Prizes!

[n0otro]

I got the same letter today except mine said Vista and the Iriver Clix, I'm kinda bummed about that, already got an Ipod was hoping for the Xbox, oh well I guess I can't complain its free.

yah, free except for the taxes you gotta pay on it. they should have hooked everyone up with monetary compensation to defray the cost of paying uncle sam.

Anyone know what the going tax rate is on prizes?

[StumblingMonk]

I won third prize, and it ended up being Office 2007 Ultimate. I really have no interest in this prize. Does anyone know if it would be worthwhile to try and contact Microsoft or 42 Entertainment to see if they would sub the prize for Vista? Anyone know who to contact at any of these companies?

I already tried an email and a letter to Marden-Kane with no response. I'm a little weary of paying a couple hundred bucks for a "free prize" that I won't ever use.

[robjkay]

yah, free except for the taxes you gotta pay on it. they should have hooked everyone up with monetary compensation to defray the cost of paying uncle sam.

Anyone know what the going tax rate is on prizes?

You do not have to pay taxes on your prize Vista! A certain prize you only pay taxes if its over a certain value! I do not remember where the cut off is to where you have to pay your taxes on an item. But my god you do not have to worry about anything on your prize Vista. If you dont want it, let me know. Ill take it off your hands!

[Glitchrf]

I won third prize, and it ended up being Office 2007 Ultimate. I really have no interest in this prize. Does anyone know if it would be worthwhile to try and contact Microsoft or 42 Entertainment to see if they would sub the prize for Vista? Anyone know who to contact at any of these companies?

I already tried an email and a letter to Marden-Kane with no response. I'm a little weary of paying a couple hundred bucks for a "free prize" that I won't ever use.

You might consider doing this. eBay

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?s...earch&fgtp=

[Alamodefender]

In Texas its $600.00 or more to report a prize.

[Nightz]

here in california i'm gonna have to pay 25% in taxes because my prize total is worth over $600

[poet_geek]

Hey all,

I've been lurking for a while now... I'm a 1st prize winner. I found neowin well after the contest ended, trying to figure out what my "potential first prize winner" letter really meant. I've long since sent back the forms and confirmed my status as a first prize winner. (Sorry, I got there with just over 300 pts.) And I've been told to expect a letter telling me which prize and arranging delivery "shortly" (that was a month ago). I guess I'm posting out of frustration. I still don't know what I'm getting (hoping for that Alienware system even though the taxes are going to kill me), or when I might be getting it. Oh and by the way they didn't even get my name right on the winners list (Jerry ends with a "y")

I don't want to seem ungrateful, but I never really gave the idea of winning a thought. I played the game because I though it was fun to sit there and work things out on my newly purchased (apple) laptop (ahhh the irony...) So to win is nice, but it has been painfully anti-climactic. Am I wrong to assume that this should be going better than this? Am I wrong to assume that when Marden Kane lists their contact info it means that they will return calls and email in a timely manner? Am I risking being awarded the one of the lesser first prizes but airing my greivances like this? I don't know... I guess I just need to get it off my chest to someone, who might be even slightly sympathetic. My wife is sick of hearing about all this.

My birthday's next month... I'm just hoping MS and AMD will get me a 30" monitor and a Zune for my 34th.

:x

[Nightz]

^ i've never won a prize before, but i'm hearing that getting your prizes is a long process. i'm anxious to get my prizes too and i've sent a couple of emails to marden kane as well with no response. i feel your pain, just wait it out :yes:

also, where do you live? your location could also be the reason it's taking a while to get that letter.

[poet_geek]

I'm in Portland, OR. :whistle: I certainly hope location isn't the issue.

^ i've never won a prize before, but i'm hearing that getting your prizes is a long process. i'm anxious to get my prizes too and i've sent a couple of emails to marden kane as well with no response. i feel your pain, just wait it out :yes:

also, where do you live? your location could also be the reason it's taking a while to get that letter.

[n0otro]

I don't want to seem ungrateful, but I never really gave the idea of winning a thought. I played the game because I though it was fun to sit there and work things out on my newly purchased (apple) laptop (ahhh the irony...) So to win is nice, but it has been painfully anti-climactic. Am I wrong to assume that this should be going better than this? Am I wrong to assume that when Marden Kane lists their contact info it means that they will return calls and email in a timely manner? Am I risking being awarded the one of the lesser first prizes but airing my greivances like this? I don't know... I guess I just need to get it off my chest to someone, who might be even slightly sympathetic. My wife is sick of hearing about all this.

