Automated Competition Entry services are of little benefit to a site running competitions. By using these services an entrant is (1) not willing to visit your website, (2) not willing learn about your competition or website and (3) not willing to interact with your site or sponsors.
In January 2008 one of our users reported getting over 600 entries to their competition from an automated service (One Little Duck). They reported emails from @00online.co.uk. @telonline.org.uk and @tisca.co.uk email addresses. All are owned by Win24!
In August 2008, one siteowner reported the same company submitting 20000 automated entries!
In January 2009 Ben Lancaster reported on automated entries also from Win24 and gives advice to promoters on how to spot these rogue entries.
So How To Avoid This?
When running a competition make sure that you do the following to avoid automated entries ruining your prize promotion.
Don't offer an email route to enter the competition.
Use a form with a CAPTCHA option to stop robots.
Make users login to enter your competitions.
Make it a rule that "automated/bulk entries and entries from third parties will be disqualified"
Monitor your entry levels - look for signs of unusual activity.
Disqualify ALL automated entries.
Of course Loquax has a biased view on automated entry services as they impact our business, however we want to see all competitions run with integrity and fairness for genuine entrants who have made the appropriate effort to take part.
Put it this way - do you want your prizes to go to someone who's made an effort to visit your site or to someone who doesn't even know who you are?
