Limbo 41414 is a free reverse bid game where you can "bid" for prizes (at no charge) and the lowest unique bid wins! You can play from your cellphone as well. Text PLAY to the short code 41414 for a current list of auctions.
Friday, April 27, 2007
How to Avoid Sweepstakes Scams
The Federal Trade Commission (chief consumer protection agency of the U.S. government) has an alert on file warning consumers of sweepstakes scammers posing as government officials who would claim that their prey had won a prize, then ask for money in order to send it. The scammers would end up being the only ones to receive any money, and the would-be prize winner would be holding the bill. The alert goes on further to state several timeless ways that these scams can be avoided.
#1 Don't pay to collect sweepstakes winnings
If you are required to pay anything, then pass it by. Legitimate sweepstakes won't ask you to pay anything in order to receive your prize. Some promotional contests do ask for a shipping and handling fee... however, in the end, it is more often than not, a lot of red tape and extra fees which could end you up with nothing.
#2 Hold on to your money
Scammers will sometimes ask you to wire them money, or to overnight them a check or money order for quick delivery of your prize. No, no, no. These are not legitimate tactics. True sweepstakes sponsors want you to have a wonderful experience with their company and product, which does not include asking you to pay for their promotion in any way.
#3 Look-alikes aren't the real thing
If it looks, smells, and feels like an orange, then go ahead and eat it. However, in the sweepstakes realm, just because someone says your prize is insured doesn't necessarily ensure its delivery. Phonies can give false appearances, sometimes posing as being insured by a legitimate agency... which generally doesn't mean anything at all. So, don't let it lull you into a false sense of security.
#4 Phone numbers can deceive
Don't rely on your caller id to be a totally reliable source of information. Internet technology can allow scam artists to "disguise" their phone number so you won't know where they are calling from. Someone could have a number from Washington, D.C. show up on your telephone when they are really calling you from Siberia.
#5 Take control of the calls you receive
Place your telephone number on the do not call registry at www.donotcall.gov or by calling 1-888-382-1222 to help reduce the amount of unwanted phone calls.
#6 File a complaint with the FTC
If you receive a suspicious winning phone call, file a complaint with the FTC at ftc.gov, or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP. If possible, include the date and time of the call along with the name and/or telephone number of the organization that called you. Even if it is a phony number, enforcement officials may still be able to track it.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
The Alltel My Circle 500 Go-Kart Race and Pit-Crew Challenge is a two-level event with a go-kart race for ten first prize winners, and a pit-crew challenge for teams of the first prize winners and seven to ten of their guests.
The ten first prize winners will receive a trip for up to ten, yet not less than seven, people to Charlotte, North Carolina on May 24 - 27, 2007 to participate in the Alltel My Circle 500 Go-Kart Race and Pit-Crew Challenge, with an opportunity to meet Ryan Newman and the #12 Alltel Dodge team. Included is round-trip airfare with hotel accomodations and various VIP treatments.
With this they will also receive one wireless handset and accessory with a value of $340, and upon meeting all requirements of the challenge along with their guests will also be awarded a single corporate check in the amount of $13,257.00 (good for paying the the taxes), bringing the total value of each first prize to approximately $39,331.00.
Practice is on Friday, with the race on Saturday. Anyone in the race who beats the established time of Ryan Newman will be awarded a one second deduction from their pit crew time.
The Pit-Crew Challenge will include each team member performing a standard pit crew duty on a standard-sized race car, with the team having the fastest time receiving a $200,000 award. In the event that time beats the industry standard of 14.5 seconds, an extra $300,000 will be added, for a total Grand Prize of $500,000.
Anyone who is currently, or who ever was, a professional or semi-professional motorsports driver, crew member, or coach is ineligible for the challenge.
Ten weekly prizes are also awarded. This week's prizes are $100 Mobil Gas Cards. One entry per weekly drawing, so this is your last chance to enter... the end date is April 30, 2007.
To enter from your cell phone, send a text message to the short code 67783. Some cell carriers may not work with this type of service.
You may also enter online Here .
Monday, April 16, 2007
Top This TV Challenge
Do you have a creative imagination and a camcorder? Together the two could earn you $57,000, or one of four runner-up prizes of $5,700 cash!
Heinz is sponsoring a contest powered by You Tube where 30 second video clips with your idea of a great Heinz Ketchup commercial can be uploaded and voted on by other users. All ideas must be original, non-published, and cannot have been entered in or won any previous contests or awards. Up to five submissions are allowed, as long as each one is unique.
Entries will be judged on the following criteria:
40% Originality
30% Overall Appeal
30% Likelihood to motivate people to use Heinz Ketchup
Maximum file size allowed is 100 MB and must be in a format allowable according to the You Tube user agreement (avi, mov, mpg, or wmv.). Participants must be at least 18 years of and are legal residents of the U.S.
On or about August 13, 2007 fifteen first-round finalists will be chosen. These finalists will then be posted on the website where public voting will determine the winner and four runner-ups. All five prize winners will have their commercials aired on national television.
