"Sweepstakes" that really just get your address

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davidspalding · #1 Post by **davidspalding** » Sat May 13, 2006 9:42 am

Lenovo's "sweepstakes" really is yet another marketing department's idea of a way to jimmy mailing address and phone number info out of a web visitor for free.

Have you seen these? You provide your contact data, then "click this link to see if you've won," but instead get some Flash file that features minimal instructions ("watch the blinking tiles then click the THINK button when you're ready"), and some animated activity. Is it Husker Doo? Is it a matching game? Is it a "rolling dice" luck game? It doesn't say. But after several attempts with mocked contact data,I found that it only does one thing consistently -- "Sorry, you didn't win."

But the Marketing dept wins - they get lots of contact data from eager TP fans hoping to win something.

I'm sick of these. Besides Lenovo, I've seen Caribou Coffee do this too. After complaining to them, I got an intern's blithe answer that "many of our customers enjoy the online experience."

Anyone else sick to death of this consumer manipulation?

Website · #2 Post by **tfflivemb2** » Sat May 13, 2006 11:04 am

I normally don't play these types of games...you might as well try the "shoot the rabbit and win $1,000,000.00" banner ads.

I did try this one, and I had it nailed on "Kensington", and then it clearly jumped to a different square and said "Sorry, not a winner". I am normally good at those timing games for computers (ie. Elf Bowling, Chicken Shoot), as I have an excellent reaction rate.

It is definately rigged, however, I will still most likely try again tomorrow.

#3 Post by **draco2527** » Sun May 14, 2006 11:22 am

tfflivemb2 wrote:
I did try this one, and I had it nailed on "Kensington", and then it clearly jumped to a different square and said "Sorry, not a winner". I am normally good at those timing games for computers (ie. Elf Bowling, Chicken Shoot), as I have an excellent reaction rate.

It is definately rigged, however, I will still most likely try again tomorrow.

I posted something along these lines when I entered in the contest, I read the instructions or "agreement" and found something interesting, it is something along these lines:

When you click on one of the buttons, either the "Lenovo", the "CA" etc YOU CAN ONLY WIN if the server happens to generate a "WIN" on that same product you win.

SO it is not only a matter of hitting the correct logo, the server must also generate that "Logo" as "enabled for price" at the same time you click on it to win; if not you get NOTHING! So the rules explain that hitting the correct button means nothing.

Website · #4 Post by **tfflivemb2** » Sun May 14, 2006 12:10 pm

I guess it would help if I read the rules, but hey what are rules for?

(see my sig)

davidspalding · #5 Post by **davidspalding** » Sun May 14, 2006 12:20 pm

Rules? Rules.... Hell, I hardly even saw instructions that meant anything to me.

"Watch the pretty blinking tiles, and when you think the time is right, or your coffee's brewed, or the wife nags at you, or the cat jumps at imaginary prey, click the 'think' button." What the heck does that mean? That's a "game?"

Lab monkeys get more respect, "press button, get banana chip."

This is what gets my goat. Marketing people thinking that people will provide contact data just 'cause they asked. The Caribou thing was "win free music downloads," and gave you a 7 digit code on the coffee lid. You went online, entered hte code .. and then had to provide e-mail address ... then had to play a "game," something about catching falling coffee beans in a cup, and ... no download, I lost. What was the code for? Probably just identifying which store I bought coffee at or something.

Whatever happened to "peel back" or "look under cap for winning code?" Guess they actually had to give something away with those, how silly.

#6 Post by **BillMorrow** » Sun May 14, 2006 12:53 pm

don't bite on these come-on's..
or
feed them phoney info.. use the local police station for the tel#..

give then sam palmisano's home address for the address part..

but it is sad to say that these transparent devices work or there would not be so many nigerian oil ministers trying to give away $85,000,000,000.00 USD to anyone who will just take the [censored] cash, please..

the first line of defense is NOT to fall for it..

ThinkPad · #7 Post by **ThinkPad** » Sun May 14, 2006 1:15 pm

Someone once said....

"There is no free lunch........"

and

"If its too good to be true, it probably is."

christopher_wolf · #8 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Sun May 14, 2006 7:00 pm

BillMorrow wrote:don't bite on these come-on's..
or
feed them phoney info.. use the local police station for the tel#..

give then sam palmisano's home address for the address part..

but it is sad to say that these transparent devices work or there would not be so many nigerian oil ministers trying to give away $85,000,000,000.00 USD to anyone who will just take the [censored] cash, please..

the first line of defense is NOT to fall for it..

I guess the local police station telephone number would work; I don't know about Sam, though, as he may have already given his contact info in that several times.

As you stated, the best defense is to avoid it outright; after all, do you think IBM/Lenovo would really give away a fresh Thinkpad to just anybody who won a flash game on their homepage?

Of course, I do know that some people will disagree with that and will want to let me know; such correspondence is perfectly welcome. Please, however, write your thoughts in pencil, #2B, on $50 bills and send them to me.

davidspalding · #9 Post by **davidspalding** » Mon May 15, 2006 9:37 am

... Except that your local peace officers have better things to be doing than fielding wrong numbers from Lenovo. Try using your local VD hotline or favorite collection agency.

The game looks like they're giving away many things ... QuickBooks, CA software, Linksys, etc. Many logos pop up. But there was no text (that *I* could see) that indicated why those brand logos were being displayed. I didn't think I'd get a fully-loaded X41, but a copy of Quicken, or a 802.11g PC Card, maybe.

smugiri · #10 Post by **smugiri** » Mon May 15, 2006 1:35 pm

christopher_wolf wrote:
BillMorrow wrote:don't bite on these come-on's..
or
feed them phoney info.. use the local police station for the tel#..

give then sam palmisano's home address for the address part..

but it is sad to say that these transparent devices work or there would not be so many nigerian oil ministers trying to give away $85,000,000,000.00 USD to anyone who will just take the [censored] cash, please..

the first line of defense is NOT to fall for it..
I guess the local police station telephone number would work; I don't know about Sam, though, as he may have already given his contact info in that several times.

As you stated, the best defense is to avoid it outright; after all, do you think IBM/Lenovo would really give away a fresh Thinkpad to just anybody who won a flash game on their homepage?

Of course, I do know that some people will disagree with that and will want to let me know; such correspondence is perfectly welcome. Please, however, write your thoughts in pencil, #2B, on $50 bills and send them to me.

Seconded.

I'll take a copy of those too.

Website · #11 Post by **tfflivemb2** » Mon May 15, 2006 2:25 pm

christopher_wolf wrote:Please, however, write your thoughts in pencil, #2B, on $50 bills and send them to me.

I mailed mine to you this morning!

#12 Post by **K. Eng** » Mon May 15, 2006 2:47 pm

Yeah I'm not sure what was up with Lenovo's game, but it sure as heck didn't work for me. I tried playing, but the game board did not give me any visible feedback -- it just said I didn't win.

Something funny is going on...

mcgyver · #13 Post by **mcgyver** » Fri May 19, 2006 12:22 pm

I am out of luck either. Does anyone ever win something from the game? It seems none gets anything so far.

"Sweepstakes" that really just get your address

"Sweepstakes" that really just get your address

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