Tom's Two Million Contest

[gjgill]

Good luck to all.
Glad to be one in 2 million!

 

[alextheblue]

There is no 7th place.

There is only Zuul.

 

[jpishgar]

I realize that our country has about one-tenth the population base you have but there has to be some way around the restrictions

We're pretty clever, and this is an issue we'd tried to figure out for a good 7+ years now. As I mention in the "Why?" post, legal was quite assertive and definitive on this. Still, I may keep poking around and seeing if we can make something work somewhere, somehow. We have a broad audience, and a good number of our mods are even international non-US folks, so believe me when I say it stinks and that we hate it. If effort and will could fix this issue of legal exclusion, it'd be fixed, I promise.

Blame your nation's politicians for having so many laws

Interestingly enough, we used to have to exclude Rhode Island, too. Their Secretary of State used to require filings and substantial fees for even giving away a t-shirt. It's not so much the laws, as it is the nuances and particulars of those laws, and how they interact with other laws or the multitude of countries that might be participating in a given giveaway. Think of it, as you would, like trying to fit a bunch of different components that aren't necessarily compatible into the same case. The power supply has to be sufficient, the RAM has to be the right speed, the CPU has to have the right fit for the right socket - it's not enough that each item independently by itself functions. Trying to make the laws that govern sweepstakes in Bulgaria work with the same requirements that Iran has (both, by the way, countries represented on our team of Moderators) is beyond the scope of feasibility, and akin to making a GTX 980 Ti work in an Apple ][e.

its just the matter of shipping the products farther.

I've shipped things via donkey to the interior of the African continent and we've tangoed with customs in Bangladesh. This isn't a shipping or logistics issue. If we could, we totally, totally would.


Appreciate your understanding in this, all.
-JP

 

[midnight04]

Well that sucks!! No love for Canadians i guess.

 

[alextheblue]

Adblockplus blocks the green enter here button.

Working to address that as I type! We can't do anything about adblockers themselves, but we're switching out one of the buttons for an image version with a redirect. That should stay visible regardless of adblockers

I don't mind ads as long as they don't get so ridiculous as to actually slow down browsing when you've got a bunch of tabs open. TH is on the borderline, gets any worse and I'll have to break down and install one. It won't be adblock though, they use a ransom/bribery system for determining what ads they allow.

 

[OhSnapWord]

Why can't I enter this contest without having a Facebook account?

 

[NaughtyMiroku]

Thanks for the Awesome #Hardware Tom!!

 

[Gam3r01]

Why can't I enter this contest without having a Facebook account?

You can, I did.

 

[groundrat]

Thanks for the opportunity. I never win these things, but here's hoping!

 

[jpishgar]

Why can't I enter this contest without having a Facebook account?

You totally can. Log in using your email! We just need the ability to track your entries and tie them to an individual.

 

[alidan]

You guys clearly need a new lawyer because he's telling you a bunch of bullshit about what is necessary to host international contests. You do not need international lawyers, your lawyer does need to create a legal agreement that works for multiple countries, which is possible, and download the necessary paper work from those countries for any international winners. I'm not saying it will be really easy but it is clear your lawyer does not want to do the work.

If it's so simple, please, by all means, produce these papers for us. You clearly know what you're talking about here, so it should be no issue. Heck, maybe we should extend you a job offer if you can come through with it.

I didn't say it would be easy I said there lawyer is lasy. Calling all other contests as illegal when many of them are not large internationally based companies is what's laughable if any of that were true governments would be cracking down on them because it would be easy money for them to collect on.

international lawsuits are expensive as hell and are SO not worth the overall effort, though if someone wants to make an example of you, it could make your life hell for a while. things like this are why certain things are easy to pirate.

 

[Puff3r]

Good luck to all.

 

[Valentin_6]

unfollowing tom's on every social media right now...
good luck growing with your US only policy

Sorry to hear that. Glad you made a forum account just to tell us that though. Always nice to hear feedback.

In either case, I think we will grow just fine on the strength of our usual editorial content

no you won't.
it's fair not make any giveaway at all, rather than making it available for only as much as 20 percent of the tomshardware fans.
biasing won't ever do you any good.
every other major tech website has international policy when it comes to giveaways . acording to you they are all crooks, but we all know where the crookery is at.

 

[trig63r-_-h4ppy]

Not available in my region, -_- great! Is there an Asian version of Tom's, maybe I'm in the wrong forums.

 

[AndrewJacksonZA]

"Contest only available to residents of the U.S. (Why?)"
*Andrew starts crying*

Not even "Special Edition Once-Off Super-Duper Ultra Alpha-Super-Awesome-Cool-Dynamite-Wolf-Squadron JPEG of a Tom's Hardware Hammer" as a special zero dollar value digital prize for non-US residents and residents of Rhode Island? Please? Pretty please? Pretty please with a cherry on top?
*Andrew sniffs and wipes his nose on his sleeve*


(But seriously now, Joe's statement of "and what some might call high-powered legal team" in the "Why?" link made me chuckle 🙂

 

[AndrewJacksonZA]

Why are we the only ones expected to share?

@rayden54 Because you Americans usually have the best stuff ;-)

 

[AndrewJacksonZA]

You do not need international lawyers, your lawyer does need to create a legal agreement that works for multiple countries...I'm not saying it will be really easy but it is clear your lawyer does not want to do the work.

