Sweepstakes Rules

Official Rules: When Words Count Retreat

NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. ALL FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, AND MUNICIPAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS APPLY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

1.         SPONSOR: The When Words Count Retreat (the “Retreat”) Grand Opening Sweepstakes, (the “Sweepstakes”) is sponsored by When Words Count Press, LLC,  DBA When Words Count Retreat, 1764 Marsh Brook Road Rochester, VT 05767, (“Sponsor”).
2.         WHO CAN ENTER? NO PURCHASE NECESSARY: The Sweepstakes is open only to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada, who are Published Authors, 18 years of age or older with a new book currently under development, and who are not: Employees of When Words Count Press, LLC, When Words Count Retreat, their advertising and promotion agencies, their agents, independent contractors or employees. Prohibited individuals also include any of the aforementioned’s immediate family members, (parents, children, spouse, siblings) and those living in the same household (whether related or not), collectively known as “Ineligible Individuals” as such individuals are not eligible. Void in Puerto Rico and wherever prohibited by law. (To prove authorship of a book, entrant will be required to provide The Sponsor, through the official Sweepstakes Entry Form) with a direct, active sales link to his or her published book on a recognized online book-retailing website (i.e., Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, etc.) where his or her original title is currently being offered for sale. Said link must lead to information identifying the entrant as the work’s author.)
3.         HOW TO ENTER: Enter The Sweepstakes on-line by filling out the official entry form at https://whenwordscountretreat.com/grand-opening-giveaway/ or by following Sweepstakes promotional links on https://whenwordscountretreat.com . Online entry form limit: one entry form per email address holder. Multiple submissions by the same person, but under a different email addresses, shall disqualify the entrant.
4.          OFFICIAL CONTEST PERIOD AND ENTRY RESTRICTIONS: The Sweepstakes begins at midnight, (12:00 a.m. EST) August 20, 2012 and ends on Friday, August 31, 2012 at 11:59 PM EST. ALL ENTRIES MUST BE RECEIVED no later than August 31, 2012 at 11:59 PM (EST). No illegible, incomplete, forged or altered email entries will be accepted. Sponsor and judges are not responsible for late or misdirected entries or for errors, omissions, interruptions, deletions, defects or delays in operations or transmission of information, in each case whether arising by way of technical or other failures or malfunctions of computer hardware, software, communications devices, or transmission lines or data corruption, theft, destruction, unauthorized access to or alteration of entry materials, loss or otherwise. Sponsor disclaims any liability for damage to any computer system resulting from participation in, or accessing or downloading information in connection with this Sweepstakes. Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to cancel, terminate or suspend this Sweepstakes and award all prizes from among eligible entries received as of the time of such action, should any virus bug, unauthorized human intervention or other causes beyond Sponsor’s control corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness or proper conduct of the Sweepstakes. Each on-line entry will be deemed to have been submitted by the record holder of the e-mail account from which the entry originated. Entrant agrees that the information supplied on the Entry Form or on Sponsor websites may be used for marketing purposes. ANY ATTEMPT BY AN INDIVIDUAL TO DELIBERATLEY DAMAGE OR TAMPER WITH WEBSITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE SWEEPSTAKES IS IN VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK REMEDIES AND DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH INDIVIDUAL TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, INCLUDING CRIMINAL PROSECUTION; AND IF SUCH INDIVIDUAL ENTERS THE SWEEPSTAKES HE/SHE WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.
5.         SELECTION OF THE WINNERs: Winner selection shall occur between midnight, on Friday, August, 31, 2012 and on or about Monday, September 3, 2012. Fifty (50) Grand Prize winners shall be selected at random, by a third-party service, from a pool consisting of all qualifying entries. The Sponsor shall have sole discretion in selecting the third-party service; but no ineligible individual or employee of an Ineligible Individual may be selected. The third-party service that pulls the winning names will be the official conductor of the drawing. The official conductor’s decisions are final and binding in all respects. By participating, entrants agree to abide by and be bound by the Official Rules and the decisions of the official conductor. Actual means of notification to be determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion.
6.         GRAND PRIZE/APPROXIMATE RETAIL VALUE (ARV). Fifty (50) Grand Prizes: Free accommodations (room only) at the When Words Count Retreat for FIFTY (50) three-day/two-night stays, starting on any designated Monday or Wednesday in October 2012, (Retail Value: $ 278.50 per grand prize.) (Collectively, the grand prizes are referred to herein as the “Grand Prize(s) or Prize(s).”)


