Honest question: Giveaways

[sabasgr68]

How true are all those "giveaways" from well known names such as AMS, Sweetwater, Thomman, etc., that offer gear usually valued in several thousands ($3K and more)?

I've always have doubts about it.

Has anyone here won one, or know of someone who did?

I'm asking because I see a lot of these giveaways... And I just don't get that they'll be giving away gear that worth that much. I can understand giveaways of lesser value items, definitely under 1K, with the purpose of gaining brand loyalty or whatever, but $4-5K in gear? I don't get it...

This is my random subject of the day

One example:

ams.jpg

[andrewsrea]

Well, I can confirm at least one was legitimate.

For a few years, Epiphone would have a quarterly giveaway where you just had to give them your email. I would regularly enter and in 2005, I won a 'Studio Jazz Package' which was: a 2004 Natural Epiphone Casino, a 2004 Tobias Toby Pro-6 bass, two Shure SM58 microphones, an AGK 240 headphone set, a Duke Robillard CD and a Nick Colonne CD. When they were packing everything up to send to me, they noticed the Casino was defective and offered me a 2002 in red or a 2004 Epiphone Zephyr Blues Deluxe and I chose the latter. I was very surprised and happy to win that!

I have since sold the 6 string Tobias (it was beautiful, but not my jam) and the microphones (I already had a pair of well used SM58's).

Here is the Zephyr, which still receives weekly play:

Epiphone 2004 Zephyr Blues Deluxe tall.JPG

[jhull54]

Have never won anything, but I keep entering the Tele giveaways at TDPRI. Hoping against hope.

[BatUtilityBelt]

I've entered a lot of those giveaways and never won, but I do believe they're legitimate. I think the manufacturers supply the gear for promotional benefits. It probably doesn't count, but I did get a guitar free once... an Eastwood Folkstar. I bought it used on Ebay and it came with undisclosed damage the seller wouldn't admit to, nor would he agree to pay for a repair or take the guitar back, so Ebay decided to issue me a refund and told me to keep the guitar too, Not really a giveaway, but as close as I ever came to winning one.

[sabasgr68]

Well, I can confirm at least one was legitimate.

For a few years, Epiphone would have a quarterly giveaway where you just had to give them your email. I would regularly enter and in 2005, I won a 'Studio Jazz Package' which was: a 2004 Natural Epiphone Casino, a 2004 Tobias Toby Pro-6 bass, two Shure SM58 microphones, an AGK 240 headphone set, a Duke Robillard CD and a Nick Colonne CD. When they were packing everything up to send to me, they noticed the Casino was defective and offered me a 2002 in red or a 2004 Epiphone Zephyr Blues Deluxe and I chose the latter. I was very surprised and happy to win that!

I have since sold the 6 string Tobias (it was beautiful, but not my jam) and the microphones (I already had a pair of well used SM58's).

Here is the Zephyr, which still receives weekly play:
Epiphone 2004 Zephyr Blues Deluxe tall.JPG

Oh, well, one verified case, great!

It would have been an awesome feeling and experience!

It's cool you're still playing it regularly

[sabasgr68]

Have never won anything, but I keep entering the Tele giveaways at TDPRI. Hoping against hope.

Maybe one day...

[sabasgr68]

I've entered a lot of those giveaways and never won, but I do believe they're legitimate. I think the manufacturers supply the gear for promotional benefits. It probably doesn't count, but I did get a guitar free once... an Eastwood Folkstar. I bought it used on Ebay and it came with undisclosed damage the seller wouldn't admit to, nor would he agree to pay for a repair or take the guitar back, so Ebay decided to issue me a refund and told me to keep the guitar too, Not really a giveaway, but as close as I ever came to winning one.

Right, not really a giveaway, but you got a free guitar

Yes, it's definitely a marketing strategy that returns them some benefit in the mid or long term, otherwise I don't think they'd do it.

[sabasgr68]

This got me thinking...

Their real benefit might be getting thousands of emails - or millions - from the people interested in the giveaway whom they can send promotions and discounts later; a great number of them would show interest and get to buy anything. This way they can boost sales in the mid-long term.

But there has to be a benefit, that's for sure.

[tonebender]

They are legit but the odds of winning are pretty high. Not lottery high but still high. What is true though, you can't win if you do not enter.

[sabasgr68]

They are legit but the odds of winning are pretty high. Not lottery high but still high. What is true though, you can't win if you do not enter.

Yeah, I imagine so.

