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MacRumors Giveaways... Why are they only open to U.S. residents?

justperry

justperry

macrumors G5
Aug 10, 2007
12,559
9,749
I'm a rolling stone.
budselectjr said:
The reasons for this has been discussed like 200 times on here.
Click to expand...

Seems to me you did not read the the message I reply to.
I am totally aware of why it's US only, but it shouldn't, nobody knows I or anybody wins a price when that price is a username and password, and it's not MR's problem, the one which receives the price is the one who is responsible for paying tax on a price or whatever laws there are in their country.
 
C

C DM

macrumors Sandy Bridge
Oct 17, 2011
51,392
19,459
justperry said:
Seems to me you did not read the the message I reply to.
I am totally aware of why it's US only, but it shouldn't, nobody knows I or anybody wins a price when that price is a username and password, and it's not MR's problem, the one which receives the price is the one who is responsible for paying tax on a price or whatever laws there are in their country.
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Seems like the issue with regulations around contests themselves and not just the prize itself.

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...-are-they-only-open-to-u-s-residents.1918337/
 
AndyUnderscoreR

AndyUnderscoreR

macrumors 6502
Jul 11, 2008
300
287
Here's exactly how much time and effort it would take to allow UK residents to take part:

1. Google "UK raffle laws"
2. Skim through this: http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/pdf/prize competitions and free draws - the requirements of the gambling act 2005 - december 2009.pdf
3. Find this part on page 5: "free draws always have been and remain exempt from statutory control."

Total time taken: 1m 14s

Add on a minute or so to cut and paste a disclaimer about the contest being subject to US law, void where prohibited and recipient pays any import fees, and you're done.
 
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M

Mystic386

macrumors regular
Nov 18, 2011
162
40
MacRumors I'd like to suggest that you put this line

"only U.S. residents who are 18 years of age or older are eligible to enter."

be placed at the beginning of the article for the members that are not in the USA. Putting it at the bottom or near it means we non-USAians read about this exciting prize we can win only to discover that it's an exciting prize for some other folks to win.

I'm assuming this change won't be a problem. Thanks.

(Edit: Just googled to see if USAian was a new word seeing as I just came up with it. Sadly no. It's out there.)
 
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0098386

0098386

Suspended
Jan 18, 2005
21,574
2,908
AndyUnderscoreR said:
Here's exactly how much time and effort it would take to allow UK residents to take part:

1. Google "UK raffle laws"
2. Skim through this: http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/pdf/prize competitions and free draws - the requirements of the gambling act 2005 - december 2009.pdf
3. Find this part on page 5: "free draws always have been and remain exempt from statutory control."

Total time taken: 1m 14s

Add on a minute or so to cut and paste a disclaimer about the contest being subject to US law, void where prohibited and recipient pays any import fees, and you're done.
Click to expand...

How do we alert admins of this?
 
OllyW

OllyW

Moderator
Staff member
Oct 11, 2005
17,196
6,800
The Black Country, England
AndyUnderscoreR said:
They already know, they moved it out of the topic I posted it in and put it here... the problem isn't that they don't know, it's that they don't care.
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No, you have got that wrong. A forum moderator moved them here to bring them to the attention of the site administrators, as explained in the note I left behind.

I have also flagged the site owner so can you please be patient for a while until he is able to get back with his response.
 
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C

C DM

macrumors Sandy Bridge
Oct 17, 2011
51,392
19,459
Gav2k said:
@arn @OllyW @WildCowboy

The simple answer is to not do giveaways then!

I like many others contribute to what is ment to be an international forum. If you cannot make the time to make sure giveaways are not limited then don't do them it's just that simple!
Click to expand...
So if someone can't have it then no one should have it...
 
