Find out what the legalities are? The only "legalities" are to fill out a small tax form(perhaps two in some states) if a prize is over a certain $ threshold, simple. At that point, it is no longer Tom's responsibility.
Not only are there many laws in other countries you would have to deal with, but there are also laws in the US that disallow many technologies to be traded/sold/given/gifted to many other countries. INCLUDING by international companies based in the US, despite where they may have other offices. I'm certain it would exceed the value of the prizes to pay attorneys to find out what's okay, and what is not with every sovereign nation. In the meantime if Tom's were to ship a technology prize to a sanctioned nation, they would be spending a lot more money in the courtroom than these prizes are worth.
These prizes are also mostly NOT of US manufacturing origin (if at all), which increases problems substantially with trade laws and agreements, despite any promotion or sweepstakes laws.
Some Other Problem Examples:
Canada: All contests must be posted in both English and French. Contestants are required to pass a basic skills test in order to claim a prize. Prizes must be awarded in person by the author of said promotion. Import taxes are imposed when product origin is NOT of NAFTA agreement countries.
Mexico: Any prize valued at 5k pesos or more must be transferred in person within the presence of authorities. NAFTA, again.
France: All contests involving prizes must have NO entry ASSOCIATED costs whatsoever (including postage costs, traveling costs, electricity, internet service costs, or even the cost of the ink in a pen to fill out an entry form) or the sweepstakes holder must be capable of paying back ALL participants for those costs at the end of the promotion. That means Tom's would need to pay for EVERYONE'S internet, modem/router rental, and electricity bill that month who entered the contest in France. This is not an exaggeration, but the actual laws of France.
Sweden: ALL games of CHANCE are banned when a tangible prize is to be won.
Ireland: ALL games of chance requiring ANY purchase (internet connection needed, which again is considered a purchase by law) are banned, unless the contest is being held by a non profit charity.
Italy: You MUST involve a public official in winner selection, You MUST register your promotion with the ministry of finance, You MUST collect ALL sweepstakes DATA IN ITALY on a server BASED in Italy, The winner MUST be an Italian national.
Netherlands: No contests allowed when winnings are valued over $2500.
US: Any international contests based in the US requires full compliance with not only US law, but laws in other countries as well. These laws CANNOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE, contradict US law regarding sweepstakes, contests, or other promotions. A promotion held by a US based company not being offered in the US, must still adhere to US sweepstakes law whether held by said company, daughter company, parent company, or affiliate company with vested interest. Penalties for violations can exceed tens of thousands of dollars(likely to happen), and possible imprisonment(not likely, but possible).
Many European countries require contests to be in their native language, and rules available to everyone posted in a public location within reasonable distance from anyone's home or by way of a free information/newspaper requiring NO sign up. Earnings taxes are to be paid, as well as import taxes/fees PRIOR to acceptance of ANY goods, or prizes won from other countries. Tom's would have to pay these taxes/fees themselves in some countries when promotion says "NO PURCHASE NECESSARY." These are just some BASICS.
Many countries require the full rules/regulations/disclaimers etc and promotion contact history to be on EVERY SINGLE article, link, advertisement, email, promotional contact EVERY time to EVERYONE involved without exception or promotion will be null and void. Example: Tom's has a promotion, you inquire about promotion with email, Tom's answers your inquiry, plus adds ALL promotion rule/regulation details in response, then is required to send your inquiry along with your details and rules/regulations to ALL others involved in promotion, then required to send ALL of their responses to ALL individuals along with ALL details to ALL involved, their response details, rules/regulations as well to ALL others, and so on and so forth for eternity in a free to access form. Oh and must also continuously update ALL of that information ANYWHERE they have posted information about said promotion.
Germany, Taiwan, South Korea, Portugal, Italy, Austria, China, Russia, Hong Kong, Greece, France, Japan, Spain, Czech Republic have some of the strictest laws in the world regarding promotional sweepstakes, that they are rarely even held within their own borders by private individuals/companies.
Some countries ban promotions that are worth more than the average GDP per capita. $3000(1st place prize value), for example is higher than the GDP per capita in much of the world.
There are some countries the US is entirely banned whatsoever from sending any form of technology due to internal laws, tax regulations, or sanctions including countries that are not on direct trade lists or are sanctioned by the US or UN, or have no technological trade agreements in place. The problems are only increased when the product/prize is NOT of US origin (once again most, if not all of these prizes are made in other countries).
Go ahead and downvote this, there is nothing that can be done, or likely will be done to change the contest. It's akin to whining about a waterfall not going uphill, and expecting the entire world to change gravity just for you. It is petty, childish, and outright selfish for someone to prefer Tom's to either spend more money than the promotion is worth (which they DIDN'T have to do in the first place), or break laws just to satisfy your wants (these aren't needs, btw and you only make yourselves look like bratty kids by continuing to whine about it).
I get that many of you think you are international law counselors now because you looked into ONE law regarding YOUR country, but you're mistaken and your knowledge of the realities of the situation end at your nose.
TL;DR= The trademark of a generation of know nothing, know-it-alls.
Once again, Thank you Tom's Hardware for offering this promotion in the first place, when you didn't have to at all. I appreciate that you do what you can.
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