Sure enough, you gotta step in

I sometimes asked my sister to use her name and email to enter in some giveaways - years ago -; had no luck, though.

[Tonray's Ghost]

Just before I left the USA back in 2014, I received a phone call from someone claiming I had won a Microsoft Surface Tablet (1st Generation). Claimed I had entered some online form, (I did not recall anything like that). They wanted my SS # for tax reporting purposes. I promptly gave them a tongue lashing accusing them of being scammers and told them not to call me again. A few days later, they called again but this time told me to check my email, In my email was indeed the online form and a copy of the confirmation email I had replied to when submitting it (Yes in my email was an old message confirming this too) I was still skeptical but I gave them my SS # (I would NEVER do that today !) and a few days later a brand new Surface Tablet came directly from Microsoft ! As a reward for my sister allowing me to crash at her place for a month before I left the country I gave it to her to use..she still uses it occasionally today !

[sabasgr68]

Just before I left the USA back in 2014, I received a phone call from someone claiming I had won a Microsoft Surface Tablet (1st Generation). Claimed I had entered some online form, (I did not recall anything like that). They wanted my SS # for tax reporting purposes. I promptly gave them a tongue lashing accusing them of being scammers and told them not to call me again. A few days later, they called again but this time told me to check my email, In my email was indeed the online form and a copy of the confirmation email I had replied to when submitting it (Yes in my email was an old message confirming this too) I was still skeptical but I gave them my SS # (I would NEVER do that today !) and a few days later a brand new Surface Tablet came directly from Microsoft ! As a reward for my sister allowing me to crash at her place for a month before I left the country I gave it to her to use..she still uses it occasionally today !

That was great, another winning experience! And you DID fill the form to participate, no doubt, even though you had no clear recollection of having done it That was funny!

[toomanycats]

I'm still trying to figure out what Publisher's Clearing House and Ed McMahon were all about.

This was the real 'bigfoot" of giveaway mysteries.

Who profited by that arrangement?

[sabasgr68]

Another one showed up, and this has more sense: it's a $449 value item.

It's from AMS, and I'll be glad if anybody - or severalbodys - would enter for me. Ends March, 31st. You would just let me know on March 31st that I won!

NUX Trident Guitar effects & Modelling pedal.

This is AMS's Facebook ad:

Bring the NUX Trident Guitar Processor Pedal to your guitar rig! – The Trident adds incredible guitar effect, modeling and routing to your setup whether you use an amp or are looking to DI straight into an interface or PA! Enter now through the end of March for a chance to get this incredible floorboard pedal. A $449 Value! Ends March 31st, 2025.
Enter here: https://brnw.ch/21wR2zJ

Trident giveaway.jpg

[andrewsrea]

I've entered a lot of those giveaways and never won, but I do believe they're legitimate. I think the manufacturers supply the gear for promotional benefits. It probably doesn't count, but I did get a guitar free once... an Eastwood Folkstar. I bought it used on Ebay and it came with undisclosed damage the seller wouldn't admit to, nor would he agree to pay for a repair or take the guitar back, so Ebay decided to issue me a refund and told me to keep the guitar too, Not really a giveaway, but as close as I ever came to winning one.

A guy who used to hang here, James Schaffner, had a similar experience. He bought a Peavey Delta Blues on Amazon, which was defective upon receipt and Amazon refunded his money and told him not to return the amp. Of course, he bought it to me, and I had it repaired in a half hour.

@Tonray's Ghost : sage advice not to get crazy with your info for these contests. When I won from Epiphone, they just wanted my real name and address. I was expecting a 1099 to pay taxes, but i never received one.

[Tonray's Ghost]

I've entered a lot of those giveaways and never won, but I do believe they're legitimate. I think the manufacturers supply the gear for promotional benefits. It probably doesn't count, but I did get a guitar free once... an Eastwood Folkstar. I bought it used on Ebay and it came with undisclosed damage the seller wouldn't admit to, nor would he agree to pay for a repair or take the guitar back, so Ebay decided to issue me a refund and told me to keep the guitar too, Not really a giveaway, but as close as I ever came to winning one.

A guy who used to hang here, James Schaffner, had a similar experience. He bought a Peavey Delta Blues on Amazon, which was defective upon receipt and Amazon refunded his money and told him not to return the amp. Of course, he bought it to me, and I had it repaired in a half hour.

@Tonray's Ghost : sage advice not to get crazy with your info for these contests. When I won from Epiphone, they just wanted my real name and address. I was expecting a 1099 to pay taxes, but i never received one.

