bloatedmonkey Posted July 1, 2003 Share Posted July 1, 2003 In an effort to kick-start my kid’s college fund, I thought I'd give this a try. This contest is totally free to enter, and it’s for a good cause. Most importantly, you could win this: Contest details here or through the Atari link at http://www.bloatedmonkey.com Good luck! ....and I'd appreciate any comments! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krisjohn Posted July 2, 2003 Share Posted July 2, 2003 ....and I'd appreciate any comments! Expecting AA members to give some company their credit card details is either suspect or naive, or both. On a more specific note, I wouldn't at all be suprised if the agreement you made (clicked-through) with the company bars financial inducements to get others to sign up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MegaManFan Posted July 2, 2003 Share Posted July 2, 2003 Seemed like "too good to be true" from the start even though I didn't click the link, now I'm sure I won't since krisjohn's post confirmed it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+cvga Posted July 2, 2003 Share Posted July 2, 2003 Cute kid. Neat contest idea. If I wasn't already a member of Upromise for my own kids, I'd consider entering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liquid_sky Posted July 2, 2003 Share Posted July 2, 2003 i know the guy, hes not trying to rip anyone off.. the website is legit, and trustworthy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krisjohn Posted July 2, 2003 Share Posted July 2, 2003 Well, I've just Googled for "Upromise" and it does appear that while they skirt close to the line on occasion (SPAM and data mining), they never actually cross it. However, using it to make any substantial money is probably expecting a bit much. From what I gather from news posts and articles, bloatedmonkey would do better to just eBay the prizes he's offering. The money he'd get from that would probably be equal to two or three years of Upromise -- if it even lasts that long. Meanwhile, he wouldn't have sold his soul (and his contact details) to a marketing company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloatedmonkey Posted July 2, 2003 Author Share Posted July 2, 2003 From what I gather from news posts and articles, bloatedmonkey would do better to just eBay the prizes he's offering. That's probably true. I just thought this would be fun and give someone a chance to walk away with some new toys. As it stands now, the people who have signed up have a 50% chance of winning the prize. (Note: the prizes will still be awarded even if I make $1). As for spamming, I signed on over year ago with an email account that I don't use for anything else. Other than Upromise account updates, I receive no mail to that account. You just have to unclick the spam boxes when you register...unless I'm special or something. I work for one of the large companies that's registered with this service, and they push it to their employees. I can say with some certainty, that they wouldn't do that if they didn't have faith in the site, both from security and longevity. Meanwhile, he wouldn't have sold his soul (and his contact details) to a marketing company. If you have a credit card, then you've already done that! Finally, to everyone who's still deciding, consider the risk and the reward, and make up your own mind. I'll be happy to answer any questions or concerns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloatedmonkey Posted July 2, 2003 Author Share Posted July 2, 2003 Just to clear up a couple of the comments, regarding data mining and spamming, this is from the upromise privacy policy: We respect your privacy. We will not provide your personally identifiable information to third parties (including our contributing companies) for marketing purposes without your permission. We secure your data. We monitor for intrusion attempts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; deploy encryption technology, firewalls and systems monitoring; and audit our safeguards with the help of leading security firms. We offer you choices. You may choose whether and to what extent you receive marketing messages from Upromise and our contributing companies. If you do not wish to receive marketing messages, you may opt out at any time. And we offer you choices, so that you receive only those offers that are of interest to you. If you read the full privacy policy, you'll see that it's similar to credit card companies and the like. I wouldn't at all be suprised if the agreement you made (clicked-through) with the company bars financial inducements to get others to sign up. I rechecked the member agreement, and could find nothing to this effect, nor anything that suggests that this contest can not be run. Anything else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATARI TROLL Posted July 2, 2003 Share Posted July 2, 2003 I would enter the contest under different circumstances. No 1: no one gets my credit card number online-no way. I think asking others to contribute towards your kids college fund is a little too much. I have a daughter and understand. In this world if shes going to have the best, I will provide it for her, no one else will be there for he except me. I'm not dogging a good idea (atleast the giveaways) but I think this should be rethought out. Hardly anyone wants to wait 7 months to know if they have won a contest. I don't think anyone wants spam email or to make contributions to someone elses financial gain. Although the site may not be asking for money, its wierd to donate for someone elses kid. You don't seen too financially strapped, seeing the pics of your collection is quite impressive and expensive. You could sell some of them to start an education fund. I'm sure there are quite a few of us that would buy them. I did like the Atari Song you have on your album. Anyway, its just an opinion, I would enter the contest under different circumstances. Each to his own I guess. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloatedmonkey Posted July 2, 2003 Author Share Posted July 2, 2003 I would enter the contest under different circumstances. Just curious, what would those circumstances be? My hope was that the prize was good enough to get people to participate. I can't think up a contest to give away several hundred dollars worth of games without having a chance to recoup some of the costs. I just thought this was a clever way to do that. I'm surprised so many people want me to sell the games rather than try to win them for free. Don't mistake this as a plea for money. I'm not going to make enough to even pay for the games, so it's not going to send my kid to college. Since at least one person has signed up, the games will be given away, not sold (I can't go back on my word). