The next time you walk through the mall, you may see what you think is a chance to win a brand new car or boat. Have you ever heard of anyone winning one of those contests? Probably not. It turns out that most of those contests don’t give away anything. If you read the fine print on the entry form, you’ll discover it is usually just a promotion to get your contact information, so a salesman can try to sell you something.
This also opens up the opportunity for the promoter to sell your information to third parties. You are not likely to get anything, other than a filled email inbox and more rings on your cell phone. You also take a risk for identity theft and other potential frauds. Please think twice before you throw your name in a free contest for a “chance” to win a fantastic prize.
Check out the following article by Zachary Crockett from The Hustle.co for more details about how those contests work.
https://thehustle.co/why-nobody-ever-wins-the-mall-car-giveaway
Now that we’ve warned you about the dangers of giving your info out at prize contests…
As a bonus for being a great client, we put together a list of actual free promotions. Whether it’s a birthday bonus or a freebie for signing up for a restaurant’s email, the link below contains a list of 93 places that will give you a free meal, subject to certain limitations.
https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/free-food-on-your-birthday-restaurants
Written by Greg Gouner