Mr. Sweepy's Forums

I just saw a reporter announcing that on tonight's news (ABC) at 11:00 they are going to have a report on how they won't give you a win if you have poor credit.  What?????  I wonder how many people who have lost their jobs are entering hoping a win will help them pay some bills????  I think it's time to consider getting in touch with the authorities about some of these sweeps administrators that seem to be crossing the line.

A friend was telling me the other day about a rather large and successful company here in CT that got sued over a sweepstakes back in the 90's.  No more company.

I really hate to think about sweeps not really being random draw.

 Let us know what the report says.  Thanks!

That doesn't even make sense.  Sweeps sponsors have legal access to snoop into your credit report?  You haven't applied for credit with them.They don't have your SSN.

There was something weird in an HGTV Rules that made me send this question to their admin, and I got the answer that credit rating wasn't looked at.  Of course, that's just one sweeps. 

Then, I read the posts of a woman who won a house (not an HGTV house) who had been through bankruptcy and had bad credit.  That was several years ago.

News teasers are frequently misleading if not downright inaccurate.  I would wait to see the actual report before jumping to conclusions.

Interested to see how this plays out.  Please let us know the particulars.

El3btrs

  Thanks for the " heads up"! I didn't see this report. If true- it would seem ridiculous & absurd giving the current state of the economy.

Today I emailed Mr. Sweepy about a different issue but mentioned your post about credit checks. His response was " this was NEW to him" & "he would check into the matter."

  Hope he notices your post & Let's us know if  he has found any truth or fact on this sweeps selection tactic.

dixiemuse

A few years ago I  won  a customized 2007 Tahoe.  The sponsoring company did not make any reference to my credit history and I am 99 & 99/100 % sure they never looked for it.  They sent a certified letter by Fed Ex to be responded to and notarized within a specified time frame.  All I had to do was to attend the winning presentation and provide proof of the vehicle being insured.   I have entered maybe 100's of sweepstakes since then and never ( except MAYBE just once) has there been any stated requirement about or reference to credit history.   The maybe just once is that I perhaps just recently came across a sweeps that mentioned credit history, mine is toast so I did not enter that one ..... I am busy enough with the ones I do enter mostly on a daily basis for the duration of the entry period.   My guess is that the news story may have been of one particular instance.   Since the Tahoe win I have also won a few smaller prizes which came by mail with no credit issues.   As for the Tahoe I am really more like 100 % sure they were not concerned with my credit.

 el3btrs, I know you are an experienced sweeper and accurately reported what you heard.  I hope my post didn't sound like I was doubting you.  I only meant it seems cumbersome (and dumb) for sponsors to implement it now.  They wouldn't be able to do it until after they got the affy back with the SSN.

I, too, saw that one sweep where it did seem to be an issue.  I sure hope it doesn't catch on.  I don't think it would impact me, but I would be bitter for such a thing to impact anyone, and perhaps some of the neediest sweepers.  

I sure hope this isn't true.

Can you email me or post some details about the TV channel in CT?  This has my attention because this is the first time it time I heard of it. This might be illegal in most states because it is not written in the rules.

Thanks,

Mr. Sweepy

It turned out to be a report on a woman who won a two year lease on a VW or cash ($8000+) but never received either so she had Tappy Phillips who is an investigative reporter on the NY station check into it and got her check two days later.  The sponser quoted a statement in the rules that said the sponsor could amend the rules at any time.  

I got a winning screen from AARP instant sweep on Oct. 28 for a $50. Amazon card.  This is an eprise sweep but I entered from here so I wrote to AARP twice that I had not received an email with confirmation.  The rules say that eprise is the prize administrator even though the link here was direct to the sponsor so I'm wondering if I'll ever see it. It would have been nice for holiday gifts :-(

Here is the story:

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/7_on_your_side&id=6819246

I emailed the station and reporter about this.

Mr. Sweepy

Mr. Sweepy investigates and gives us the story behind the story. 

Certainly glad that it wasn't about credit - so they say.  Maybe if it was they were afraid she couldn't pay taxes on such a large prize?  Still that's up to her and on her.  She likely wouldn't enter anything she couldn't pay the hefty tax bill on.  

 Thank you Mr Sweepy for investigating!

Thanks for the story, Mr. Sweepy.