Yeah...they're supposed to issue a 1099 for anything over $600 in value. Microsoft sent one to me for sure, luckily it did not kick me into a higher tax bracket or I would have regretted gifting it to my sister...ha ha ha

[sabasgr68]

@andrewsrea @Tonray's Ghost or anybody: Can you elaborate a little on that tax thing you're mentioning? Winners of giveaways are taxed depending on the value of the item(s)?

If the first example above serves to explain it fast and easy, go with it, a $4K value prize.

Thanks guys!

[Tonray's Ghost]

@andrewsrea @Tonray's Ghost or anybody: Can you elaborate a little on that tax thing you're mentioning? Winners of giveaways are taxed depending on the value of the item(s)?

If the first example above serves to explain it fast and easy, go with it, a $4K value prize.

Thanks guys!

The IRS (our taxing authority) rquires that a 1099 be issued for any payment of $600 or over, meaning that they will report that to the IRS so when tax return time comes, the IRS already knows about what they paid you. Nonetheless, you are required to report winnings as income no matter what but in reality if someone pays you $500 bucks to clean their garage, you can probably get away with not reporting it as income, possibly affecting tha taxes you owe.

Many countries don't tax prizes, for example in USA Lottery wins are taxable, here in Thailand they are tax free. So if I were to win the Thai lottery and claim the ticket, amazingly I would owe tax to the IRS. However if I got a Thai person to cash the ticket for me, there would be no tax..but of course you have to trust that person and you need to share it with them....ha ha ha ha

[sabasgr68]

@andrewsrea @Tonray's Ghost or anybody: Can you elaborate a little on that tax thing you're mentioning? Winners of giveaways are taxed depending on the value of the item(s)?

If the first example above serves to explain it fast and easy, go with it, a $4K value prize.

Thanks guys!

The IRS (our taxing authority) rquires that a 1099 be issued for any payment of $600 or over, meaning that they will report that to the IRS so when tax return time comes, the IRS already knows about what they paid you. Nonetheless, you are required to report winnings as income no matter what but in reality if someone pays you $500 bucks to clean their garage, you can probably get away with not reporting it as income, possibly affecting tha taxes you owe.

Many countries don't tax prizes, for example in USA Lottery wins are taxable, here in Thailand they are tax free. So if I were to win the Thai lottery and claim the ticket, amazingly I would owe tax to the IRS. However if I got a Thai person to cash the ticket for me, there would be no tax..but of course you have to trust that person and you need to share it with them....ha ha ha ha

Oh, ok. I knew lottery winnings are taxable, but never crossed my mind that giveaways - physical things - are taxable too, their value, it is. Ok, now it's clear. Thanks!

Haha, yes, having another person to collect a winning is a monkey business LOL. Unless is your Thai wife who claims it.

[andrewsrea]

@andrewsrea @Tonray's Ghost or anybody: Can you elaborate a little on that tax thing you're mentioning? Winners of giveaways are taxed depending on the value of the item(s)?

If the first example above serves to explain it fast and easy, go with it, a $4K value prize.

Thanks guys!

Companies get to discount promotional costs from their US corporate income taxes owed, in exchange they have to issue a Form 1099 to the winner. If the winner is normally subject to US Income Tax (US Citizen, citizen living abroad or a non-citizen on a work visa), they have to declare the winnings as income, which is taxed at the person's cumulative taxable income rate. A winner from another country who isn't a US citizen would have to win >$15,560 (US individual poverty) of items before they would owe US Income Tax.

[sabasgr68]

@andrewsrea @Tonray's Ghost or anybody: Can you elaborate a little on that tax thing you're mentioning? Winners of giveaways are taxed depending on the value of the item(s)?

If the first example above serves to explain it fast and easy, go with it, a $4K value prize.

Thanks guys!

Companies get to discount promotional costs from their US corporate income taxes owed, in exchange they have to issue a Form 1099 to the winner. If the winner is normally subject to US Income Tax (US Citizen, citizen living abroad or a non-citizen on a work visa), they have to declare the winnings as income, which is taxed at the person's cumulative taxable income rate. A winner from another country who isn't a US citizen would have to win >$15,560 (US individual poverty) of items before they would owe US Income Tax.

Very concise and clear.

Ok, so in those occasional US giveaways open to other countries, if i win, I wouldn't have any issue, I'd just have to take care of international shipping.

Thanks Rob!