Sweepstakes Action
Are you exasperated at the number of sweepstakes promotions you or a family member receive? While some people enjoy participating in sweepstakes-or playing the lottery or Friday night Bingo-others are increasingly turned off by the flood of mail promising "you are a winner."
See how one victim lost money hoping for sweepstakes winnings that never appeared.
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Steps To Take
Here are some of the steps you can take to decrease the number of sweepstakes promotions coming to your mail box.
- Write to the Mail Preference Service and ask that your name
and address be placed on a list of persons who do not want direct
mail solicitations. This will also stop most mail from
non-sweepstakes marketers as well, including catalogues and
charities. There is a $1 fee payable by check or money order.
Mail Preference Service
Direct Marketing Association
P.O. Box 9008
Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008Or you can make the request online. There is a $1 fee payable by credit card.
NOTE: The Mail Preference Service will not remove your name from the lists of companies that consider you to be a customer. You will need to write directly to those companies where you have previously done business or entered a sweepstakes to have your name removed from their mailing lists.
- Contact the companies sending you sweepstakes solicitations
and tell them to remove your name from their lists. Ask that they
not sell your name to other marketing companies.
- Send copies of outrageous promotions to your state's
attorney general. Several state attorneys general have taken
legal action against some sweepstakes promoters to change some of
their marketing techniques.
- Exercise the consumer's strongest tool by not responding
to the promotion. Don't make a purchase and don't enter
the contest. Once you enter a contest, even if you don't make
a purchase, your address will get passed on to other companies,
resulting in more sweeps promotions coming your way.
- Let the company's president know what you think of
sweepstakes marketing. Instead of ordering a product, send your
letter in the business reply envelope provided to send in your
purchase.
- Report fraudulent sweepstakes practices to the U.S. Postal Inspection
Service.
- Write to the Ethics and Consumer Affairs Committee of the
Direct Marketing Association to complain about unethical business
practices at:
Ethics and Consumer Affairs Committee
Direct Marketing Association
1615 L Street, NW, Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20036
If You Believe Someone Needs Help
Some consumers may not understand the hype of sweepstakes offers or that they do not have to place an order to win. They may be convinced by the large print promises that they are a winner and may not understand or be unable to read the fine print, qualifying language. You may have seen a friend or family member making excess purchases in response to sweepstakes promotions. Here are some common signs:
- Stacks of sweepstakes solicitations from multiple companies saying they are a "guaranteed winner"
- Unusual packages of inexpensive items that the buyer probably doesn't want or can't use and may have never opened
- Many magazines or books, frequently of inappropriate subject matter for the reader's interests
- Books on how to enter and win sweepstakes
- Many checks to the same companies or duplicate payments for the same orders
- Multiple contributions to the same charities or to several charities that do not seem to be of interest to the contributor.
How to Help a Friend or Family Member
If you see signs that a friend or family member is making excess purchases or is uncomfortable about sweepstakes promotions, you may want to talk with them. Here are some guidelines for conversation:
- Don't lecture or threaten to take drastic action.
- Ask if they understand that no purchase is necessary to win.
- Remind them that every entry has an equal chance to win.
- Ask why they buy as often as they do and if they are satisfied with the products.
- Have them compare the actual value of prizes they've won with the money they've spent entering contests.
- Talk about the difference between entering a sweepstakes for fun and spending so much on sweepstakes that personal necessities are neglected.
- Offer to help them evaluate promotional offers and the chances of winning.
- Offer to help with balancing their checkbook and ask about questionable or multiple checks to the same company.
- Review credit card statements together to make sure only authorized purchases are listed.
The Direct Marketing Association's member companies have customer service contacts who will investigate and resolve sweepstakes complaints by caregivers. Send an email to the DMA at consumer@the-dma.org on behalf of your friend or relative explaining the problem. You will be directed to the proper company for assistance.
Additional Resources
The Federal Trade Commission has information on how to spot and stop the "bandit in your mail box."
U.S. Postal Inspection Service
Find out what the postal inspectors have to say about sweepstakes.
Locate your nearest postal inspector.
