Why do I need Terms and Conditions for my Competition?

First up; what are Terms and Conditions?

Terms and Conditions (T&Cs) can be described as a legally binding document that governs the contractual relationship between the service provider and its user. In simple terms; terms and conditions are nothing more than a contract in which the owner outlines the conditions of use of its service.

So why do I need Terms and Conditions for my competition?

Terms and Conditions are the foundation of a trade promotion and govern the legal requirements of each and every competition, protecting both the entrants and the business.

How are we protecting consumers? Well, it’s simple; by having a set of T&Cs for a competition, a business is bound by those terms and must run and manage the promotion in compliance with those terms. An example of this would be if a prize is outlined in the T&Cs, the business is legally obliged to deliver a prize exactly as it’s stated. A business can’t outline a brand-new car but give the winner a second-hand one. That just wouldn’t be fair.

Now how is it terms and conditions are protecting the business? The one solid benefit for a business is that the T&Cs protect you from difficult winners. Just as a promoter is bound, the prize winner is too. If, for example is a $5,000 holiday package and you have included ‘not redeemable or exchangeable for cash’, this means that the winner cannot demand a cash sum in replacement of the prize.

What do I need to include in my Terms and Conditions?

It is important when drafting terms and conditions for any competition that you include the following:

· Name of the Trade Promotion

· Eligibility requirements to enter

· The competition period

· How to enter

· Prize details

· Liability clauses

· Promoter details

Over the last 15 years, Ansible have been engaged by clients such as Seven Network, Network 10, ITV etc. to assist in drafting up terms and conditions that ensure both the client and Ansible are running a fair and ethical competition that abides by the consumer law requirements. If you want to ensure your competition is legally compliant and just don’t how to get started, then get in touch with one of our trade promotion experts to build a winning strategy today.