We've been publishing all of the free Hawaii vacation offers we can find, several times a year. You must like them almost as well as Hawaii travel deals, since the latest Hawaii sweepstakes post has 725 "likes" on Facebook. Check it out if you haven't already, since most of those are still open for entries.
When our reader Sharon Medley won a trip to Hawaii and I had a chance to talk with her about it, it got me thinking that I should start entering sweepstakes myself. After all, that wasn't the first sweepstakes that she'd won. I began to follow contests using Google Alerts and Google Reader, which makes finding them extraordinarily easy. How to do that is a post in itself, so perhaps later.
Some Grief
No free trips for me so far. I did end up with an unwanted subscription to Marie Claire when I entered my name on their New York vacation sweepstakes. I never saw anything about signing up for a paid magazine subscription when I filled out the form that you see here.
Immediately after signing up I received an email telling me that I'd subscribed for one year courtesy of Hearst Communications. Incredulous, I attempted to cancel the subscription. To my dismay and after finally figuring out how to cancel, I received the invoice below. While it showed that I'd in fact cancelled the subscription, there was now a balance due of $10. I then wrote to Hearst and received an email that the $10 charge would be removed.
Bottom Line
Have I given up on sweepstakes, no not at all. I'll just be all that much more careful. Oh and by the way, I use a separate email address for these, so I don't get the spam mixed in with my emails.
What About You?
Are you signing up for free Hawaii (or other) vacation sweepstakes?
ed (6 months ago)
Yeah…I never win anything of any real value…I've learned that long time ago…When I was a kid and I put $5 down on an exhibition point-to-point horse race (the last $5 I had at that time) I bet it to show…it came in 4th…
On my 20th birthday, I got $20 from my parents…my birthday is Sept 20, and that was the day that Virginia opened up the scratch off lottery…so, with all those "20s" there was no way I could lose. So I took all 20 bucks and purchased scratch-offs…they say 1 in 8 will win something…well, all 20 tickets were loosers…So yeah…things like this are gravy…I don't rely on them!
AlohaKarina (6 months ago)
That happened to me with Oprah's O-Magazine. It used to be a default that you would order the magazine. When I got the invoice, I wrote on it, "Did not want, cancel!" and sent it back. I was never charged, thankfully, and I'm sure I wasn't the only one this happened to, as their default has now changed to "click here if you want to subscribe".
Colleen (6 months ago)
I sign up for the ones I would really love to win. So far – zip, NADA! I also use a separate email address and yes, I have been spammed :0(
Just remember you must pay TAXES to Uncle Sam for anything you win. It is considered income. :0(
Still dreaming of Hawaii . . . . . Aloha!
Tom (6 months ago)
Yes, I also have not won anything, BUT I too have received an email saying thank you for your subscription to a magazine.I have emailed them back to cancel,willsee how this works out. Now I am afraid to sign up for anything. Tom
Colleen (6 months ago)
I did guess the weight of a pig once and WON IT! It didn't require an email address in those 'good old days' of 'fill out the guestimate' and drop it in the box :0)
But thanks for the tip so that we can watch out for those surprise subscriptions.
Marian (6 months ago)
Very few contests are open to Canadians so I rarely enter.
Julianna (6 months ago)
Yes! I'm signing up–thanks for posting them all in one place. I've won candy bars and am hoping for the real Aloha prize!