Internet comping
If you prefer online comping, the following sites list links to hundreds - maybe even thousands - of new competitions. Each has their own particular strengths; try them all and see which suits you best. Some of them have online forums where you can discuss new comps and exchange answers. There are many other comping portal sites available but these are the ones I use regularly.
The newest resource of all, designed especially for Grape Vine readers, is the Grape Vine Blog
www.loquax.co.uk Probably the best known of them all! The site has a useful competition tracker which can help you to remember which comps you have already entered.
www.theprizefinder.com Lists the new comps each day and those closing that day in an easy to use list format which makes it quick to scroll through for those that interest you.
http://winholiday.co.uk lists a new competition every day and has a weekly email service
http://www.winningcompetitions.co.uk/ packed with helpful articles about comping, suitable for everyone from beginners to advanced compers
www.ukwins.co.uk has a daily newsletter to update you on the latest comps, and often gives answers to some of the trickier questions.
Marina's Competition Site gives answers to magazine puzzle comps - Take a Break, That's Life, Chat, Real People and Full House.
www.guide2win.co.uk has a very easy to use checklist system so that you can see at a glance which comps you have entered - invaluable for those "One entry per person" comps.
A great site for comps, with many new ones to enter each month, as well as loads of articles and advice on many other subjects from hobbies to holidays, and money to make-up, is Sixtyplusurfers http://www.sixtyplusurfers.co.uk/
Blogging is the new buzzword and Debbie Loton has a comping blog which other compers might enjoy reading and commenting on. It can be found at http://comperschronicle.blogspot.com/
There are loads of prizes to be won instantly at http://www.trippinnomad.co.uk/ - you can have free entries every day.
Many compers enjoy quizzes and puzzles and like to give a little back from time to time by entering pay-to-enter charity quizzes, so I was very pleased to find a website which advertises these quizzes. To find out which quizzes are available at the moment, what charities they support and what prizes are on offer, visit http://www.sitesaveronline.co.uk/quiz/index.php which has a list along with contact details for each quiz. Those of you running similar quizzes will be able to promote your quizzes there too, and post answers after the closing date.
Prize Draw Greetings are a range of greetings cards which contain an entry form so that both the sender and recipient can enter a draw with 20 prizes a month, ranging from t-shirts to £500 cash. Allentrants also go into an overall draw for a car. For more information and to order cards, visit www.prizedrawgreetings.co.uk
Help with the answers
A search engine is often the best way to find the answer to a comping question and there is a detailed explanation of how to get the best from one on the "Search Engines" page.
Sometimes, however, you need help with puzzles, word games or crosswords. Here are a few sites that you may find useful
www.oneacross.com will help solve crossword clues - even cryptic ones! Type in the clue and the letters and spaces you have and let it do the rest.
www.a2zwordfinder.com will help with many types of word puzzle, even the dreaded "How many words can you make from this phrase" ones.
Andy's anagram solver http://www.ssynth.co.uk/~gay/anagram.html will help with longer anagrams.
A huge collection of dictionaries, from rhyming to acronyms, can be accessed all at once here http://dictionary.langenberg.com/
Who to contact when something goes wrong
Maybe you see a promotion that looks as if it breaks the law in some way. Or perhaps you win a comp but don't receive the prize, or find that the prize is not as it was described.
Your first step should be a polite letter or email to the promoter, followed two to three weeks later by a more strongly worded one. If they do not respond or fail to resolve the problem, these are the places to get in touch with to help you put things right.
Your local Trading Standards Office (find them in the phone book) may be able to help if a prize is not as described.
The Advertising Standards Authority www.asa.org.uk has an online complaints form which you can use if you think a promotion is unfair or that you have been unfairly treated. Visit the site and select "How to complain" from the left hand menu.
The Institute of Sales Promotions will also follow up your complaints and problems. Their website is at www.isp.org.uk and you can email them at complaints@isp.org.uk
