What do you do if a prize hasn’t arrived?
The sponsor’s name is on the contest, sweepstakes, or giveaway, but more likely it is an agency hired by the sponsor that is running the contest providing all the hosting, design, advertising, management, and fulfillment.
If using the contact info provided with your original winning notification does not work, you need to dig deeper.
STEP ONE
Read the rules. Yes, back to my #1 tip. Find the clause stating where are the prizes being drawn.
STEP TWO
Use the address provided to conduct a quick Google search. You will know right away if the sponsor is hosting their own contest or if they hired an agency.
STEP THREE
If it’s the sponsor themselves, contact the Marketing Department.
If it’s an agency managing the contest, contact them and ask who is the account manager for the brand/product sponsoring the giveaway.
STEP FOUR
Only if required … If it’s an agency, and they are non-responsive, contact the Marketing Department for the sponsors. They should be made aware the agency they hired isn’t doing the job they are being paid to do.
IMPORTANT!
Each step of the way you are dealing with people–human beings doing the best they can every day. You have no idea what is going on in their lives. Especially now.
Be kind and considerate when reaching out. You will get a much better response asking for help resolving your problem of missing prizes than coming at them with anger or frustration.
I know this works because I usually get my problem solved quickly and occasionally have been sent bonus thank you gifts for being so patient and understanding.
In the 20+ years, I have been entering sweepstakes, it’s rare I never got the prize. I can count the number on one hand.
Have you ever had a prize go missing?
I had a prize that did not arrive with a larger shipment. I waited a few additional days. First I reached out to the marketing agency who said they would get the item to me. It did not arrive and they were non-responsive after a time. Then I reached out to the sponsor via Twitter and got the item within an additional 10 days. It was an IPad and the most valuable item in the prize.
I had a prize not delivered because even though submitting all my correct address information it did not arrive. Since it was the first time I had not received a win I waited a month before contacting the sponsor. It was sent out in a week although not the one I was supposed to get. It was a large prize offered by a well known company so I pursued it.
This week I won another smaller prize which was local. I went to pick it up and they had mistakenly given it away to someone else. They have offered to straighten it out so I will see what happens after the holidays. I will not ask a second time for a local prize. This is the second time I have not received a win offered locally.
I have had to take legal action regarding at least two promoters. One person claimed that they did not refuse to offer the prize. I had evidence to the contrary.