products to match up.
That doesn't mean I won't enter the sweeps, the prize is too good. It just means I'm disappointed in the wording of their rules and the game. Doesn't leave a great impression of the company.
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