Competitions

shocks · June 2004

IMHO the way you award prizes is stupid. By drawing 20 and making the first 5 that claim eligible you are making hard for members from other timezones to compete. Why not draw 5 and send an email if not claim with in 24hrs draw another. I for one would like to win because you have good prizes but its unfair to expect me to log in and check at 2- 3 am

Just my humble opinion

ParaTrooper · June 2004

The mmorpg.com staff have responded to these exact same questions time and time again. As Craig said in the last major topic concering this,

We host the contest at 9PM EST because it suits people in North America best (6PM on the west coast and 9PM on the east coast means everyone is home and out of school/work). As this is nearly 80% of our member base, that makes sense. Furthermore, only 10% of our userbase is in Europe and rest is in Asia or Australia.
We draw twice the amount of tickets for the same point mentioned above...it takes FOREVER for people to claim their prizes. We just don't have the time around here to set-up 2-3 contests and let everyone know the date and time of the redrawing, etc, etc. We did this with the first 3 contests and it was a mess.
The current system brings a quick end to the contest process and gets the winners their prizes faster...which means a lot less "where is my prize?" e-mails that I have to answer

shocks · June 2004

So its basicaly tough on your non N american users. Er nice CS attitude

ParaTrooper · June 2004

Well i'm from Australia and before i became a staff member i didn't have a problem with how the contests were run. I even support the way in which the contests are run more so now as a result of people complaining, the only thing that has done is have a complete explanation of why it is the way it is.

shocks · June 2004

Yeah nice thats still a cop out. The fact that you mention you have had a lot of posts in the past on this tells me there is a problem . The fact you like it, well you would wouldnt you. I dont suppose because that would make it about 11 am for you in Oz.

Sorry mate still a cop out and still crap customer service. The fact that its easy for you doent make it the right way.

ParaTrooper · June 2004

The main point is that it's always 2am somewhere. It's a contest after all, we are giving you something for absolutely nothing! so why shouldn't it be easier for the people who actually run the contest? Ask yourself why out of the 67,000+ members you are the only one at the moment complaining?

How about this, would you like us to stop running contests? and it's not compulsory for you to enter.

shocks · June 2004

You are missing the point!!

Yes its agreed its the wrong time somewhere thats why you should just send and email and allow 24hrs to claim the prize.

You are selling a service arent you? You may be working for free but the web site is a business with a global marketplace. Either accept that you need to provide a service to that market place or two things will happen. You will lose market share to other web sites and you will beome regionalised. Fine if thats what you want but it makes poor business ethos.

No I dont want you to stop running contests, I would like you to accept that you have a global customer base and develop processes that can support that.

I take it I'm not the only one complaining you mentioned that you get posts on this time and again.

Thxs

Ps. I cant see the thread anymore has it been deleted?

ParaTrooper · June 2004

Well how about this, If you are unhappy with the way we run the contests, why don't you come up with an alternative method. In doing that also remember we are against the system of picking 10 people and giving them 24 hours to reply for reasons stated above. After all you are posting in the Site Suggestion area.

shocks · June 2004

I dont have an alternative. I have suggested the best way to do it. The fact that your unwilling to do it the best way because its to difficult says it all really.

Fair enough, I was trying to make my opinion known. Which I have done. Its a shame but obviously its more important for you and your colleagues to do it the easy way rather than the right way.

ParaTrooper · June 2004

Once again, "

We draw twice the amount of tickets for the same point mentioned above...it takes FOREVER for people to claim their prizes. We just don't have the time around here to set-up 2-3 contests and let everyone know the date and time of the redrawing, etc, etc. We did this with the first 3 contests and it was a mess.
The current system brings a quick end to the contest process and gets the winners their prizes faster...which means a lot less "where is my prize?" e-mails that I have to answer "

We have done that system before and the current system is better.

TaskyZZ · June 2004

Originally posted by shocks
I dont have an alternative. I have suggested the best way to do it. The fact that your unwilling to do it the best way because its to difficult says it all really.
Fair enough, I was trying to make my opinion known. Which I have done. Its a shame but obviously its more important for you and your colleagues to do it the easy way rather than the right way.

Your suggestion is not the best way...

It is an alternative way that causes evenmore problems...

Thousands of people join the contests. If people win who do not check to see if they have one, then the contest never ends.

