In October of 2015, I wrote about Christian Méthot and the contest cheating ring he created. I translated the series that appeared in Le Journal de Montreal.
- Cheaters Always Win (& Get Caught)
- Cheaters Always Win (& Get Caught) — Part II
- Cheaters Always Win (& Get Caught) — Part III
I thought I was done. Then in December 2015, I blogged about this fiasco again.
Why did I think he would be stopped? This week I got an email from a concerned contestor …
It seems Christian is still at it. Apparently, the publicity hasn’t slowed him down. He has a Kijiji page selling all the prizes he doesn’t want to keep, including duplicates!
Why is he still winning?!
You would think after four popular articles that were widely read and shared, companies and agencies would have:
- flagged every person named, and if discovered they entered their contest, they would check for cheating.
- ensure their promotions are fully vetted before, during, and after to ensure cheating is eliminated.
I know that has not happened for several reasons. Sponsors and agencies are either:
- naive,
- arrogant,
- ignorant,
- or indifferent.
It’s these types of attitudes and actions that allow people like Christian to flourish.
What can you do?
What I do now when I find a contest open to Quebec is fully read the rules, figure out who the sponsor and/or agency is and then email them with my concerns and the link to my first blog post.
I recommend you do the same because when we band together as a community, we can help curb cheating. It would have even more impact if a company heard from several or dozens of us.
Will you help stop the cheating?
Grrrrrr, not cool.
Yes
I suspect he has rounded up a new circle of relatives and friends, and is using them to enter contests just as he always has. We need to keep note of names who are regular winners in contests open to QC and with multiple winners. Any idea which contests the prizes for sale came from? That would be a good starting place.
PS Thank you for your efforts to inform sponsors Carolyn!
I get kinda annoyed when I see a contest that has unlimited entries. I immediately think “well they might as well end the contest now and just ship the prize to those who created a script that enters them non-stop”. I never enter those as it is largely pointless.
Someone like this will just re enter using another family members name in another town. we just cant do anything about this kind of determined cheating.
I read all 4 parts of your articles & I got more & more depressed with each part. Are we contesters all wasting our time entering contests? I guess i’ll stick to Facebook liking & sharing & Twitter RT to win contests. This cheater was named Christian & that must be the biggest misnomer ever. I picture Christian Methot & his gang on wanted posters hanging in every office that runs a contest. I hope more companies send the repo man & get the prizes back. If only contesters could file a class action suit against Methot.
Thanks for all the work you’ve done to warn people about these thieves.
This is just awful!
His phone number is in the for sale ads:)
Yes it is. I never put my number in my Kijiji ads (when I sell unwanted stuff around my house – I never sell prizes) and I also have a separate email for that.
I can’t believe that more companies don’t care enough to actually do something about cheating. I mean if I was a company, I would not want my brand associated with any negativity.
So frustrating, it really makes me consider whether I should skip anything open to Quebec. But unfortunately, he’s probably not an anomaly, you know there must be others who haven’t been exposed. I love this hobby, but sometimes the ethics of contesters and sponsors are so disappointing.
i’ve told a few sponsors about a cheater on twitter. they just gave me a nonsense answer or didn’t even acknowledge my concern.
I am contacting sponsors as much as i can! Thank you for all your efforts.
What you put out into the Universal, you shall receive. Don’t worry, Karma will get him. But sometimes Karma needs help.
With all the years I have put into contesting (over 15yrs) & the time, I have won many smaller prizes and only a couple biggies (1wk all inclusive to Mexico 15yrs ago, $5000 backyard makeover last year), my karma is coming too.
A good example is to look at the “diners” on the Barilla contest. A lot of people from QC and from very tiny places-the whole town is dinning!
Just leaving a link list that can be forwarded to contest sponsors. Thanks again for your work Carolyn.
http://www.journaldemontreal.com/2015/10/03/vous-ne-gagnez-pas-cest-un-peu-a-cause-de-lui
http://www.journaldemontreal.com/2015/10/04/une-manigance-presque-parfaite
http://www.journaldemontreal.com/2015/10/08/des-participants-en-colere
http://www.journaldemontreal.com/2015/11/30/il-perd-sa-corvette
http://contestqueen.com/2015/cheaters-always-win-get-caught/#comments
http://contestqueen.com/2015/cheaters-always-win-get-caught-part-ii/
http://contestqueen.com/2015/cheaters-always-win-get-caught-part-iii/
http://contestqueen.com/2015/cheaters-always-win-and-get-caught-part-iv/
http://contestqueen.com/2016/cheaters-always-win-get-caught-part-v/
Christian Méthot, Repentigny QC ………….. (Leader of the pack)
Marie-Eve Theriault, Repentigny QC ………..(Christian’s partner/wife/girlfriend)
Jean Méthot, Saint-Bruno QC ………………. (Christian’s father)
Réjeanne Houle, Saint-Bruno QC ………….. (Christian’s mother)
Isabelle Méthot-Dubé, St-Constant QC …….(Christian’s sister)
Annie St-Amant, St-Constant QC ………….. (sister’s friend)
France Dufour, Saint-Eustache …………….. (mother of Marie-Eve, Christian’s mother-in-law)
David-Alexandre Gravel …………………….. (Marie-Eve’s friend)
Lukas St-Germain, Thetford Mines QC …….(Marie-Eve’s friend)
Annick Roy, Sainte-Julie QC ………………….(Marie-Eve’s friend)
Pierre Bergeron, Repentigny QC ……………. (Marie-Eve’s friend)
Patrick Dubé, St-Constant QC ……………… (Sister Isabelle’s former spouse)
Priscilla Houde, Montreal QC………………….(Active 2007, 2008… perhaps no longer active?)
Methot’s kijiji account:
http://www.kijiji.ca/o-posters-other-ads/1004734282
I can’t believe that more companies don’t care enough to actually do something about cheating. I mean if I was a company, I would not want my brand associated with any negativity.
Is this still going on? Makes me not want to enter contests anymore 🙁
Interesting read .I myself can not cheat because What fun is it winning a prize and feeling guilty about it. When I win the big one I want no guilt