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tmanto02

tmanto02

macrumors 65816
Jun 5, 2011
1,220
453
Australia
arn said:
We'll look into it again. @AndyUnderscoreR

arn
Click to expand...
Thanks Arn. MR is truly an international site, with both readers and ad revenue from all over the globe. If there are laws that flat out make it impossible to include particular countries then fine, don't run the comp in that country, but dont exclude us all because it's too 'complex', that's just a cop out.
 
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tirk

tirk

macrumors 6502
Jun 16, 2010
298
27
Wimbledon, UK
C DM said:
So if someone can't have it then no one should have it...
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I don't see it that way. At the moment, a few people benefit from the giveaways, most are neutral, but a significant number of non-US users are upset. Net benefit to Macrumors is negative. Why would you want to do that??

Either don't do them, or do them properly IMO.
 
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A

Alrescha

macrumors 68020
Jan 1, 2008
2,156
317
tirk said:
I don't see it that way. At the moment, a few people benefit from the giveaways, most are neutral, but a significant number of non-US users are upset. Net benefit to Macrumors is negative. Why would you want to do that??
Click to expand...

Alternatively, why kowtow to a small but vocal minority who have unreasonable expectations? By their logic, the BBC should be shut down because it is not available in the US.

A.
 
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R

Ray Brady

macrumors 6502
Dec 21, 2011
296
255
Nermal said:
Isn't that what "BBC America" is for?
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I wish. BBC America is 85% Star Trek: The Next Generation, 5% Orphan Black.

Let's see what's on the scheduled tonight. Oh, lovely: The Hunt for Red October. It's got a Scotsman in it, so it counts as BBC programming.
 
P

Perry Rhodan

macrumors member
Oct 7, 2015
51
36
MacRumors said:
Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years of age or older are eligible to enter.
Click to expand...


From macnn.com giveaway rules...

"is open to all humans age 21 or older at time of entry. Residents of Taiwan, South Korea, Portugal, Italy, Austria, China, Russia, Hong Kong, Greece, France, Japan, Spain, and Czech Republic are not eligible to enter or win. Employees of StackCommerce, Inc. (the “Sponsor”), its respective parent, subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies, distributors, merchants involved with this Sweepstakes, and their immediate family members and/or those living in the same household of each are not eligible to enter or win. Sweepstakes governed by U.S. law. Sweepstakes is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary to enter or win. A purchase will not improve your chances of winning."

Seems like others are quite capable of dealing with the complexities of international laws...
[doublepost=1455918151][/doublepost]Quite funny how quickly posts criticizing the giveaway rules in a front page thread get moved here out of sight to most readers... MR, we get it, you are unable to figure out out to deal with laws outside the US yet you're more than happy to grab the advertisement revenues generated by readers outside the US.
 
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nicho

macrumors 601
Feb 15, 2008
4,219
3,210
Perry Rhodan said:
Quite funny how quickly posts criticizing the giveaway rules in a front page thread get moved here out of sight to most readers... MR, we get it, you are unable to figure out out to deal with laws outside the US yet you're more than happy to grab the advertisement revenues generated by readers outside the US.
Click to expand...

I think their staff must be very US-centric. They're often beaten to the punch on stories by another rumour site by a matter of hours or sometimes a whole day.
 
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OllyW

OllyW

Moderator
Staff member
Oct 11, 2005
17,196
6,800
The Black Country, England
Perry Rhodan said:
Quite funny how quickly posts criticizing the giveaway rules in a front page thread get moved here out of sight to most readers... MR, we get it, you are unable to figure out out to deal with laws outside the US yet you're more than happy to grab the advertisement revenues generated by readers outside the US.
Click to expand...
They are moved here for two reasons.

The first is to stop the giveaway threads derailing into off-topic discussion about the restrictions and this forum is the place where criticism about the site should be posted. The second reason is so the comments get the attention of the site admins as they are unlikely to see them in the blog threads. I think that posts like yours which highlight how other similar sites manage to offer giveaways to overseas members should be bought to their attention as I would also like to see this problem get sorted out.
 
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