Normally, the odds of winning a contest are pretty grim. You’ve got about a one-in-505-million chance of winning a $10 million check from the Publisher’s Clearinghouse, for instance. Your chance of winning the lottery is worse than the chance that you’ll get struck by lightning.
But thanks to the enormous number of companies trying to gain readers (and, consequently, advertisers) on the Web, the chance of winning contests sponsored by fledgling web sites is shockingly good. Of course, these contests aren’t promising life-altering amounts of money. But it’s not chump change either.
Are you so rich that you’re going to scoff at a $1,500 prize–particularly when the promoters allow you to stuff the ballot box and virtually assure a win? I didn’t think so, and just ran across one such contest.
Traderplanet.com, a fledgling social investment site, is running an American Idol-style contest to see who has the most compelling sob story. The company’s Bailout Blues contest urges consumers to register and whine for money.
Perhaps you’ve lost your job, or you’re about to default on the mortgage. Or maybe an illness has left you with so many medical bills that you’re contemplating bankruptcy. If your life has turned into a country & western song, write about it or shoot a short video and you might be able to win a prize that pays a month or two of your rent or mortgage.
Unlike most contests, where it’s virtually impossible to stack the odds in your favor, this contest is winnable by anyone willing to impose on a fair number of their friends. The reason: Winners are based on votes — and you can stuff the ballot box. Caveat: the rules for the contest have been changing, so they could change yet again.
To the details…..
The prizes
- First place: The site will pay two mortgage payments — or two month’s rent — not to exceed $1,500 per month.
- Second place: The site will pay one month’s mortgage or rent payment of no more than $1,500.
- Third place: $250 cash.
The rules
- You must be 18 or older to enter.
- To submit a story or vote, you must register with TraderPlanet. There’s no cost to register, but registering will sign you up for their junk mail.
- Your story must be true.
- Stories must be submitted by June 5.
Why you can win this one
Winners will be based on the number of votes they receive, said Lane J. Mendelsohn, the site’s president and founder. The site also has an evaluation committee, which the rules say will help select the stories and videos that are “most compelling” and deserving. But, Mendelsohn said the main determinant is votes. The committee’s role will be limited to verifying that that the winning tales are true. They’d also be called on to decide the winners in the event of a tie, Mendelsohn said.
Here’s the best part: The site only had 6,500 members at press time, so your 500 Facebook buddies could easily put you into the winner’s circle. In fact, you might be able to put yourself in the winner’s circle if you simply have multiple email addresses. When checking the half-dozen sob stories already posted when writing this, none had more than three votes. Each registered member can only vote once, but if you have multiple email addresses, you can register — and vote — under all of them. It’s a system that could make Chicago politicians green with envy.
The catch
The rules for the contest are apparently fungible. Initially, for instance, the rules said that renters need not apply. The eligibility requirements as of March 25th demanded that “you must have an active mortgage loan on your primary residence.” But Mendelsohn said that members were complaining about being locked out simply because they rented. The site didn’t intend to be so exclusive, so Mendelsohn said that he’d shot the rules back to the site’s lawyers, who were redrawing the eligibility requirements as we spoke.
The odds
They depend on how many people enter and how many votes are received — as well as whether they change the rules again.