Put it like this:

They draw 5 winner. 3 respond and win. 2 Do not. They wait 24 hours and draw 2 more names.
Nobody responds. They wait 24 hours and draw again.
Nobody responds. They wait 24 hours and draw again.
1 person responds. They wait 24 hours and draw again.

This could go on for 5 or 6 days. Meanwhile, the first 3 winners are waiting for their prize, the company that issued the prize is waiting for the results from MMORPG.COM so they can get on with business, etc. And MMORPG.COM has had to deal with redrawing the contest for 4 or 5 days in a row.

It would just suck for everybody involved.

We may not like the system, but it is as fair as it can be without causing too much headache.

shocks · June 2004

I disagree though I accept it would be more work.

1 Why would the first 3 winners have to wait. The reality is that once you get a winners email no one expects the prize for a period of time 7 - 14 days is quite reasonable. I cant see this changing greatly.

2. The company can get on with business. Come on you think they put things on hold till they get an answer from MMORPG. Why cant the companies simply be advised that closing date is x and 7 days later a list of winners is supplied. Hardly a big deal and not a problem for the organisations involved.

3. Why would you have to redraw? I suspect that the companies are primarily interested in the publicity rather than giving out freebies ......once the competition is closed that objective has been reached. Do the companies care if they hand out 10 keyboards or 7 probably not!

But tell me why its hard to randomly select and extra 3 names .....and email out a reply. Come on how may competitions are there? What 1 a week ? gee the work load.

Sorry I still believe we come back to its easy this way so lets not worry about it.

TaskyZZ · June 2004

Of course, it is still opinion.

As far as I am concerned... Not only is it easy, but the contest itself is almost like another contest. Hurrying to the site to see if you won, hoping to to find your name and confirm in time to win, etc.... I think that aspect of the contest is fun. You obviously don't.

We all have our opinions. But them doing it like that is fine in my opinion, I actually enjoy it.

It is impossible to please everybody. If they did it your way, somebody else would complain about the system. The way you want it may please you and another group of people, but it would upset somebody else altogether.

Bottom line is, your suggestion has been measured and deemed unworthy. Many times over. Maybe if you find another suggestion that is still favorable to you and suggest it, the MODs will examine your new idea and decide if they like that one!

shocks · June 2004

Yes it works in your time zone and if it worked in everytime zone it wouldn't be a problem but hey your allright so no one else should worry? Is that it?

And yes my suggestion wasnt deemed worthy because it required a little more work. Real shame but thats a pretty sad attitude

RJCox · June 2004

You are selling a service arent you? You may be working for free but the web site is a business with a global marketplace. Either accept that you need to provide a service to that market place or two things will happen.

So basically what you're saying is that every (online) business in the world has an obligation to make every single potential customer happy...

So by that logic NewEgg.com should carry every single computer part ever made on the odd chance that someone might visit their website looking for it? Or some online jelewry store has to offer every single kind of ring combination anyone could think of, including every metal type, every gemstone type and every cut possible in each of those gemstones and in every size possible... And so on with every other type of "online business" out there...

Well they don't, they carry what is popular at the given time, meaning they cater to the majority of their customers. It is impossible to make everyone happy all the time. So what do you do? You make as many people happy as possible. By using the time that we use we keep 80% of our "customers" happy, which is damn good imho.

And furthermore, quite honestly, no one is making you participate in the contests, no one is making you wake up at 2-3am, contests are strictly voluntary, and in no way is entering them a requirement to be a member on this site. So simple solution is, if you don't like the way they're run, don't participate.

shocks · June 2004

I said that you cater to a global audience. I'm not saying you have to please your entire market but you must accept that it make sense to, if feasable. I Live by the 80-20 rule and yes it make sense for businesses to live by it too. But what I'm asking is how much more effort is required for you to include that last 20%.

I dont think its alot. but hey I have my opinion you have yours. I think your process is short sighted and missing an important market segment. You obviously dont. I accept that your not going to change your mind although I take it non of you actually make policy?

So thanks for the debate we will have to agree to disagree.

This said I think the site is excellent and I plan to continue to use it almost everyday. I just wont bother with the competitions(which is a shame becasue I would like to)

JustinJoseph · June 2004

Shocks , we apologize and ask you to understand that we are unable to make everyone happy. The way we run our giveaways have worked extremely well for the majority of our users. We are always willing to look in to alternative ways of running them, however the majority always wins.

