Public Internet Contest- Fraud?

[Gilly2878]

All right, all you "Legal Begals" out there... I have a question regarding publically run contests.

Over the past month, I was a part of a contest site (Cash-splitters.com). The basic premise is, write up a post about what you would do with the money, if you were to win. Then, the most popular post at the end of the month wins. As of last night, I was in the lead with 100% popularity. The person in 2nd place had 99% popularity.

The popularity is decided mostly by how many page views you get, but also based on bonus points you receive for playing games.

The prize is based on how much money the site makes from advertisers. The prize is then split in half between the site, and the winner. Last month, the winner received $750, which meant that the site brought in $1500 in advertising fees. At the very least, the front page and rules advertised a minimum December payout of $100 to the winner, guarenteed.

So this is my question-

With only a few days left in the year, the site decided late last night to just shut down, and keep the money, rather than award a prize, or hold off a few days so that they could award a prize.

As it was a publically run website & contest, how legal is that?


The entire site, except the front page, is now off-line. Using the internet archive, I can see some pages, but none more recent than May 2007. The most recent copy of TOS that I can locate is July 2006.

The email address is active, but with an auto-reply saying: Thank you for your email, unfortunately, this account is no longer active.

When the website domain information is looked at, it's cloaked as private, and the only info listed is the company that sold the domain to the website.

We've contacted the info in the domain registriation, but without any answer back. We've tried finding more info, but haven't found any.

Last night, when the site went down, it came back up with a "Game Over" image on the main page, then a long 5 or 6 paragraph statement explaining that the site was too hard to maintain, because they felt more like baby sitters (there has been quite a bit of accusations of cheating over the past 2 weeks, with several cheaters being found and banned due to it), and that they no longer desired to run the site.

This morning, that blurb was still there. 15 minutes after emailing them asking about the status of the prize, the blurb was completely gone, and all that remains is the "Game Over" image.

Is this legal or not?

Frankly that sounds like pure fraud--Based on what you say here, you could file suit against them (or at least threaten to do so) in small claims court or in regular court; filing in small claims court is easier and requires no attorney...you could try to collect all of the costs and damages that you suffered due to their behavior...and any amount due you as promised.

[Din24]

Is this fraud?

Nestle has a Quest Contest going... Find the hidden Nestle blue freezer somewhere in Canada. They provide a clue every second day. To enter a guess you have to have a pin code which you get by buying a Nestle drumstick ice cream priced between $2.49 and $2.99 plus tax.

The Quest III location has been declared as the office of a Doctor at The Halifax School for the Blind, a place which no longer exists. The building was demolished in 1983. The place used to be on Morris Street. The site is now a parking lot on what is no longer Morris Street, but is now University Street.

Nowhere in the rules does it say the location is a virtual place. Also, Morris Street came back as the correct street in guesses, but University Street came back as incorrect as the Quest location street.

Can I post a website calling this contest a fraud for choosing a non-existent location as the Quest winning location?

Is this fraud?

I play an online internet game called Toribash. And they have a forum where your post shows avatars you find or create. An artist on the forum said that the first 3 people to post in their thread got avatars. I was one of them. We waited for several days. Then the artist started to post with a different account and he made a new thread. When I reminded him of the avatars, he said that the avatar deal was only connected in the old thread. I told him it was fraud. He said it wasn't. I believe it is fraud because he said he would provide a good or service and he eventually never provided the good or service. Is that fraud??

It may be breach of contract, and you might be able to force him to rectify that in small claims or other court.

It might be fraud if he purposely had no intention to award the winner...