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Original poster

To wonder if anyone actually ever wins magazine competitions?

102 replies

cricketmum84 · 29/03/2019 11:06

I'm always doing the puzzles in Take a break, chat etc and have done for years and never won anything :(

Aibu to think that Marie H from Chorley who won £500 and Annie W from London and suchlike are made up people???

Has anyone ever won from completing the puzzles and submitting their answers?

OP posts:
SilverySurfer · 30/03/2019 01:26

I won a 5 star holiday for two to Mauritius from a Waitrose magazine. Never won anything from Take a Break but don't buy it often.

LadyB49 · 30/03/2019 02:55

I won in a local Sunday newspaper. Overnight in a 5* hotel, 5 items of Angel perfume, and 5 items of Alien perfume, plus £100. We used the hotel when going to a Lee Evans show that we had already booked.

Also won top theatre tickets from the same local newspaper.

mcjx · 30/03/2019 03:05

@Britneyspearsatemytoast I'd like to know that too!

user1457017537 · 30/03/2019 03:10

I know charity auctions are nearly always rigged. You know that table that wins everything, it’s not luck.

Koalablue · 30/03/2019 05:21

Cricketmum84
It was a promotion for the newly developed chicken pox vaxine. It was bright yellow with red spots all over it.

MaverickSnoopy · 30/03/2019 10:04

My aunt used to do lots of these competitions and won loads!!

I once entered a competition which had multiple types of prizes. I was about 19 or 20 and living at home. A box arrived one day with no warning. Suffice to say I was super excited and got to opening it up to see what I'd won. Inside was a year's supply of condoms. With my mum stood next to me I quickly shut the lid and made something up! I wasn't in a relationship and I was mortified that my mum would think I was being incredibly free and easy ordering a year's supply of condoms! There were about 300 in there! I ended up hanging onto some and giving loads away to very pleased friends.

jarviscockatiel · 30/03/2019 10:05

When I was at uni, I won a trolley dash from Take A Break. Came in very handy and was great fun.

LimeKiwi · 30/03/2019 10:12

@MaverickSnoopy Grin mental image of you quickly slamming the lid down and pretending all is normal, nothing to see now lol

Slazengerbag · 30/03/2019 10:28

I won tickets to a craft show from a magazine. I also won a pringles competywhen I was on FB

EvaHarknessRose · 30/03/2019 10:46

I won a mumsnet competition once, but didn’t see the message until about a year later so I never got my prize Sad.

It was about £100 of Boden vouchers I think Sad Sad.

I emailed them but never got a reply.

Ariela · 30/03/2019 11:19

I won a ragwort fork from a competition in an equine magazine. Problem was they didn't tell me I won. I had a card left while I was on holiday from DPD, when I got back the parcel had been returned to sender. Had no idea what it was, or who sent this parcel so couldn't follow it up.

Saw name in list of winners in next magazine, rang when nothing had arrived 2 or 3 weeks later and asked when it would be sent, they said they'd investigate as it HAD been sent, and then they discovered it was this returned parcel. Was told they'd sort it out but half a dozen emails later nothing happened.
So never got the ragwort fork. Wonder who DID get it?!

MissionItsPossible · 30/03/2019 11:40

Haven't RTFT but I did my work experience at Closer magazine HQ and ruffled through envelopes to pick out winners for their prizes lol.

One thing I would like to know, though: There is often an email/online vote in addition to a postal vote but as there is one winning entry how are the online votes considered?

Makeusacupoftea · 30/03/2019 12:03

I have been lucky - I won a trip to New York from a competition at house of Fraser. A center Parcs break from local newspaper. I used to get my sons to do the competitions in the young telegraph...the youngest won a weekend break to London to a film premiere ( wind in the willows) and lunch afterwards at planet Hollywood with the stars.
I have won loads of day out, books and dvds - all tend to be from local papers.never won from take a break/ chat etc. Oh I also won my weight in Ben and Jerry’s vouchers- given in vouchers .also had vouchers for a years suply of Guinness.....but not vouchers for a years supply of lucozade as I found out when a lorry parked outside unloading pallets!
Used to be lots of competitions to enter pre internet .

ScreamScreamIceCream · 30/03/2019 12:14

I've won a watch from a now defunct women's mag. It just turned up in the post.

I know a couple of people who have won The Times crossword.

bridgetreilly · 30/03/2019 12:41

Most recently, I've won an £850 sewing machine and a lightbox. Also a spa break a few years ago.

bridgetreilly · 30/03/2019 12:43

Oh and a personalised Emma Bridgewater teapot and mugs, which I nearly didn't get because I assumed it was a promo email so didn't open the first one they sent. They did email again to say I only had 24 hours left to claim the prize, so I was very glad I opened that one!

Greyhound22 · 30/03/2019 12:46

I used to enter quite a lot as a bit of a hobby. I can't remember everything I have won but quick think:

Saddle (worth £1200)
Horse Rug (worth £120)
Course walk of Burghley
Feed supplement
Collar and lead for my dog
£200 worth of Sebastian hair products
Dozens of tickets for horsey events
Crufts tickets
Really nice riding coat
DVD
Set of Organic socks

Entering the odd one often doesn't get you far. You need to be dedicated and spend about half an hour a day. Also say you fancy going to an event - Google 'tickets to crufts competition' or 'win tickets to...' and loads will come up - from magazines you've never even heard of. I used to quite enjoy it. I've started doing it again lately - I normally sit at my desk and eat my lunch at work so I use that time.

MaverickSnoopy · 30/03/2019 12:47

@LimeKiwi yup that was literally it!

TheChippendenSpook · 30/03/2019 12:50

I won £250 worth of spa vouchers in a competition on Netmums, 8 years ago.

speakout · 30/03/2019 12:54

I won £1000 in a magazine competition, a fortnight's holiday - all inclusive island hopping to the Seychelles, a week for 4 full board in the Celtic Manor Hotel.

pigsDOfly · 30/03/2019 13:01

I know someone who won a television in a Sudoku competition.

Pretty certain would actually be illegal to claim to run a competition and make out someone had won it when no one has.

Chouetted · 30/03/2019 13:14

After I won, we did check the next issue for my name, and it was there in black and white.

mumofo · 30/03/2019 13:18

Not through magazines but I've won things a few times -

Circus tickets, pizza express voucher, a bundle of vamperina toys and lunch box etc from a comp on this forum, a storksac breastfeeding scarf on Instagram and a few other bits but nothing massive like cash or holidays but I just enter as and when and only for things I actually would like for myself.

TheWashingMachine · 30/03/2019 13:29

I've won a few things but the best ever was when I was working for an ad agency as a student, there was a children's competition and I had to pick a winner, it was a bicycle, the little boy who won it was over the moon and his family didn't have much. It was such good news to impart.

WhatNow40 · 30/03/2019 13:31

I won a MN competition for a free family holiday to Butlins! Grin

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