We are uncomfortable letting a period of 24 hours go by after members are chosen, the system was built to add excitement to our contests and we do not plan to remove that feeling from our website.

We thank you for being a MMORPG.COM user, but right now this subject is a dead horse. For now, enjoy your stay and mingle amongst the greatest community online.

Thanks

----------------------------
Justin Joseph
-MMORPG.COM Co-Founder-
justinjoseph@mmorpg.com

shocks · June 2004

Justin

Thank you for your reply. I accept everything you have said. I'm simply venting frustration from my perspective. Thank you for your professionalism and keep up the good work. The web site is truly excellent.

Youll be please to hear all out of posts now...

TaskyZZ · June 2004

Originally posted by shocks
Yes it works in your time zone and if it worked in everytime zone it wouldn't be a problem but hey your allright so no one else should worry? Is that it?
And yes my suggestion wasnt deemed worthy because it required a little more work. Real shame but thats a pretty sad attitude

Actually, 6pm is when it is drawn in my timezone and it is a horrible time for me... But I do not complain, as that is part of the fun.

All you have to do is wake up and check if you won on your PC...

I have to miss a softball game/practice, be late for Tae Kwon Do class, try to explain to my wife that we have to delay going out to dinner because I might win a beta account for a video game (she is one of those video games are a waste of time people), be late for taking my kids to their Tae Kwon Do class, etc... Often times that is the period of time that I am making the 20 minute drive home from work.

Trust me, 6pm is not the end all be all to times to expect someone to be at a PC... I think I would rather just get up at 2am, check my email, check the winners list, and go back to bed...

Take it into perspective, it is a contest, a game, something done for fun. Figuring out how to make it work for you is part of the fun. Heck, if you were in one of the betas that they give away here at this site, you'd probably be up til 2am playig anyway!!!

Admin · June 2004

From where you are sitting shocks I am sure that your idea makes perfect sense. However, I have overseen 25 contest drawings at this site and the first 4 were done EXACTLY like you said - and they were disasters.

I think it has been mentioned in this thread already - but many people don't claim prizes. It is not uncommon at all to see it take 10-15 hours to get 50% of the ticket winners to claim. If you issue the exact amount you always have re-drawings and more re-drawings and that is time...and unless you are coming from another planet...time is money.

Unless you would like us to charge members a fee to use MMORPG.COM or to enter our contests I think it is in everyones best interest that we keep the contests as quick and clean as possible. I have a family support and I do more do accomplish that other than work on MMORPG.COM (I run a web design business) and I don't have time to track down members who are taking to long or never claiming prizes...as it is each contest consumes about 20-40 hours of my time (arranging it, setting up the pages, holding the drawing, making sure the prizes are delivered and handling contestants/winners questions). I don't mind doing this because I think it is fun and it helps the site grow - but there needs to be a balance.

I am sorry if you don't like our contest rules. But they are the rules regardless. Of course there are people that don't like them - and there were people that did not like them when we did it like you mention. Except back then it was waves of people e-mailing us asking why the contest was not over and why they couldn't get their prize yet, etc.

Lastly, I would have to set modesty aside and say that our CS is top-notch. Ask anyone on here who has e-mailed me with a question or request and they will tell you that they got a detailed response back from me in under 10 hours (most the time in under an hour). Most are shocked to see that I would take the time to write back and figure their message would just be ignored. I really do care about this community and I feel like I have a really, really, big family here at MMORPG.COM

Thanks for using MMORPG.COM and I hope that you continue to enjoy our site (and it is good that you challenge our policies too - just don't expect them to always be changed!)

- MMORPG.COM Staff -

zimquats · June 2004

I for one, just love the way the contests work at MMORPG.COM.

Its totaly exciting, checking in and watching the the clock count down. My pulse rate must have been over 85 for that last draw. And i didnt win, but thats just fine because it was still fun to participate.

Choosing 20 names for 10 slots turns the random draw into a compitition, which is alot more fun. It rewards thoes who are actaully trying to be winners, and thoes who actively want the beta account.

I see this as being a win/win for the user and the game. The user gets the account and the game aquires a beta tester that clearly is interisted.

Personaly, if i lived Europe or a different time zone i would be only too happy to set my alarm for 3 am just to clame my prize. It would only take a few mins and then back to bed.

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