EXCLUSIVE OFFERS FOR PHOTO.NET MEMBERS:

<p>Hallo, I'm italian, and I'm member of photo.net from 2003.<br>

In my workspace page it appears the possibility to participate to some contests to win nice prizes.<br>

MPIX and TAMRON contests.<br>

It appears this phrase:</p>

<h3>This content is available to all registered photo.net users.</h3>

<p>But in the terms and conditions page I read: "<strong>MPIX does not ship prizes outside the United States</strong>"</p>

<p>The last is the "Tamron contest". And the problem is the same.<br>

I go to read the terms informations and I read: "<strong>Tamron does not ship prizes outside the United States</strong>".</p>

<p>Photo.net has many members in Europe, Asia, and others countries, but if the prizes don't are shipped outside the USA, how can we participate?</p>

<p>Thanks for the help.<br>

Ciao, Raffaella</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Raffaella:<br /><br />I think the vast majority of P.net members are here in the US. Marketers typically aim to reach the largest segment they can with the idea that the more people they reach the more response they'll get.<br /><br />If I were you I'd write a nice letter to the companies offering these contests and let them know there are a huge amount of people outside the US that are P.net members and that would be interested in participating. Find a few friends to do the same and maybe they'll change the rules/policy for next time?<br /><br />I don't think there's much, if anything that P.net itself, can do about these things.</p>

<p>A "nice letter" will not help. Contests with international prizes are insanely complex. I'm from Detroit, Michigan. Windsor, Ontario is less than 20 miles from my home. Laws governing contests in the US and Canada are so different that it is common for contests that are based on chance (like "scratch off the number" cards at fast food restaurants) to require a token "skill" element in Canada, like a math problem so simple that everyone should know the answer.</p>

<p>So, when dealing with a contest like this one, you've got a simple choice:</p>

<ol>

<li>Abide by the laws of one country, restrict the entrants to that country.</li>

<li>Learn the laws of X number of "key" countries, design the contest to cover the "least common denominator" of all the laws of all those countries, and restrict entrants to those countries.</li>

</ol>

<p>Choice 1 is easy. Choice 2 gets harder and harder as you increase X. You mention "Europe, Asia, and other countries". Europe and Asia aren't counties, they're collections of a dozen countries each, each of those counties having complex laws.</p>

<p>Thanks for your replies.<br>

I agree about the legal differences between the various states, but I believed that for a simple lottery there were no problems...<br>

Patience, I will not participate! :-(</p>

<p>Ciao, Raffaella</p>

<p>Ghiga,</p>

<p>Joseph and Mikael have given you the main reasons for the "US only" restriction. The other most common reason is that these contests and advertisements are not often paid for by "Canon" or "Tamron" but by their individual country-based divisions such as "CanonUSA" or "TamronUSA". Those divisions are responsible for increasing sales in their respective areas. They know that photo.net has a large number of US based users, and they use these contests and ads to reach them. While of course they are happy that there are non-US based users on photo.net, you can understand why their marketing efforts are targeted towards the areas that they are responsible for.</p>

<p>I have not read the ad or the rules but rely instead on your posts.<br>

It appears neither company will ship prizes outside the USA.<br>

That is no impediment to participation by you, only an impediment to receiving the prizes directly from the company without transshipment.<br>

At one time the US Supreme Court was presented with the Soviet Union (now dissolved) through a wholly-owned company, blocked from receiving or transacting some expensive equipment (printing equipment I think, because I recall it was computer operated).<br>

It could not by law be shipped outside the USA, so the Soviets tried to term the contract voided by impossibility. The US Supreme Court said 'no' not so. They could receive the item in the USA and sell it in the USA or have others use it, but not use its technology. (remembered from a contracts text book of over thirty years ago, so don't write me, please with corrections)<br>

You don't write you can't participate, only they won't ship the prizes to you directly.<br>

It seems you can enter, use a USA address to receive prizes, then when (and if) you win, then have a transshipment made) or sell on some well-known auction site, if they will accept you as a customer.<br>

(Based on the wording of what you posted -- no mention of foreign members being excluded, only prize shipment being excluded outside USA).<br>

Go to it, and then when you win, I'll help you figure out what to do with your booty.<br>

;~))<br>

John (Crosley)</p>

<p>Thanks for your replies, Josh and John!<br /> John, I don't have friends in the USA to whom send the (eventually) prize.<br /> It is a little complicated for me...<br /> But... I believe you, John! (QUOTE JOHN: "Go to it, and then when you win, I'll help you figure out what to do with your booty") and I will try to participate! :-D</p>

<p>Ciao, Raffaella</p>