If that is true, and IANAL so I cannot agree or disagree with you off-hand, then it sounds like a mountain of work for all countries all at once. It might be easier to do that in steps, like first South Africa, then Brazil, India, China, x, y and so on.

In my opinion, if it was a once-off piece of work, it might be worthwhile doing. However, from the link, there's also a possible issue that for _every_single_competition_ paperwork must be done. If that's the case, it might suddenly be exponentially more work.

@Tom's editorial staff: Would it help if I volunteer to investigate the matter further for you in the case of South Africa? (And yes, I am desperate to have some swag from you guys, even a hammer - how could you tell? ;- )

 

[crisan_tiberiu]

To all the non-US complainers out there why you are always exlcuded from TH prize contests:

Don't blame Tom's Hardware. Blame your nation's politicians for having so many laws, regulations, and penalty taxes in place (like VAT) that it's not worth the trouble to go through all the red tape of bureaucracy in your nations. You elected your governments, now deal with the consequences.

If you don't like it, get involved in your nation's political process and change your government leadership. To get around these bureaucratic obstacles, it COSTS MONEY and like every other business in the real world, they have a BUDGET to work with!!!

***Tired Of Listening To Complaints Directed At The Wrong Party!***

The problem is in the US. Every EU site has worldwide contests. Why in the world would you need a lawyer for a worldwide contest?! how lame is that?
I am telling you how to do it. The international prizes go as "donations" to a Tom's employee, Tom's pay the US taxes,then, that "employee" sends the prize via UPS or w/e worldwide. Done. If shipping is to much of a cost, then just say"international winners, must pay the shippment"
Your site is a top class worldwide tech site, don't be lame.

 

[gaborbarla]

a bit disappointing that my region is not available in this contest...

 

[PopinFRESH007]

To all the non-US complainers out there why you are always exlcuded from TH prize contests:

Don't blame Tom's Hardware. Blame your nation's politicians for having so many laws, regulations, and penalty taxes in place (like VAT) that it's not worth the trouble to go through all the red tape of bureaucracy in your nations. You elected your governments, now deal with the consequences.

If you don't like it, get involved in your nation's political process and change your government leadership. To get around these bureaucratic obstacles, it COSTS MONEY and like every other business in the real world, they have a BUDGET to work with!!!

***Tired Of Listening To Complaints Directed At The Wrong Party!***

The problem is in the US. Every EU site has worldwide contests. Why in the world would you need a lawyer for a worldwide contest?! how lame is that?
I am telling you how to do it. The international prizes go as "donations" to a Tom's employee, Tom's pay the US taxes,then, that "employee" sends the prize via UPS or w/e worldwide. Done. If shipping is to much of a cost, then just say"international winners, must pay the shippment"
Your site is a top class worldwide tech site, don't be lame.

Cool story @crisan_tiberiu, thats called fraud and not only would Tom's Hardware be liable but that "employee" would also be personally liable. @10tacle is pretty spot on, if you don't like the impacts of your governments laws get involved in the political process to change them.

-PopinFRESH

 

[SheerTheSheep]

And as always, not available in your region.... 😛

 

[trig63r-_-h4ppy]

Let's just move on. I can work for those stuff anyway. I could get a hammer for free, unless Tom's hammer can magically fix a PC with one strike ;p

 

[trig63r-_-h4ppy]

To all the non-US complainers out there why you are always exlcuded from TH prize contests:

Don't blame Tom's Hardware. Blame your nation's politicians for having so many laws, regulations, and penalty taxes in place (like VAT) that it's not worth the trouble to go through all the red tape of bureaucracy in your nations. You elected your governments, now deal with the consequences.

If you don't like it, get involved in your nation's political process and change your government leadership. To get around these bureaucratic obstacles, it COSTS MONEY and like every other business in the real world, they have a BUDGET to work with!!!

***Tired Of Listening To Complaints Directed At The Wrong Party!***

The problem is in the US. Every EU site has worldwide contests. Why in the world would you need a lawyer for a worldwide contest?! how lame is that?
I am telling you how to do it. The international prizes go as "donations" to a Tom's employee, Tom's pay the US taxes,then, that "employee" sends the prize via UPS or w/e worldwide. Done. If shipping is to much of a cost, then just say"international winners, must pay the shippment"
Your site is a top class worldwide tech site, don't be lame.

Cool story @crisan_tiberiu, thats called fraud and not only would Tom's Hardware be liable but that "employee" would also be personally liable. @10tacle is pretty spot on, if you don't like the impacts of your governments laws get involved in the political process to change them.

-PopinFRESH

If there's a will there's way. They wouldn't even have to think about those ^ stuff, there are always other means to overcome obstacles.

For example I am from Asia, I use virtual shipping address in US provided by a shipping company which will then ship any items I order online or any item that they receive that I have my name on- here in my country. Easy. BTW, I only pay for shipping, no pocket-ripping VATs, and best of all it's legal.

 

[SheerTheSheep]

Let's just move on. I can work for those stuff anyway. I could get a hammer for free, unless Tom's hammer can magically fix a PC with one strike ;p

It can magically break a pc with one strike atleast 😀

 

[ern88]

I see other sites that have sweepstakes open to ppl outside the US. This is crap. You must be owned by Donald Trump!!!