AIBU to get annoyed at 'compers' trying to win everything under the sun

[ferretface]

So I make silver jewellery and a large jewellery supplies company which I follow is running a "freebie friday" contest on Twitter where to win a hand torch for soldering metal, you just have to reply to the tweet. All fine and good.

There's a load of people entering this competition who have clearly never soldered metal in their life and at least one who doesn't seem to understand what the product is she's trying to win (hint; it probably won't give the best creme brulee results). A lot of these people seem to come from 'comping' type communities where they repetitively enter competitions for literally everything under the sun.

AIBU to think it's a bit off and wasteful trying to win things you have no personal use for? They could sell them I guess or give them away to friends. Or melt their worktops trying to make creme brulee with a soldering torch. Just seems a bit against the spirit of a product giveaway.

I’m assuming the more tweets or retweets you get the more it promotes your company? They are promoting your company, are they not? Isn’t that the purpose of your competition?

it's not my company - but if the tweets/retweets don't reach the right audience (i.e. people who work with metal and might be likely to buy something from them) i doubt it's particularly useful to the company either.

I dunno. I don't necessarily think they are being grabby because entering competitions is just a hobby for some people. I believe there used to be a publication called Competitors Weekly which told people where and who were running competitions.

I think the problem is that most competitions that are set these days are lazy and boring. Just send you details to this address / email / phone number whatever. No skill required.

If the company offering the soldering thing had set some questions to be answered that are easy-peasy to anyone in the know and then asked for you to complete the sentence "I would love a Silvery Melty Super-Duper Iron because...." in eight words or less then it might only attract the audience for which it is intended.

They do reach the right audience if the person posting the competition uses appropriate hash tags, relevant to the company when posting the competition. That’s how Twitter works. People search and follow for things they are interested in.

I only enter competitions for things I actually want, and as a result have won some fab prizes. Presumably the 'compers' sell on their prizes. Nothing you can do about that but it's too much hassle for me.

I only enter competitions for things I actually want, and as a result have won some fab prizes. Presumably the 'compers' sell on their prizes. Nothing you can do about that but it's too much hassle for me.

Hi op not that I would have entered your competition as its definitely not something I would like to win but after entering competitions for years I have won some lovely prizes ..ie holidays, gift vouchers, gadgets, a bike, toys, make-up, shoes, DVDs , electrical goods, cash, clothes, perfume
etc...at the most it has cost me is the price of a postage stamp, I never phone or text in, I never enter facebook or twitter comps as I am not on them, I only enter competitions what I would like to win

My friend sells her prizes online for cash..

It's probably addictive.

I found that comp because of your post here and entered it. Thanks!

SadCypress, i didn't enter it myself as i already have two perfectly functioning torches, but hopefully if you win it you can use it in the spirit it's intended rather than wasting it or selling it on.

In all seriousness doing metalwork is really fun so if anyone finds a new hobby or career because of a mumsnet competitions thread then more power to you!

fiorentina, no law to prevent your friend doing that but i just find it a really depressing thing to do, to take the excitement of winning something you want away and replace it with a grinding money making scheme.

How judgemental. You have no idea why these people need the money.

Absolutely none.

I just entered about a billion #fridayfreebies competitions but seriously OP, thanks as I have actually just finished a silver jewellery making course and would love this prize!

Here come the outrage brigade . To which i counter that margins are extremely low and competition extremely high in jewellery, especially for small makers ( any etsy sellers group will demonstrate this). So nope, I don't necessarily need feel sorry for someone spending hours a day on irrelevant competitions. For many of them it seems to be a time consuming hobby.

Outrage brigade? Ok then.

No one is asking you to feel sorry for anyone. But you are very judgemental.

I’ll leave it at that.

Some people go hang-gliding, some people play chess, some people go comping; each to their own and nobody else's business.

I use the same hand torch for soldering silver and making creme brulee.

I think YABU - in any competition you will get people who are just planning to sell the prize on. No way to stop that, and no reason to.