how prevalent does no purchase necessary need to be on an online sweepstakes?

[Etinfall]

A website is holding a sweepstakes. On the main page, in large text, it says "must be a premium member to enter". The premium membership costs money. If you dig deep and after many clicks and small text you find a way to enter via the US mail. My question is, how prevalent does the no purchase necessary need to be? When does it become fraud for a company who hides the no purchase necessary and misleads consumers by stating on the main page that purchase is necessary?

Seems to be misleading and even fraudulent to me. Thanks for any advice.

 

[swalsh411]

I have no idea how prevalent it is because I do not waste my time enteresting online sweepstakes. But it is legal. The promoter does not have to advertise in a huge font that there is a free way to enter the contest when clearly their goal is to make money by having people pay. They just have to let you know somewhere.

 

[Etinfall]

I do understand they have the opportunity to enter without purchase but buy stating on the main page that you need to purchase a membership to enter contradicts it. Not only is the spirit of the law tossed aside but actually stating that you need to pay before entering has to be wrong somewhere... I don't know false advertising?

They trick people into thinking they need to pay them by a false statement.

 

[swalsh411]

As long as they offer a way to enter the sweepstakes for free they are complying with the law. I don't know how to make this any clearer.

 

[Zigner]

You found the link the enter without paying on the same page. They've complied with the law.

 

[Etinfall]

You found the link the enter without paying on the same page. They've complied with the law.

It was actually a few pages away. 2 to 3 links away. I guess it just threw me for a spin that they can put in huge letters that you have to pay to enter the contest and then hide the rule that you can enter without paying 2 to 3 pages away. Not sure why I am taken aback about this knowing that companies can and will do what they can to get our money. I was just hoping they were going to far with the statement that "you have to pay for a premium account to enter the contest" statement they have displayed for anyone who goes there to see.

 

[Zigner]

They give you the ability to enter without paying. I'm really not sure how many times or how many ways you can be told...