When creating your commercial, be sure that no other food or beverage brands other than Heinz are included in any way. Any music or otherwise copyrightable material must be completely original or otherwise considered as public domain. If you have creative editing skills, the contest website also has tools available for use which can be used in your commercial such as clips with logos, mp3 files, and sound effects. Commercials must be exactly 30 seconds long, which could definitely take some skill, and patience... though it could be a worthwhile investment.
View the official rules HERE.
Follow this link to GET STARTED.
By Jennifer L. Thompson
Friday, April 13, 2007
The American Quilter's Society is holding a contest and expo on August 25-27, 2007 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, TN. Prizes to be awarded in the contest are as follows:
$7,500 Best of Show Award
$5,000 Best Hand Workmanship Award
$5,000 Best Machine Workmanship Award
$3,000 Best Longarm Workmanship Award
$3,000 Best Wall Quilt Award
With additional prizes in each category of:
$1,500 First Place
$1,000 Second Place
$750 Third Place
The categories are:
Quilts (in bed or wall size)
A. Quilter's Choice Quilts
B. On the Wall Quilts
C. Made by Machine Quilts
D. The Ultimate Guild Challenge Quilts (submitted by quilt guilds)
E. Needlework, stitched with yarn, cloth, or thread
Two entries are allowed per person, with an entry fee of $10 for AQS members and $30 for non-members for each entry. Quilts must be available for judging and display August 5 -25, 2007.
Even if you aren't a quilter, this show would be fun to attend just to see the artistic works of these talented quilters!
For complete rules and information, follow this LINK
Family Circle 2007 Fiction Contest
This year fiction writers (or those who aspire to be) can once again test their skills in writing short stories and enter for prizes in the Family Circle 2007 Fiction Contest. This contest is open to amateur writers who are legal residents of the U.S. or the District of Columbia, and are over the age of twenty-one.
Judges are looking for original fiction in the form of a short story with 2,500 words or less. Stories are to be original and unpublished, and are not to have previously won any prizes or awards. All entries become the property of the Meridith Corporation, and are not returned.
Stories will be judged according to the following criteria:
25% Sustained Writing Ability
25% Topic Creativity
25% Originality
25% Overall Excellence
Submissions are to be typed on 8 1/2 X 11 paper with your name, address, daytime telephone number, and email address (optional) on all pages. Entries must be postmarked by August 31, 2007, and received no later than September 7, 2007. Mail up to two unique submissions to:
Family Circle Fiction Story Contest
c/o Family Circle Magazine
375 Lexington Avenue, Ninth Floor
New York, NY 10017
On or about October 15, 2007 judges will choose one grand prize winner and two semi-finalists. Grand Prize winner will receive $750, a gift certificate to a mediabistro.com course of the winner's choice, a one year mediabistro.com AvantGuild membership, and possible publication in Family Circle magazine (priceless?). Total Grand Prize package valued at $1,490.
Runners-up will receive $250, a one year mediabistro.com AvantGuild membership, and possible publication on FamilyCircle.com, with a total value of $299.
This contest may have a good number of submissions, however, if you have a quality story, it is well-worth entering.
If you''d like to learn more about this contest, you can find the official rules Here .
See last year's winning entries Here .
By Jennifer L. Thompson
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
The Sundance Channel is currently sponsoring a contest called "What's the Big Idea?" This is a contest where entrants are asked to submit a one minute video describing a "big idea" for an "environmental initiative that would lead to sustainability of life and resources on our planet", according to the official rules.
Entries will be judged on the following criteria:
~ 25% Creativity/Originality
~ 25% Appropriateness to Contest Theme
~ 25% Feasibility of Idea
~ 25% Presentation/Expression of Idea
The first leg of this contest ends April 30th, 2007, making it a good choice for creative entrants as the total entry time is less than 30 days. Daily entries are also allowed to increase your odds, though each submission must be unique. In other words, if you come up with more than one idea, you can submit them all as long as you submit no more than one video per day for the duration of the contest.
Upon the close of the entry portion of the contest, up to 25 qualified entries will be chosen as semi-finalists whose entries will be posted on the Sundance Channel's website, where visitors will vote for their favorites. The five entries with the most votes will then move on to the final round, where the judges will then choose the grand prize winner, to be announced on or about May 25, 2007.
The grand prize winner will then be awarded $10,000 in the form of a check (with hopes of getting your green idea started), and a one-year lease for a Lexus vehicle (total ARV $19,000) with four semi-finalists receiving a GREEN bag filled with selected items of the sponsor's choice (ARV $100).
This is an amateur competition, so all entries must be original, non-published material that has been produced without professional-level assistance. Only video files of less than 100MB which are compressed to a 320x240 screen size, with a 4:3 aspect ratio, will be accepted. Entrant must be a resident of the 48 contiguous United States, and be a licensed driver over the age of 18. Release forms will also need to accompany the entry if anyone other than the contest entrant is featured in the video, or if someone else's artwork, etc. is featured.
Realistically speaking, if you can create a clear, concise video with an original idea, I would definitely recommend entering this one.
You can view the contest rules and upload your videos Here .
By Jennifer L. Thompson
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