I have been lucky to receive many wonderful winnings, but lately have been 'scammed' by give aways. And it has left a negative impact on my blogging enjoyment. Some may be insulted by what I am about to say and others may be helped.
I have sought advise from other bloggers, Attorney General's office and a lawyer - yes I am that concerned being someone who has had identity theft in the past. An individual offering a give away is considered a gift - unless you can prove they are using your information. I had an individual who never followed thru with a give away and their blog is now defunct so end of line.
If a shop or company is offering a give away and took your personal information, you can file with their area Chamber of Commerce and Better Business Bureau to file a complaint. If it was a pre-paid gift from another party, that party should be informed so they can recoup their monies. The Attorney General's Office does have an internet office for these policies and these are the beginning steps. And told that the best way to gain awareness was to put it to the source - you bloggers and the internet.
I have had a 'stormy' experience with a give away by the The Material Girls Quilts - give away on March 13th with 3 winners announce on the 16th. None of us received winnings and started contacting each other with correspondence sent to the patron. Each of us getting different replies (or none) - I was told 5 times it was being put in the mail.
Two of us have finally received our 'winnings' but not what it was suppose to be - see those Fat Quarter Bundles, that was what was posted on the give away site? This is what I got in a plain manila envelope rather beat up with the WRONG NAME and no return address. The third person has not received anything nor is getting response back. I feel like a dog who was thrown a bone.
I really wanted to return everything , but it wouldn't make me feel better. Instead, I took the fabric to a local center that has free quilting classes and has a free fabric, notions, patterns wall. Now someone who is without can enjoy and I feel like I have a better ending.
So if you have been scammed, keep copies of all correspondence, follow thru, and blog about it so someone else can avoid some heartache. We need to stand strong for ourselves and each other.
**I am following the chain on another giveaway that has not materialized and if that needs to, it will be aired also** ****This has been resolved****
**update** The third party just notified me they just got their package**
Sewingly Yours,
Sharon
20 comments:
Hi Sharon, I thought this had happened to me. I won in February, I live in France so expect mine to take a while to get to me. The other winner got hers end of February. Middle of March I emailed to say I hadn't received mine and had it been sent - no reply - I emailed again end of March - nothing. So decided to stop following this person and forget about it, can't do with negative thoughts in my life. Well last week a parcel arrived for me with my giveaway win, it was posted on 14th April but no note, no explanation - nothing. Even though I was pleased to receive it, it did take the edge of it a bit. I don't know what happened and don't suppose I ever will. I am sure your post will bring lots of comments.
I've gotten so I won't enter a giveaway unless all I have to do is comment, lol. I'm too lazy to do all that stuff. Haven't ever gotten stiffed though.
That is very disappointing to hear Sharon. It does put a sour taste in your mouth. Thanks for letting us know about this sort of thing. Hugs, Christine
Very well stated, Sharon. I didn't know the third winner had not received her winnings yet. I'm glad that you brought the deceptive practices of The Material Girls out to everyone in blogland.
Good for you for sharing. I have had one that never followed through. I never did a thing.
Another thing I HATE on blogs is giveaways for some commercial thing that doesn't even pertain to that persons blog. For Instance, CSN contacted me about giving away a gift card. I had seen them on several other blogs. What a scam! You have to buy from them to get the gift card to give away. And you have specific pages in their store that you have to blog about and link to. Mine was the bar stool page. What? Me? Oh COME ON!
They got an earful and I get mad everytime I see a blogger giving one of their cards away.
Wow! I had no idea! I am so glad that you posted this...I will be more careful in the future. (And I will make certain that when I do a giveaway, I follow through very quickly!) Hope your post will give these stores, etc a heads up, that we are not the dummies they think we are!
Jacque in SC
quiltnsrep(at)yahoo(dot)com
That just stinks. I have not been affected by that kind of thing yet but I know that one day it will happen. Great advice!! You just never know how "honest" people are going to be.
WOW! Thanks you Sharon for sharing this! I guess I am naive to stuff like that happening! Glad you posted it for all of us.
I have just started to do the giveaways as a part of the May for Me Celebration. I wanted to make sure I did everything right. So I list the Giveaway, ask for comments or sharing of the post and then I get the Prize ready, when I write the post. Then I can mail it to the winner the morning after the drawing.
Thanks again for sharing.
Sharon, It was nice meeting you via our blogs and now I have finally gotten my win. Lesson's learned on entering blog give aways. Not all of us are honest. I bet if we didn't keep sending e-mails to Material Girls we would have never gotten a thing. they would have just forgotten us all together. I will not have anythign to do with them again. Lizzie
Hi Sharon,
Thank you for the information!
Is that your address on the envelope
Quilt Lane??
if so that's so neat and fitting
Hope you have a better experience in the future with giveaways.
It has not happen to me and only because I haven't won yet, not for the lack of signing up but just the odds when you sign up and then it seems that always the same people on blogland win. Maybe they really are not using the so called Random number thing ;)
oh well thanks for always been so informative.
Have a Happy Sewing Day
Marta
I didn't know these things were happening to you. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. I rarely enter contests. Not sure I'll enter anymore.
Thank you for posting about this problem, Sharon.
Sharon,
I googled material girls quilts and there was a number of shops. Can you email me their website. I just want to make sure not to do business with the one you mentioned. Thanks. Jo Anna
mommollman (at) gmail (dot) com
I'm so sorry you had that experience. I live near MG and am casual friends with Nadine. She has a good heart, but may have too much going on.
Hope you don't lose hope..
sad so sad. I loved their blog.
Good for you for following up. I have done a few giveaways on my blog and I do it for fun and to thank those who stop by and share a little of their day with me. I love what blogging has added to my quilting life and I've met some fab people through blogging. Seems strange that a business would be the one to not follow through. Too bad for them.
Thanks Sharon you and Stray Stitches are always very informative. I agree with you infroming us as they are a commercial blog and need to be above board in their dealings. If something did not work out on their end then just be honest. I have needed to trim my blog roll and you have helped me with that. Thanks! PS When I give awa my 90s fabric what you see is what you get!
Sharon, thank you for spreading the word! That is so disappointing!
Sharon I guess I have been lucky because every giveaway I've won had come pretty promptly and been exactly what was promised or more. One coming from England took a long time to get there but that wasn't unexpected. I didn't follow Material Girls but if they were trying to run a business they won't make it that way! Word spreads pretty quickly in blog land about unethical practices. blessings, marlene
Sharon I am a day late with my post, but I have been stiffed by a so called blog win..
This is why i don't sign up for them much at all.
Burn me once shame on you burn me twice shame on me!!
And I for one WILL NOT enter a give away if I have to join FACEBOOK or sin up at 2 different places. In my book they want to give it away or they don't.
What a great post this is.. Maybe some of the not so honest people will get the hint and make things right..
Wow, I am truly sorry! March and April were really crudy months at the shop and at home, I never stated on the blog what fat quarter bundles we would be giving away but posted pic's off my friends blog. I usually am on top of things and do apologize for the delay. They were Amy Butler fat quarters and thought you would love them sorry for the disappointment. I really am an honest person.
Nadine
Post a Comment