Peoples experience of winning competitions?

[DownUnderBound]

Just curious if people actually win these things! I have been.entering competitions online & from magazines for years, just for fun, when dc are in bed at night. They always show 'last weeks competition winners' ...has anyone here ever won, cash prize or holidays in particular?

Many years ago, I had a friend whose mother entered competitions more or less as an occupation - he said that there were forever vans turning up at the house with 'stuff' that she'd won as prizes. In those days, the killer was apparently the 'tie-breaker'. (She had a knack for slogans.)

He did admit, though, that they sometimes lived a fairly odd homelife. Nary a tin in the cupboard that had a label for example so quick meals could be a bit of a lottery.

That was back then, however.

I won 250 vouchers last year just by writing on a sponsored thread on here.

I won the joke prize at a works Christmas do. Two Coronation street TV show tinned puddings. They were delicious, still makes me chuckle.

I won a LA gear back pack that had straps you could pump up in the 90's from fast forward magazine. It was bright red and blue - hideous looking back! I was about 11 though and everyone in school was so jealous!

Yes, now competitions are purely to get your name and address/email so they can bombard you with marketing material. And it's a pity that MoneySavingExpert etc sites give all the competitions available and the answers so that the number of people entering anything is huge.

I was struggling through a difficult general knowledge crossword once and looked up an answer, and to my annoyance came across the answers to all the clues for that week's crosswords published in one place online. My dad had to go to Watford library every week to finish the general knowledge crossword!

I suspect that to win much, you'd have to employ a scatter gun approach - enter pretty much everything you could find - which might result in some fairly odd prizes on occasion.

I am not a comper, I just enter them as I see them and then forget about them, but I have won quite a few smaller prizes. I don't enter for holidays abroad because we couldn't use it (health reasons) and they are none transferable, but I enter smaller ones and generally we keep it and use it or its given to friends/family if we won't use it (birthday/Christmas or just because I won, depending on what it is)

I was selected to test the kenwood kmix on here and count that as my best win, I know it wasn't technically a competition but it was something for me to use for a change (I always win stuff for other people!) and has made a big difference to my life

Agree that 10 years or more ago it was much easier. In the early days of the internet (around 2002-2004) I won loads - mostly promo goodies like umbrellas, tshirts and mugs but also a pair of diamond earrings which I still have and wear and the best was probably two flights anywhere in France and a week's car hire. (We had a lovely week in the Dordogne with our 1 year old and only paid an admin charge to take him too). Recently hasn't been great but I won VIP tickets to the local panto before Christmas which was about £250 worth for the family and a lovely hamper.

I won a perfume recently, there were only 3 entries when I found it, and all entries after that were mine (I think I did 16, it was a rafflecopter one where you got extra for sharing on Facebook etc). Not sure why the other person(s) hadn't done more entries or other people hadn't entered, it was a popular perfume website

Won a £500 voucher for the local independent bike shop once, bought myself and my daughter a bike, one for the school summer fair raffle and a bunch of bits and bobs like helmets and lights. Went quite a long way.

A group of friends all entered an online competition to win a musical instrument for my daughter, and one won. My daughter was over the moon.

I've won things for our DC.

I won the new(new at the time)Winnie the pooh movie,Winnie the pooh book,sticker book and stickers.

When Nims Island was coming out I won a huge prize from that competition,the movie,t-shirt,cap,book,sticker book,stickers,a treasure chest,a bag and a wallet.

Things for me a Emma Bridgewater cup,a large gift set with champagne,chocolates and bits for the house.There's a few more but I can't remember what they were now.

I recall that my friend's mother did have a loft nearly full with boxed small items which she couldn't immediately use. (There are only so many things you can do with eg electric kettles and many of her prizes were in the 'second' or 'third' categories where the numbers awarded often expand.)

DH won a year's supply of beer once. It arrived on a truck (about 400 bottles) and we lived in a one bed flat. It was stacked up against the wall in the bedroom for ages, we gave loads away of course.

A car
Champagne breakfast for two in nearby posh hotel
£100 clothes shopping voucher
Nintendo ds
£100 Garden centre voucher

I've just name changed back as pretty identifying info
Well I won a car on mumsnet a couple of years ago. I hadnt entered any competitions in ages at that point.

Forgot football scratch card in the pub- £50
Lots of small and medium 'wins' on the premium bonds

DH won a car from phoning in to a competition on the Paul O'Grady show. It was a Mercedes A class and it was lovely.

After winning car I didn't enter any for ages as felt so guilty after big win.
However in last six months or so I've really started comping again. I've won a few things.
A diary, £50 love to shop vouchers, toys for children.
I actually have a wish list now and focus efforts accordingly

I've won quite a lot on here, and on FB competitions. Best one was over £300 worth of specialist sports bags which I had really, really wanted. Last week I won a hamper full of sweets

I've won loads of competitions over the last few years. £100 in take a break competition, short breaks in other magazine competitions. £700 in gift vouchers for shops, fitness equipment, toys, DVDs, tickets to events etc.
Never had a single win bigger than £250 though.
I do enter about 500 competitions a week though so the odds are better.

500 a week?!!!!!!!!!

I use moneysavingexpert and do it for about 2 hours a night while I'm watching tv. It takes less time than you'd think.

I've been to Russia on a private jet, done a week in the Four Seasons in Provence, countless weekends in London, £1,000 on the radio, loads of exclusive kiddy events...

It's a fun little hobby.

Best thing I won was a fully catered party. Chefs, food, booze, entertainment... it was smashing!

Keletubbie wins this thread!

Amazing

I've just won a weekend in Paris. Don't usually enter competitions because I'm a bit defeatist think I'll never win. This was an automatic entry for test driving a car easter weekend. I was delighted with the chocolate egg with a £10 voucher in the middle. Think I may have cried when the garage called to say I'd won the trip.
So dh and I are off to Paris hopefully very soon. We also never got a honeymoon last year because he'd been really unwell and in hospital right before the wedding so this is a huge treat right now.

I won a honeymoon to the Dominican Republic with confetti.com and a beautiful coat from Marie Claire magazine .