7.        Room availability: Room reservations may be secured on a first-come, first-served basis by any verified winner who has submitted a completed, signed Declaration of Compliance. To reserve the Grand Prize Room on the date preferred, the winner must provide the Sponsor with a valid, credit card number and authorize the Sponsor to place a $100 hold on the card. Should the winner fail to arrive at the retreat on his or her designated arrival date, the $100 hold will be converted into a non-refundable $100 credit-card charge to partially compensate the Sponsor for the lost use of the room – and for preventing the Sponsor’s from assigning the room to an alternate, replacement winner. The winner may still arrive on the following day and claim the Grand Prize’s remaining one-night accommodation.) Days and Numbers of Prize Rooms Available. Six (6) Grand Prize rooms will be made available on each Monday and four (4) Grand Prize rooms will be made available on each Wednesday during the first, third and fifth weeks in October. Four (4) Grand Prize rooms will be made available on each Monday and six (6) Grand Prize rooms will be made available on each Wednesday during the second and fourth weeks in October.Check-in is between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.. (The final Wednesday in October is October, 31st. Winners who reserve October 31 arrival dates will depart on Friday, November 2, 2012.) The Grand Prize is NOT TRANSFERRABLE to any third party. However, each winner may invite one guest join him or her and share the Grand Prize room. (If the guest requires a cot, a $15 fee shall be assessed for each night.)
8.           ODDS OF WINNING: Odds of winning a grand prize shall be no more than 50 divided by the total number of eligible entries received.
9.         SWEEPSTAKES WINNER NOTIFICATIONS: Winners shall be notified by phone or e-mail, no more than two times, on or about Monday, September 3, 2012. The Sponsor also will post a complete list of winners’ names (First initial and last name only) on its Facebook Page on or about Monday, September 3, 2012. Contestants who do not find an email notification in their inboxes may visit the Facebook page to look for a similar name to theirs and then follow the directions provided to determine if they are, indeed, among the Grand Prize Winners.
10.       WINNER’S RESPONSIBILITIES:  Grand Prize winners will be required (except where prohibited by law) to claim their prizes by signing an Affidavit of Eligibility, Liability Release and a Publicity Release (collectively known as a “Declaration of Compliance”) within 5 days of the prize email notifications being sent. The Grand Prize may be awarded to alternate winners if the winner fails to email a scanned, signed copy of the Declaration of Compliance to The Sponsor’s email address no more than 5 days after the Sponsor emails the prize notification to the winner, or if the prize notification email should be returned as undeliverable. Winners will not be able to reserve their stays at the Retreat until they have signed, completed and returned the Declaration of Compliance packet. Except where prohibited, participation in Sweepstakes constitutes winner’s consent to the Sponsor’s use of the winner’s name, likeness, voice, opinions and suggestions, testimonials, hometown, state and nation for business development and/or promotional purposes in any media, worldwide, without further payment or consideration. The Grand Prize is non-transferable. No prize substitution will be given. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute Prize (or any part of the Prize) with a prize of equal or greater value. By entering, you agree to accept the whole Prize. Any difference between stated approximate value and the actual value of sweepstakes Grand Prize will not be awarded. If you do not believe you can accept the whole prize, you must forfeit the Prize and allow another winner’s name to be drawn, time permitting.
11.       RELEASE: By participating, entrants agree, and by accepting prize, winners agree, to release and hold harmless When Words Count Press, LLC, of Baltimore, MD and all of its affiliate and subsidiary companies (Including without limitation, When Words Count Retreat, of Rochester, VT, and their affiliates, agents and subsidiaries, and the officers, directors, shareholders, agents and employees of any of the above entities organizations from any and all liability, loss or damage incurred by participating in these Sweepstakes and/or the awarding, receipt, acceptance, possession or use/misuse of the Prize.
12.       WINNERS LIST/RULES REQUESTS: For the name of the Grand Prize Winners, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope by September 15, 2012 to: The When Words Count Retreat Sweepstakes, When Words Count Press, LLC, P.O. Box 26900 Baltimore, MD 21212. For a copy of the official rules, please send a self-address letter headed “Care of: Official Rules” to the same address.
13.       MODIFICATION: Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to modify, cancel, postpone, delay, suspend and/or terminate this Sweepstakes game in whole or in part in the event that the Sweepstakes game is not capable of running as planned or as intended by these Official Rules by reason of any of the technical or other disabling causes as described in Rule 4 above or other causes that, in the sole discretion of the Sponsor, impair, corrupt or interrupt the administration, fairness, security or integrity or proper play of the Sweepstakes game, including without limitation, hurricane, fire, flood, epidemic, earthquake, explosion, labor dispute or strike, act of God or public enemy, war, terrorist threat or activity or insurrection. In the event of cancellation, Sponsor shall award the Sweepstakes Prize (or a prize of equal or greater value) in a random drawing from all eligible, non-suspect entries received as of the time of cancellation. Sweepstakes are initially provided by Sponsors to entrant under the name “The When Words Count Retreat Grand Opening Sweepstakes” but the name of the Sweepstakes is subject to change at the discretion of the Sponsor and any such name change shall be posted along with the rules at www.whenwordscountretreat.com/grand-opening-giveaway/ . Additional companies or organizations may join in sponsoring the Sweepstakes and such additions shall likewise be posted at www.whenwordscountretreat.com .
14.      NOT SPONSORED BY FACEBOOK. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. You understand that you are providing your information to When Words Count Press, LLC and not to Facebook. The information you provide will only be used to send you promotional e-mails, if you opt-in to receive more information.