Dead Contests?

[jackli]

What do you do if a contest you've entered in Marketplace appears to have died -- i.e., the "owner" seems to have run off?

I've checked to make sure the owner has a couple of reputable postings on Forums before entering, but it seems like the Guidelines they offer to entrants aren't always safe.

[trampt]

Well that is one of the problems when you do work on spec.

[petertdavis]

Nobody can really force a contest holder to select a winner. I guess you could withdraw your entry from consideration, which may be a moot point if the contest holder really had run off.

[jackli]

Can SP ban the contest "owner" from posting further contests if they've had a history of dealing irresponsibly with contests?

[ses5909]

With the new contest system in place, there is extra security provided. In the old system, a contest holder could post a contest, run off and a month later start a new one if they wanted. Now, however, they cannot start any more contests, or listings in the marketplace at all for that matter, until the resolve their current contest.

Now, if a contest holder runs a successful contest, and does not see anything they like, they do not have to choose a winner. We can't make anyone choose a design they will be unhappy with. We do everything to encourage them to, but that's all we can do. What we ask is that the CH come into the contest and let everyone know rather than just disappear.

If a CH has repeated behavior of holding contests and not finding a winner, this behavior doesn't go unnoticed.

[dingaling]

Just to continue this a little further, how long is a contest held on "Contest Expired Waiting For Result" before it is eventually closed down?

[Matt Mickiewicz]

Can SP ban the contest "owner" from posting further contests if they've had a history of dealing irresponsibly with contests?

A ban from the marketplace is automatically instituted if a contest is abandoned and the contest holder doesn't leave feedback on each and every entry submitted.