I know how you feel, I'm very grateful for winning a 2nd place prize, all I really wanted was a copy of windows vista ultimate, and I got that. But at the same time i'm bummed because I got my letter yesterday stating that I had won the iriver clix which I really had no interest in. The total value for my prize was $598 (hopefully since it's under $600 I don't have any tax liability). Other 2nd prize winners that got the Xbox 360 had a total prize value of $798, which makes me feel like i'm getting gypped out of $200. Oh well, i'm still psyched that I won playing a fun game online.

And I did get one e-mail response from marden-kane when I had to send them a change of address request a couple of weeks ago. I sent one additional e-mail after that and never got a response.

Anyway, congrats on your 1st place win and happy early birthday

[poet_geek]

Well, I finally got my notification letter and I'm happy to find out that I'm getting the Alienware prize! (Happy Birthday to me... come to papa 30 inch!) Sadly it will be 6-8 weeks (according to the letter from Marden Kane) before I get the goods. So here's the new question, what is the prize? I mean I know what comes with the prize (Zune, games, etc), but as for the PC itself all I can figure out is that it's an AMD based Alienware system and by subtracting the known ARV of the other prizes, I end up with an estimated value of the PC of $5800.00 (Wow, that's got to be one hell of a system.) Checking in at Alienware suggests that it's either a fully loaded Aurora 7500 or a standard configuration ALX. Anyone want to guess which is going to show up in a couple of months? More directly, does anyone know for certain what will ship, you know, any of you MS or MK insiders want to spill the beans?) I'm kinda hoping it comes with a TV tuner, but I suppose I can add one myself.

[Codename 47]

My letter arrived yesterday and I'm also the proud winner of the Alienware package :D :D

I fired off an email to Erica asking whether I'll be getting UK or US versions of the stuff and where it's being shipped from (really can't see them paying for air freight for all that and it's a long way by boat ;)). I also threw in a request for the spec of the PC so fingers crossed this email will actually get an answer, can't say that I'm impressed with the response level and timescales from MK - 1 response out of 3 emails sent so far and the prize confirmation letter was dated the 21/03.

[plaguebeast]

we need to make sure we round-robin our requests to Erica so she doesn't see any single winner as being a bigger pest and put their prize ship date at the end of the list.

[SacrificialSoldier]

Dead link

[plaguebeast]

what link is dead?

and.....

no one has received anything yet?

how sad..

/cry

[poet_geek]

I sent a similar request and have had a similar experience with the email response situation. Let's share whatever info we might get, shall we?

BTW Congrats!

I also threw in a request for the spec of the PC so fingers crossed this email will actually get an answer, can't say that I'm impressed with the response level and timescales from MK - 1 response out of 3 emails sent so far and the prize confirmation letter was dated the 21/03.

[plaguebeast]

guess everyone else already got their stuff.....

[Nightz]

guess everyone else already got their stuff.....

i don't think anyone has gotten their stuff yet. if they did, they would have posted something. from the estimated 6-8 weeks that they gave me, i'm guessing my prizes will arrive near the end of this month or the beginning of next month.

[Boifido]

I got a letter saying i had won second prize, but i have recived no confermation letter. Am i doomed?

[Boifido]

Yay I won an xbox 360 and vista (second place), is the xbox 360 core or premium (crossing finger for premium)

[Nightz]

Yay I won an xbox 360 and vista (second place), is the xbox 360 core or premium (crossing finger for premium)

i believe it's a premium :)

[plaguebeast]

Great, so I am gonna get taxed on the current value of the zune and next week the Zune 2.0 is gonna come out and mine will be worth $5....wonder if I will get it while it still has any value.

https://www.neowin.net/index.php?act=view&id=39394

[Codename 47]

Sent Erica a mail chasing my previous questions and got a reply:

Microsoft is currently in the process of confirming the order/specs of the Alienware PC. These customizations are determined by the Sponsor. I'm sorry I don't have any additional information for you yet, but I'll keep you posted once I have any more news.

No info yet, other than we don't get a choice in the case or lighting colours.

[plaguebeast]

guess that's what's holding up the prizes, damn people and their customizations, lololol.

[josimac]

Hello all! I am from Indiana and received a package from MK saying I was a potential first prizewinner. The package was delivered via FedEx last Thursday. I played Vanishing Point about half way through, but relied on answers from here for everything after the first box. THANK YOU! I did a lot of research on Marden Kane, because I thought it might be a scam. I even called Erica Valdellon at MK to see if her phone number was real. She called me back yesterday and said that I was an "alternate winner", and that since the prize was valued at more then $600, I had to send the forms in. It wasn't until I read this thread that I decided to go ahead and mail in my personal information. I will be sure and keep you up to date on what I receive. I will also check back here to see if people actually start receiving their prizes.

Thanks again!