Not to be polemical...but I guess I will be.

It irks me to no end that every single contest on the Bead and Button homepage is open only to US and Canadian residents.

As there are a great number of people on these boards residing in all countries of the world, and 90% of those people are active CONTRIBUTING members of this forum, many of whom either purchase B&B mag or have a subscription, I'd think the contest should be open to ALL.

I'm hard put to spend the amount of money requested for an international subscription to the magazine when people outside the US are so blatantly discriminated in this manner.

Whatever reasons whomever authorizes these contests may have or provide for not allowing non-US/Canada residents to participate...they're not sufficient.

Rant over, thanks for your time.

Hi OriginalSin,

I've noticed that too, so I thought I'd look it up. It turns out that to hold an internet sweepstakes giveaway, the company holding the sweepstakes has to abide by the sweepstakes laws of every state it's held in. I checked out the rules for the current B&B givaway, and of all of Canada, Quebec is excluded. I doubt that Kalmbach has a problem with Quebec. Quebec probably had a certain rule regarding sweepstakes that B&B couldn't abide by, so B&B just excluded them from participating. If B&B were to hold this sweepstakes without excluding anyone, they would have to abide by the official sweepstakes rules mandated by every country/state/province/region in the world. It would be impossible!

This is a really interesting article I found on sweepstakes rules: http://www.wcsr.com/default.asp?id=114&objId=44

This might be irksome, but there really isn't anything B&B can do about it if they want to abide by the laws of the government. After researching it, I'm surprised that anyone bothers to hold sweepstakes at all. You have to have a pack of lawyers to make sure you're doing it right.

~Pinkypie

Pinky, thanks for your input and the explanation!

That law is absurd...and I understand B&B choosing to abide by the law....but if that is the case then they shouldn't hold sweepstakes and contests at all. Automatically they will ALL, without exception, be closed to anybody outside of N. America.

In my book, that's discrimination any way you slice it.

I really do appreciate the input [:)]

QUOTE: Originally posted by OriginalSin Pinky, thanks for your input and the explanation! That law is absurd...and I understand B&B choosing to abide by the law....but if that is the case then they shouldn't hold sweepstakes and contests at all. Automatically they will ALL, without exception, be closed to anybody outside of N. America. In my book, that's discrimination any way you slice it. I really do appreciate the input [:)]

Original Sin......Are you reading what you are typing????
I understand that you may be frustrated, BUT............
(A) B&B isn't CHOOSING to abide by the law, they HAVE NO CHOICE.
(B) You cannot seriously believe that abiding by the law is discrimination! What would it be discrimination against??? LAW BREAKING???
(C) If you don't like the facts such as they are.........you have the option to stop using these boards, stop reading the magazine, etc.
Find a beading magazine from whatever country you are from, enter their contests which I'm sure cannot possibly be open to people of every country, state, province, blah blah blah........for the EXACT same reasons why the B&B contests cannot be open to ANYONE, from ANYWHERE.
Holy cow...........if this is what you have in your life to be upset about.........you're a very lucky person.......count your blessings........maybe start a contest or even your own magazine and do with it as you wish.......just wait until you see all the rules/laws you'll have to deal with. Sheesh.

Discrimination is holding contest not open to all.

I thought I had the option to voice an opinion?

Guess not. Guess we can only give opinions on jewelry over here? Gee thanks...I've taken note.

One last thing. Your personal considerations are completely out of line. I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy to walk a mile in my shoes. If I thought you might be capable of doing something intelligent, I'd request an apology. But I won't.

QUOTE: Originally posted by OriginalSin Pinky, thanks for your input and the explanation! That law is absurd...and I understand B&B choosing to abide by the law....but if that is the case then they shouldn't hold sweepstakes and contests at all. Automatically they will ALL, without exception, be closed to anybody outside of N. America. In my book, that's discrimination any way you slice it. I really do appreciate the input [:)]

Hey, O.S.??? I understand the first part of your post...ya know, it does make sense about the "law," eh? But, discrimination? You're kinda contradicting yourself, O.S. Obviously, they are NOT discriminatin'...it's just the way things work, eh?

The idea of Not holding contests, 'cause everyone in the world can't contribute, is ludicrous. I'm sorry you're not happy with what's goin' on...and I'm sure your work is wonderful and you'd like to submit it to contests...but, I think you just havta accept reality island. Don't be bitter, k?

elly

Just to clarify a bit: virtually all contests exclude Quebec. The main reasons for this are due to the fact that Quebec has different laws than the rest of Canada.

From what I understand, If a company wants to have a contest in Quebec, Quebec law requires them to, among other things, have everything associated with the publicity about the contest be in both French and English, pay duty equal to around 10% of the prize money to hold the contest in Quebec, require that all contest information be sent to the government well in advance of the contest, for approval to allow Quebec residents to apply, and sometimes pay a security deposit equal to the value of the prize.

How many companies are going to do this? Every contest I see advertised in Canada excludes Quebec.

Don't know about the rest of the world....
Beth - who lives in Ontario

The only thing I have still to say on this issue is this.

Right now there is a brand new challenge, which is a contest with a prize graciously offered to the winner by Kalmbach, who thus put themsleves in the position of patron by supporting and officially condoning, not to mention aiding and abbetting (LOL) a contest.But once a month they have a contest and say you have to have stars and stripes or at least red and white burned on your buns to be able to enter.

If I or anybody else living outside the USA should win, will we be disqualified because we couldn't participate in the first place...according to the much loved laws y'all have over there? Still...the challenge thread states that it is open to all......

Have a nice evening everybody.

Original Sin, I understand your frustration, but I read a number of British magazines with giveaways and contests that are closed to me because I live in North America. I don't consider this discrimination; rather, it is an example of global communications moving more quickly than global business, if that makes sense. Someday we will have truly international publications, but until then we must accept that publishers are based in one country and that is their primary market.