Common Myths About Sweepstakes Busted

Most of the people out there have varying notions about sweepstakes that might not be true. They think they sweepstakes aren’t even real which stands in their way of standing a chance to win. Here are the most popular myths people have about sweepstakes. So check where the reality stands.

Myth 1: I don’t think I will win because I’m not lucky enough

The reality is that luck has only 10% role in the entire game and the rest is all about keeping a positive attitude, having patience and being persistent. Here is how you can do your best to win a sweepstake.

• Increase your odds: We know entering sweepstakes that offer cars, bungalows and dream vacations is fun but hey these have a slim chance of winning as the competition is tough. Meanwhile, you can also enter in contests for new cookware, a year’s supply of candies or other such smaller contests. You are more likely to win these and you will see how exciting it is.

• Self-motivation: It is important to keep yourself motivated throughout your sweepstakes journey. Who knows the next sweepstake might change your life altogether? Maybe you can sign up for some freebies that send you free samples weekly or monthly. This will keep you going and you will feel motivated. It is also a good idea to read the stories of people who have won sweepstakes so that you never lose hope and keep going. Another fun way of increasing your odds is to enter social media sweepstakes. These are the giveaways which very few members enter and so your odds of winning are high.

• Enter, enter and then enter!: what time of the day is ideal for you to sit down with your laptop/phone and apply for sweepstakes? Pick half an hour or one hour a day and then enter in the sweepstakes that fascinate you the most. Keep going for a long time and you will see the wins coming no matter how small they are. And while you are at it, make sure that you follow all the rules of entering the sweepstake. You don’t wish to be disqualified!
• Keep checking messages: Make sure that you are checking your emails daily. This also means that you should check the spam folder as some emails might be sitting there. Check the voice messages constantly and make it a habit to answer your phone calls. You don’t want to miss out on the news of winning only because your phone was in your bag.

Myth 2: Sweepstakes is not real

A lot of people believe that sweepstakes are anything but real. Perhaps this is what stops them from even entering and experiencing how it feels like to win. We know how difficult it is to trust sweepstakes but there are thousands of people out there receiving grand prizes from things like DIY sweepstakes. It is no news that fake sweepstakes do exist but you can always watch out for them. The best way is to only apply for legitimate sweepstakes. Check whether the website is trustworthy before making any entry.

Tips for believing more

Do your research and always stick to legitimate sweepstake sites. See if others have won any prizes from the particular sweepstake and only then should you enter it. There are also reviews and suggestions out there that specifically help you pick out only the reliable sweepstakes.

Join a famous Facebook group for freebies: Are you looking for a community of fellow sweepstake entrants? There are Facebook groups out there which will share the information about the latest sweepstakes which you should be entering. You will get the information about which sweepstakes are trending and which ones you should be entering. Moreover, you will see daily updates from people who have won sweepstakes and they would share their experiences. This not only motivates you to enter the contests but you will also get to know a lot of tips and hacks for enhancing your chances of winning.

Know how to identify fake sweepstakes: You should know how to steer clear of fake sweepstakes and if a sponsor is asking you for money then that is a red flag. Prizes are supposed to be free and any sweepstakes asking you to pay is mostly fake.

Sweepstakes are real and yes some people have won life-altering gifts. If you wish to know more you can read some real-life stories that are going to make you believe stronger.

Myth 3: Sweepstakes are nothing but spams

Let us try and understand what a spam is. Spam is nothing but some inappropriate messages that are sent on the internet in bulk to a lot of people.  When you enter a sweepstake you get emails related to the same and some people can find it annoying. But if it is a legitimate sweepstake then the emails exist to inform you. Additionally, there will be newsletters and the like which are used to market the sweepstake.

Tips for reducing spam

Create a new account: It is a good idea to set up a free account through which you can enter the sweepstakes. This will be a dedicated account that you can use to monitor your progress and get information. However, you should make it a point to regularly check this particular account that has all the emails related to the sweepstakes you are entering.

Say no to newsletters: While entering the sweepstake you will be asked to sign up for a newsletter. There will be a small box which is mostly checked automatically. You can notice this box and then uncheck it on purpose so that you do not receive any newsletter and still enter a sweepstake. If this option has not been provided then you can perhaps unsubscribe from the newsletter once you start receiving it.

