Before this goes off topic.Here is the deal in a nutshell.
These giveaways are good for the vendor and good for MT.That the giveaways are for quality products is definitely a boost to this sites reputation.To build these ongoing collaborations took a lot of hard work and we have earned the trust of the vendors who offer free,quality software licenses to our members.To have a few bad apples jeopardize these relationships is unacceptable.
The latest stunt being someone (maybe a member or maybe a guest) contacted a software vendor customer support asking for the licenses for the giveaway.This is an ongoing giveaway and was done by providing fake MalwareTips emails and posing as MT staff.
Unfortunately the nature of the giveaway business will always attract those that enter for the wrong reasons or for selfish gain.
Personally I would like to think by providing these giveaways we are offering someone who doesn't have the means to purchase these products on their own with a chance to get a license for one of these products.
There are a few nagging problems which continue.
- Members entering every giveaway and winning multiple licenses.Sure every giveaway winner is totally random but some members have won licenses multiple times.We are working on a solution to this situation.
- Members failing to read the giveaway rules,guidelines & details.
- Members posting replies to a MalwareTips giveaway that are not entries.Once again this has been clearly stated
- Members entering via proxy.It is a rule in place to prevent cheating and must be enforced for everyone.This has been solved.
- Members entering giveaways and then after winning decline the license in their winning PM.Some type of courtesy would be appreciated for those running the giveaways but more importantly to those other members who entered the giveaway.
- Members posting improper entries,using other members links and the wrong social media share links. These rules are clearly stated in every giveaway thread.
- Some winning members asking in every giveaway "How long do I have to activate the license" I am under the assumption that if you enter a giveaway you actually want the license and are going to activate it.Unless this is specifically stated by the vendor I will not ask them.