Out shopping this morning, we noticed a brand new Smart car plonked in the aisle at Moonee Ponds Central shopping centre (a small mall, if you like the American way!). Adorning the four pillars surrounding the car were entry forms for a free competition — presumably to win the car from this visual setup of the entry forms.

On the way out of the centre, I helped myself to an entry form to bring home to read further. This DL size (one-third A4) entry form actually had the headline “Enter for a chance to win… $1 Million” — so it wasn’t a free entry for the car afterall.

And, after reading the full page of fine print (33 lines of it) — the winner doesn’t win $1,000,000 — they win $10,000 (just one percent of that amount splashed across the entry form).

They then get a 1 in 200 chance to pick a bag that may contain a cheque for $1 million. Or, in other words, there’s a 99.5 percent chance of them NOT picking the bag with the million dollar cheque in it.

But — here’s the best part: they must answer all of the questions on the entry form to be included as a valid entry. The information that the entrant MUST disclose to Trendwest is as follows:

1. Age group
2. Combined household income
3. Number of children under 18 years
4. Name and Address
5. Day and month of date of birth (not year)
6. Phone — home and mobile/cell
7. Email address

For that, there’s just one $10,000 winner (plus 91 minor prizes, from 2 32″ LCD televisions down to small-value vouchers. 40 of these are single entries to Dreamworld — with Dreamworld undoubtedly expecting you won’t visit on your own, so you’ll spend well beyond the value of a single entry ticket anyway).

But here’s the best part: the entrant consents to “being contacted by Trendwest for an indefinite period regarding promotional offers, products and services.” (the bolding is my own, funnily enough).

And, reading lines 20 through 25 of the 33 lines of fine print, that also includes having that supplied information disclosed to “Trend Alliance partners and media companies for future promotional, marketing and publicity purposes.” If that wasn’t enough, try this line: “Entrants may be contacted by phone, mail or email for the purpose of promoting out/partner’s/supporting merchant’s various products and services.”

Would you hand over all of that private info for the chance to be bombarded by these companies INDEFINITELY?

Nowhere was there mention of a Daimler Chrysler smart car — so I’m curious as to why it was sitting in the aisle — each corner of the car had a “free entry” pillar — so from any direction, it appeared the entry was related to the car. Maybe I’ll ask the “Jnr Sales Consultant” whose card was sitting on the entry pillar next to the pad of entry forms.

According to the privacy policy on the Trendwest website, you may even have to pay a small charge to find out what information on you is stored in their database. Of course, you can only ask in writing — but you can also request, in writing, to have your personal information removed from Trendwest’s database. Thankfully!

Is it illegal. No, it’s not. You’re not compelled to enter. Of course, you’re not compelled to gamble at all — that’s why the government relies as much as it does on gaming revenue, because people do gamble.

Collecting names and personal information in this way is perfectly legal — afterall, you’re voluntarily consenting to both give that information and go into the draw.

But I wonder how many entrants realise all of that fine print, standing in the middle of a busy shopping centre walk way at an entry pillar (let alone that they’re entering a competition to win $10,000 — not $1 million — that’s only a 1 in 200 chance for just the one entrant).

Would this (fictional) conversation with an entrant be possible just after they enter the draw?

Me: Hi, I noticed you just entered that draw over there.

Entrant: Hi, Yes.

Me: What is the prize?

Entrant: That lovely car.

Me: Actually, it’s not the car, although there’s an entry pillar in each corner. On the entry form, it’s actually a chance to win a million dollars.

Entrant: Oh wow.

Me: But, actually, the grand prize winner only wins $10,000 — or just one percent of a millions dollars.

Entrant (confused): Huh?

Me: Yes, if you win, you get $10,000. Then you get a 0.5 percent chance of winning $1 million, if you’re the winner — or, in other words, a 99.5 percent chance of not winning.

Entrant (frowning): Hmmm.

Me: Best of all, are you aware that you just consented to being contacted by mail, phone or email indefintely?

Entrant (shocked): What!?

Me: And not only by the promoter, but by their Alliance partners and media company. It’s all in that fine print on the back of the entry form. Are you still happy you entered that draw?

Caveat emptor (let the buyer beware), indefinitely!