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATARI TROLL Posted July 2, 2003 Share Posted July 2, 2003 I like the crypto contest guess that Happy dude put out for example- Label contest, word games, hint and guess solutions. I respect the fact that your not going back on your word and wish you lots of luck on the contest. It is a clever idea. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allstater4by800 Posted July 2, 2003 Share Posted July 2, 2003 If like no one enters can I have the prizes... I dont have a credit card Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloatedmonkey Posted July 2, 2003 Author Share Posted July 2, 2003 I dont have a credit card You don't need to sign up a credit card. You can just sign up your supermarket card if you want. All of the people complaining about having to give out their credit card number would know that if they actually read the rules. (But I gave Upromise my number over a year ago, and I'm still OK - I think it's far safer than giving it to a waiter) :wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.FoodMonster Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 i should just ask my mom if i can sign up her kroger card, or somthing, it would be alot easier. and plus, alot of you are freaking out about this, iv heard of this company for a few years and they have alot of corprate sponsers and things, if i had a credit card i would do it, but i think il grab my moms card sometime =D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devils advocate Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 Actually, it's kind of neat.... Just sort of an AIrmiles type plan... Too bad you MUST be from the US...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liquid_sky Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 a supermarket card? that means i can use my kroger plus card and not have to worry about my CC floating around the net? awesome, i must have overlooked that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloatedmonkey Posted July 23, 2003 Author Share Posted July 23, 2003 Well, there's only one week remaining to sign up for this contest. So far only 4 people have signed up, and 2 aren't even Atari collectors....pretty sad . Either I didn't make the prizes good enough, you don't trust me, or you're scared for some reason. Oh, well, it's a free country. I'll be in Austin this weekend if you want to discuss - just look for the monkey. I am curious of one thing: although you don't need to sign up a credit card to win (and with only a few people signed up you would stand a pretty decent chance of winning just by signing up a Kroger card), I'm surprised that so many supposedly tech-savy people are afraid of giving out their credit card over the internet. What do you use your credit card for? Have you never bought a book from Amazon or used Paypal to buy some Atari stuff? Do you think that handing your card to a minimum wage waitress is safer than through a secure link to a venture sponsored by several billion dollar companies? Registration ends July 31. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mock Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 I just signed up dude...I doubt I will win anything, but hope it helps your kid! Mock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdstuff64 Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 I will join tomorrow when I find a card. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snider-man Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 Well, there's only one week remaining to sign up for this contest. So far only 4 people have signed up, and 2 aren't even Atari collectors....pretty sad . Either I didn't make the prizes good enough, you don't trust me, or you're scared for some reason. Oh, well, it's a free country. I'll be in Austin this weekend if you want to discuss - just look for the monkey. I am curious of one thing: although you don't need to sign up a credit card to win (and with only a few people signed up you would stand a pretty decent chance of winning just by signing up a Kroger card), I'm surprised that so many supposedly tech-savy people are afraid of giving out their credit card over the internet. What do you use your credit card for? Have you never bought a book from Amazon or used Paypal to buy some Atari stuff? Do you think that handing your card to a minimum wage waitress is safer than through a secure link to a venture sponsored by several billion dollar companies? Registration ends July 31. Uh, I don't think using "guilt" is gonna increase the entries any. If that many folks sense something amiss, then I gotta be a lemming here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MegaManFan Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 Well, there's only one week remaining to sign up for this contest. So far only 4 people have signed up, and 2 aren't even Atari collectors....pretty sad . Either I didn't make the prizes good enough, you don't trust me, or you're scared for some reason. Oh, well, it's a free country. I'll be in Austin this weekend if you want to discuss - just look for the monkey. Dude, I actually think at this point if you want to raise money for your kids you _would_ do better to auction those carts on ePay. In fact, I'd happily put in a bid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloatedmonkey Posted July 23, 2003 Author Share Posted July 23, 2003 Uh, I don't think using "guilt" is gonna increase the entries any. If that many folks sense something amiss, then I gotta be a lemming here. Not sure how you read "guilt" in this - maybe you're mistaking my dismay for guilt. But I did get a couple more people signed up, so you can call it what you want. Dude, I actually think at this point if you want to raise money for your kids you _would_ do better to auction those carts on ePay. This is about the 20th response like this I've received. If you want to buy these games, go to Ebay, wait for someone to list them, then be prepared to spend several hundred bucks. This contest is only for those who want them for free. Lemmings need not apply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MegaManFan Posted July 24, 2003 Share Posted July 24, 2003 This contest is only for those who want them for free. More power to you. The lemmings comment is not necessary though, I'm just suggesting a better way to raise money for your kids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPUWIZ Posted July 24, 2003 Share Posted July 24, 2003 If I learned anything in the last 29 years, it's that there is no such thing as a free lunch. Everything has a cost, stated or otherwise. I think I can prove you wrong on that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MegaManFan Posted July 24, 2003 Share Posted July 24, 2003 Actually I was thinking about the shirt you sent me, and that was why I edited the post. Guess you're just quicker on the quote than I am on the draw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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