Winner's Name Affecting the Outcome of a Random Draw Contest?

P

pxdjr

New member
Hey Everyone,

Just wanna get your take on this thought. I've only won three very minor random draw sweepstakes since I began sweeping last August: 2 from the recent Marlboro sweepstakes contest (a flashlight and an ashtray -- and I don't smoke, so I gave it to a friend) and an autographed copy of a Faye Kellerman audio book (cool, but which also went to a friend for her birthday).

Now, I know that it's all the luck of the draw, but approximately 100 contests entered per day for 10 months at 30 days per month is a ridiculous amount of contests to have entered, and I've only won 3 random draws ... ??? But okay, it is what it is - that's why it's called "random." But I can't help but wonder if my name has something to do with it. My last name is Dick. I've had issues with contest forms rejecting my name when entering because it's "profane" and I've also wondered if my name has been drawn as a winner and was "thrown back" or discarded because the sponsor or contest provider thought twice about publicizing someone who's last name is Dick as the big winner. May sound silly, but when you've lived with the name like I have for 41 years, you would realize that there has been and will continue to be a lot of nasty responses to my name.

Thoughts? Input? Someone please tell me I'm being silly. But I'm still impatiently waiting that big email or snail mail or FedEx or UPS notice of a juicy random draw win. And after 30,000 entries, I'm overdue!!

Thank you all much!
Paul
 
I really don't that could be it, Paul....do you switch up times you enter? Sometimes that seems to help instead of playing the same sweep at the same time every day.
 
:wave: I really don't think your name has anything to do with it. The surname Dick is actually quite common.
 
I wouldn't feel too bad, I've been entering since early September and haven't won a random draw yet. Maybe one, but it would have been from an instant win game where someone either got disqualified or didn't accept the prize. Believe me, I've been trying to figure out how some of the people here seem to win quite frequently, and I can't get one. Same goes for the instant win games. I've done OK with the small stuff, candy bars and the like, but some have won the larger prizes over and over. I don't get it either.
 
The downside of this hobby is where our minds go when we feel like we should be winning for all we put into this. The reality is is that that are hundreds of thousands, if not more, who are feeling/thinking the same thing.

I did it too - I thought for sure people either knew something I didn't, were cheating, or something :crazytongue:

Once I figured it out, I had to decide - either realize I had NO control of the outcome so why not just enter & forget it, or quit.

As you see, I stuck it out. 6 years in, I finally hit a biggie {10 grand} so while I no longer hit as often as I once did, I still hit enough to keep me in it :whistle:

Sounds like you've reached that point Paul - have you read:

NOT WINNING ANYTHING? Tips on WHY:
http://www.sweepstakesplus.com/smf/not-winning-anything-tips-on-why-t63762.0.html
 
As far as your last name being rejected on some entry forms, when that happens it is because of the filters they have set up. The filters are NOT HUMAN. They are just set for specific words ie: the F work, the C word etc. Once the winner is drawn humans take over and human have the ability to reason and see the context in which the word is used. Roadrunner has a filter for their comments on news stories. When Dick Clark died I tried to post "RIP Dick Clark" and my post was rejected .... filters do no reasoning ability.
 
I agree with all my fellow sweepers. I am not winning anything either and i have a pretty common last name. I noticed there are alot more people entering contests now then there used to be, so the odds are even higher.
 
You should try to enter sweeps that offer lots of prizes or ones that are local. I pay $25 per year to find these. They are easier to win because you have less competion.
 
my feelings (which dont count for much) is that this is my hobby, not my living....so i just work on it as much as i feel like, and gratefully accept any and all wins as a fun thing...ENJOY
 
Thanks for the reassurances, everyone. I can't complain about the instant wins I've had: a decent amount of gift cards that I've either used or given as gifts as well as some other small but exciting wins (every win is exciting!). Plus, y'all helped my cousin (an Iraq war veteran) win concert tickets and backstage passes to see George Strait in a veterans benefit concert. Sweeping is fun and, yes, a hobby that I enjoy doing. When I don't feel like doing all the entries, I skip that day, and I alsotry to vary my entries time when my work schedule allows. But all you sweepers know how it goes. The adrenaline runs on the possibility of a cool win, and I'm excited (and a wee impatient!!) for my first cool random draw win. In the meantime, I track all my other wins, congratulate my fellow sweepers on their wins, and always realize it's a game of chance we're playing. And yup, I do think it's fun, which is why I do this. But there's always a little suspicion in the back of your head that thinks, hmmm ....??? :)

At any rate, thanks for everyone's input, and best of luck to y'all!!
 
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