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MMORPG.com Contests
Renaisse
Member UncommonPosts: 16
While searching to see if there is a legal requirement of timeframe for prizes to be delivered in a contest (Cause frankly I am pretty peeved at STILL not getting my prize for Ryzom Beta), I ran into this article: http://www.haledorr.com/publications/pub_detail.aspx?ID=611&Type=5543
Internet contests that are multi-country could be held to any and all country's rules and regulations. Just a friendly warning that the website could be biting off more than it can chew legally, if some contest losers or disgruntled members get frisky.
Would hate to see the contests end.
But I would like to actually GET my prize. I see two faults in the Ryzom contest:
1. MMORPG should have made sure that the beta slots were available AND ready.
2. Nevrax had 30 days to get their act together and have the beta accounts ready. Are they SO disorganized that they cannot provide a prize they willingly offered? If they were not going to be ready, they should not have offered the accounts as a prize.
Just cranky cause I never won anything.. and the first thing I win... SUCKS.
I realize that MMORPG offered the contest and prize in good faith.. just feel as if the ball got seriously dropped here.. like into the depths of hell ATM. Nevrax's credibility is sinking rapidly. What is up with game companies?
Comments
Regarding the The Saga of Ryzom Beta
At the time MMORPG.com was given beta accounts to give away, the Beta was on Schedule. Apparently after MMORPG.com's contest was drawn, Nevrax found a Problem and the beta was put on hold to which MMORPG.com has no control over. The tickets drawn for the MMORPG.com contest will remain vaild through till Beta status is officially changed.
We will keep our members informed of its status and when the beta will go ahead. Untill then, visit the official site - http://www.ryzom.com for further information.
I would like to refer you to this post for consideration.
http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion.cfm/load/forums/loadclass/174/loadforum/506/loadthread/11140/jumptopost/110756
- Malkavian
"When you find yourself falling into madness... Dive." - Malkavian Proverb
- MMORPG.COM Staff -
Forum Stalker
Malkavian@mmorpg.com
"When you find yourself sinking into Madness, dive"
well I guess I can understand being a little upset about having your entry into a Beta Test delayed, but calling into question the legal ramifications for mmorpg.com is downright silly.
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Your type is: KAS. 5% of respondents so far fall into that type.
Killer 80%|Achiever 53%|Socializer 46%|Explorer 20%
Nice, but legally, as the contest conductors, MMORPG.com is the whipping boy on this one.
If you offer a prize, it must be available and delivered.
Otherwise you could have a sweepstakes to boost internet traffic by offering a million dollars, then say "because my bank did not give me the money due to complications, you must wait... ". When the "complication" is that you did not have the money in your account.
Telling us to complain to Nevrax/Themis is like telling us to complain to the bank in question.
Did you have the betas available? No. Should you have made sure they were ready? Yes.
I am sorry you get tired of this.. but we get tired of waiting as well, while we watch the contests continue.
How fair/fun is it for the 500 of us who have won an empty promise?
My Weird Radio Station
My Weird Radio Station
The problem you are having is something we have no control over on our end.
And to settle those who are wary of the law, US law protects organizations from prosecution on matters they have no control over. This includes the decisions of another organization not affiliated.
We are truly sorry that you have to wait longer than it was planned. As Malkavian stated your prizes are still valid. Just be a bit more patient and you will be bounding in-game in no time.
And what I was saying is.. that I as a small-business owner would have my butt in a sling if I offered a contest where a prize was not awarded... complication or no.
As an internet site you are subject to the same rules and regulations as any other "business" or non-profit organization. But because you are on a global market, you are also subject to any laws governing contests from any one of the countries you accept entries from.
From reading the FTC's website and rules, the contests you run could be subject to US laws.. one of which is declaring a cash value for prizes and stating odds at winning.
I just found it odd that you have not covered your rear. Being subject a world's worth of laws and regulations is pretty scary, considering some countries do not even allow contests like this.
All I was doing was pointing out an issue. I have no intentions of any legal matter, but someone could.. and then you would be in big trauma. Some people are freakier than me.. trust me. Heh.
There are people who look for cracks in the sidewalk, just so they can trip and sue someone.
My Weird Radio Station
MMORPG.com has not refused to comply with any agreement set apon by the contests it provides.
It was stated at the time of entry, winners would be contacted with the appropriate information once MMORPG.com recieved word. As we have said, we have yet to recieve word.
Thread Locked.
- Malkavian
"When you find yourself falling into madness... Dive." - Malkavian Proverb
- MMORPG.COM Staff -
Forum Stalker
Malkavian@mmorpg.com
"When you find yourself sinking into Madness, dive"
You would be correct except our contest rules stated that Ryzom was not in beta at the time of the contest and that the prizes would be awarded when the beta began, not within any specified timeframe. It was also stated that we are not liable for prizes that cannot be delivered outside of our control. You tick a box and agree to this before entering the contest. We do this with all of the beta contests, because we are always giving away betas for games that are not "quite" in beta yet.
We did state the cash value of the prize was $0.00 and the odds of winning were roughly 5000:1 (there is no way to know the real odds until the date of drawing, but we give a worst case estimate). The basic contest rules were written by my corportate attorney, so I presume he knows about the FCC regs.
The fact of the matter is that that the Ryzom prizes have already been sent...so if you did not get yours then it must have been a spam blocker on your end or something that went wrong with the mail being sent to you from Themis.
Please contact me if you did not get your beta e-mail and I will investigate it for you.
Also note: game companies NEVER give us the betas...so we can't control this like you indicate. Basically we give them a list of names and they send notices.
- MMORPG.COM Staff -
- MMORPG.COM Staff -
The dead know only one thing: it is better to be alive.
sorry but you are 100% wrong.
as had been pointed out to you, the contest for beta accounts when the became available.
the bank example was completely off base, and has no relation to a GAME BETA ACCOUNT giveaway.
MOST OF ALL MMORPG.COM WOULD ALWAYS HAVE TO RIGHT TO SUBSTITUTE SOMETHING OF EQUAL VALUE if they couldn't come up with the prize as originally stated!
So here... Here is your big fat NOTHING. It's the same value as your beta account.
I'm not a lawyer, I just like to play one one the boards
/sarcasm off
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Your type is: KAS. 5% of respondents so far fall into that type.
Killer 80%|Achiever 53%|Socializer 46%|Explorer 20%