Phone Calls: We know that constant phone calls can be annoying. And hey we are not asking you to bear with it either. So when you are asked to share your phone numbers you should perhaps think and research as to how legitimate the sweepstake is. If they are genuine then they are not going to call you endlessly. Moreover, if giving your number is optional then you are advised to not give it in the first place. Anyway, if you feel that the sweepstake seems shady then you can just leave it. There are better options like DIY sweepstakes awaiting you.

Myth 4: I only need to pay taxes if I win an amount of over $600

We know that not everyone gets excited about taxes and paying them can be daunting. But you indeed have to pay tax for the amount you win in a sweepstake. So while paying the taxes you should know that you need not pay any amount to the sponsor in any way. The taxes are completely between you and the IRS.

Tips for handling sweepstake taxes

Sell unwanted wins: Let us say that you win an expensive chandelier and so you also have to now pay for the taxes accordingly. If this is not something that you want then you can always sell it off. With the money you get you can then contribute towards the taxes and the remaining money will be yours to spend. On the other hand, if you have got something really useful like a fridge or tv then to pay off the taxes you can sell your old tv which you no longer need anyway. When people win something even bigger like a car then they usually sell off the grand car. Split the money into two parts, one is to pay off the tax and the rest of the money will then be used to buy a smaller car.

While winning trips: There are times when a sweepstake offers a trip for the winners. However, at times you cannot afford the heavy taxes you have to pay for this trip. In such cases, you are advised to not enter these sweepstakes at all. Or if you must then maybe you can ask them for monetary compensation. Asking never hurts and you never know they might even end up agreeing to you. So if you get the money worth of the trip then you can certainly pay the taxes and book yourself another stay which is within your budget.

Myth 5: They said I am the winner when I am not

When you win a sweepstake you are given a mail or call that tells you about you being a potential winner. When this happens, you have to ideally follow the instructions that are given by the sponsor. This is done to verify the win after which they will send along with your prize.

Tips for making sure that you win

Check your email daily: when you are about to win a prize you are bound to get an email congratulating you on the win. It says that you are the winner of so and so contest and to claim the prize you have to follow a set of rules. It could be as simple as sharing your address or clicking on a link for verification. The rules vary from contest to contest. For instance, for several DIY sweepstakes, you are supposed to mail the sponsors back. Whatever it is, make sure that you are always following through. This is because most of these sweepstakes usually have a time limit which can be short at times.

Read the rules of sweepstakes: It is crucial to follow all the rules of the sweepstakes without any cheating. There have been cases where people were identified to be the winners only to be notified later on that they are disqualified since they didn’t follow all rules. For example, a particular sweepstake might just be for a certain age group. There can be entry constraints per family and the like. Every sweepstake you try to enter will have such rules and if there isn’t then the sweepstake is probably a scam.

Myth 6: Nobody wins the instant win games

Have you ever really tried these games that you can win instantly? It could be a spinning wheel game or a lucky draw game. But hey! They do work in case you thought they didn’t. for instance, in case of a rotating wheel game, it could be the 4th player for that day who is going to win. Or something similar. You need to have the patience of losing a few times and then winning.

Tips for increasing your chances of winning

Play regularly: You should set aside some time every day to win the instant games. Playing daily will also mean that you stand a chance of entering a grand prize drawing. If you are a regular then you would be knowing when the next drawing is.

Know which game to play: Before you play a game you should do some research on it. Find out how many prizes they are giving away every day. See if anyone is winning or not. If you find the game to be promising only then should you spare your time in it?

Experiment with different timings: You might have noticed certain patterns in the games when people usually win either in the mornings or evening. There are also times when there is no win during a certain period of the day. You should avoid this. You are bound to get more such insight when you pay attention to the dynamic of the game.

Thus, the above-mentioned tips will immensely help you out in winning the sweepstakes. The myths which are popularly believed are in no way true and you should not stop yourself from entering sweepstakes because of these notions. Now that you know what it is like to enter a sweepstakes you can get started already.