Talk:Publishers Clearing House

No sources

PCH emplolyees are at it again. They removed info from "Controversies" section once again. User 216.255.103.250 who added Christopher Irving and Rick Busch to the "Key People" panel, removed new, factual, information, that while unflattering to PCH (especially as it now as a load of TV commercials running), contained sources and citations. Bilbobag (talk) 22:30, 8 January 2009 (UTC)

Users 162.84.138.17 and 69.113.10.115 have repeatedly and continuously removed or edited any information about Publishers Clearinbghouse that, while true and documented with references, is unflattering to the company. Have also attempted to turn this article into an advertising page for the company. Bilbobag (talk) 16:46, 23 October 2008 (UTC)

This entry has no sources, yet it makes some pretty strong claims about the company. --Maande10 06:48, 6 January 2006 (UTC)

This article needs to be rewritten so that it isn't a company puff piece. User:Zoe|^(talk) 04:24, 16 January 2006 (UTC)

This entry is lifted directly from the Publisher's Clearing House Web site. 13:08, 1 March 2006

Chances of winning

The rules say:

A limit of one online entry per day is allowed per individual and per e-mail address for each separate online promotion unless otherwise specified. Subsequent entries determined to be submitted from the same email address or from the same individual using multiple email addresses in violation of this rule will be declared ineligible.

Is one e-mail from them to me considered an online promotion, or is the entire campaign considered an "online promotion"? Hackwrench 17:39, 17 March 2006 (UTC)

Also,

Write-In Entry Instructions. You may write in as often as you like to enter our ongoing Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes at the address below. Sweepstakes eligibility will be based on date the write-in entry is received. Just mail each entry separately. We do not accept entries from a third party or entries sent in bulk.

Does that one per day rule apply to mail? Hackwrench 17:39, 17 March 2006 (UTC)

Those paragraphs aren't about "chances of winning", but my query is. I want to know what are the chances of winning $10,000,000 for various classes of contestants, and how much the company actually has paid out and does pay out over time. A friend of mine, not very savvy, is all excited and convinced his chance of winning is very likely! I'd like to point him to some realities. Unfree (talk) 00:31, 11 June 2009 (UTC)

See the last paragraph in History section; "In 2009, the odds for the top prize in Publisher's Clearing House Giveaway #1400 (a prize of ten million dollars) were 1 in 1.75-billion, the highest the odds have ever been for a PCH giveaway." Bilbobag (talk) 10:30, 24 June 2009 (UTC)

Is there any source that shows that the odds on the PCH website that are referenced are the worst ever? Without a source, I think that should be removed. Additionally, this does not seem to fit into the history section of the document. Perhaps a new section should be created for odds? But in order to make the statement that these are the worst ever, we kind of need some historical odds to show how they have been at other points in time? Also, it seems that on the website you can enter daily to win, so are those the worst odds, or the worst odds per single entry? Big difference because I think I used to get like 2 mailings a year, so I could enter twice. So even if the odds were 1 in 10 million than it would be like 1 in 5 million if I entered twice or .00002% chance. But if I can enter 365 times online and 2 by mail it is about the same at .000021%. So it might not be the worst odds ever, they might be better now. (but I am guessing here, these are not real numbers) Kennfusion (talk) 17:08, 29 August 2010 (UTC)

I have moved the odds of winning section into a new section titled Odds of Winning, since it belongs there and not in Company History. I also have removed the line about worst odds since, as that is an editorialized statement. I think this section needs to be built out more though to show the differences between individual odds and odds for many entries. I have to research their rules more though and get some clarifications. Kennfusion (talk) 15:21, 3 September 2010 (UTC)

Charitable Giving

The page cites Crain's NY Business as stating the company gives 50% of profits to charitable causes. There's nothing in the Crain's site when Publisher's Clearing House is searched to indicate this is true. There are no sources to confirm the statement about 50% of profits going to charity. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Bilbobag (talk • contribs) 21:24, 1 October 2008 (UTC)

If the company gives any money to charity, it can't, by definition, be considered profit. Perhaps you didn't pay close attention to the wording. Unfree (talk) 00:34, 11 June 2009 (UTC)

Vandalism to this page

March 7, 2009: Anonymous individuals (some/many of whom have IP addresses from a Publishers Clearing House server) consistently delete any information they feel is detrimental to PCH. This occurs even when the info deleted is 1) Accurate, and 2) Referenced with source material. This has occurred at least 4 times in the past 2 years

That comment doesn't carry much credibility without a signature. Unfree (talk) 00:36, 11 June 2009 (UTC)

This was my post...sorry for forgetting to sign. Bilbobag (talk) 10:27, 24 June 2009 (UTC)

Multi-channel

I don't know what that means. Is it that their commercials run on more than one television channel? That hardly seems worth mentioning. Unfree (talk) 00:42, 11 June 2009 (UTC)

From a marketing perspective "multi-channel" means that they use multiple communications channels; i.e., TV, internet, print, radio, direct mail, etc. Bilbobag (talk) 10:26, 24 June 2009 (UTC)

Page Revision

In addition to notation on this page that the controversy section should be integrated into the main body, there are serious problems with the sources also. All quotes in the controversy page do not actually exist in the sourced material, and some of those sources just do not exist, despite some heavy research. There are plenty of our sources out there though that do provide the same essential meaning. I have taken the time over the last couple weeks to re-write the history section to integrate the information in the controversy section in a linear/time line presentation. I have found new sources and have now properly quoted them. I am not sure if this is customary, but I will post the new proposed page here and see if there are any suggestions before taking the time to update the live page: Kennfusion (talk) 15:46, 22 August 2010 (UTC)

Ok, there were no comments in the past week on the proposed revision of the page, so I have made it live. This was the first time I have done anything on here that was not minor and anonymous, so if I made any mistakes please let me know so I learn. Kennfusion (talk) 12:42, 29 August 2010 (UTC)

Kennfusion Edits

Jan 9, 2011 Most of your edits have been undone by individuals with IP addresses in the vicinity of PCH HQ. This typically happens as they ready a new sweeps drawing. I have tried to undo many of these changes, but am not as proficient as you. Their version reads more like a "puff" or promo piece for PCH, than a factual, objective overview of the company. Bilbobag (talk) 16:14, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

Overall I like the changes. Good job!

I think it reads/flows much better. I made 1 minor change, but again, good job. Bilbobag (talk) 13:45, 29 August 2010 (UTC)

I have edited the one section from the first AG agreement to be more in line with the exact format from the press release. Kennfusion (talk) 15:22, 3 September 2010 (UTC)

Remaindering

I distinctly remember that at one time PCH carried a great many book titles at low prices. I would suppose these were remainders and the like. Is my memory wrong, or did PCH sell books? If they did sell remainders, then someone who remembers the details better than I do should incorporate the facts into the history section. Jm546 (talk) 03:51, 30 October 2010 (UTC)

upset that pch site dosent work right