impossible to win instant awards

[Tomsowa]

I'm deeply distrustful of the whole Rewards operation.

For one, I've gone through more than 400 consecutive Instant Wins and won nothing. NADA.

And why is that?  Anyone explain that?

And what about finding out some general information on who's winning the rewards sweepstakes? Is there any attempt on the part of the provider/operator or AARP Rewards to give out some information that explains there are real people winning the sweeps?

AND why can't the provider of AARP Rewards provide me a running total of my cumulative entries into a sweepstake? It used to do that, provide a running total on all my entries, but now it doesn't do that.

As always, I'm deeply skeptical of the people running this thing...

[andrewtoo]

        -------------------------------------------------------------

If you want win then just keep entering the Instant Win Games, every day if you can.

This $10 Home Depot Instant Win game that I won today has 450 potential winners (they are showing it as a "Super Play!") and it really seems to make a difference when they offer more than the standard 125 wins.  I don't know how many of my wins were from the Super Play games but the chance of winning seems higher and I recall a couple of other times I won a gift card from games like this one.

[rednexsrus]

Congrats @andrewtoo on that Instant Win. Keep it up

[BeachGirl23]

Congrats on winning! Like many others, for years now I have been playing the Instant Wins for places near me every day including the Super Play ones. I may win an Instant Win every 4 to 6 months, sometimes longer between wins. I have never won a Super Play though, as you say, the chances are better for winning one. I am glad somebody is winning them though.

[wh2708]

Used to think that the instant wins had to be entered at exactly midnight, EST. However, there must be an app on the dark web that some AARP users are taking advantage of that enter exactly midnight according to the Atomic clock. And the app is able to circumvent the screen delays, etc that normal users encounter. I would even go so far as to opine that the list of instant winners is almost always the same 50 people who have the DWapp. I really don't care about most of them since there are no PEET coffee shops in my locale, but occasionally, the Amazon $50 gift card comes up and I do use Amazon. However, like you Tom, I may not have tried 400 times, but I know it's been over a hundred and I've never won one either. During my lifetime, I have won some things where a drawing was held, but I knew that they were legitimate to begin with. I've never seen a winners list either. AARP is not really interested in old people I don't think. I think it's all about the bottom line. Been a paying member for at least 29 years now. Not sure how someone like @BillD916633 is up to 7 instant wins in one week. Maybe they only look at instant win entries during certain time frames and not others. Oh well. Maybe next time.

[BeachGirl23]

You can get a list of winners by going to any Instant Win offering and click on the 'Official Rules' link. A list of the past current and past Instant Wins will be presented in red. Click on one of these - it does not matter which one you click on as the winner list is the same for all. Go to the bottom of the 'Official Rules' - the very bottom, like #14 paragraph labeled 'Winner List' . There will be a link in red labeled 'click here'. All of the Instant winners are listed by date. This list appears to be a rolling list of dates. Right now it has the last 6 months of winners by dates. It used to be only 3 months but I guess they aren't cleaning it up anymore so length of time listed is longer. Most certainly, they do not make it easy for us to find or use.

For convenience, I suggest you save the file into a .pdf file on your device (just print to pdf file instead of a printer) giving it a file name convenient for you. If you then pull up that pdf file, you have the ability to search the file for a date, name, business (Home Depot, Burger King, etc) or whatever interests you. 

Best of luck!

[allansmom]

Do you know where to see who wins sweepstakes?

[KellytheBelly]

Hi, @allansmom. You can find the winners list here: http://winlists.helloworld.com/245438_SW.pdf

[Tomsowa]

   I have given up entirely on the whole AARP Reward game. I haven’t won any instant win in more than a year; my spouse has entered hundreds of times this year in sweeps and instants and has zero wins.

  Maybe I’m trying to win in only a few select categories for prizes I’d use. But the whole  thing just reeks to me. It can’t be truly random. 

[coolmaine]

Same here, but I keep trying everyday. Nothing is easy these days.

[BeachGirl23]

So here is what is so weird to me. In the past I have complained multiple times about the Instant Wins and, according to the winners list, the number of people who will win 10, 14 times in the period of the win list. As soon as I do that, within 3 days, I win an Instant Win. I am sure it is a coincidence. Please let us know if you win one soon. 🤗

[shamit]

The instant wins have never been at midnight Eastern time.  That is only when they are posted.  The winners (most have 125 winners) are at random times throughout the week.  And I don't remember when there was a $50 Amazon card in the instant wins.  The only $50 cards I see are for purchase on a Daily Deal during a special week. Like this week.

I hadn't had an instant win since April, but then last week I won a $10 Staples card at a little after 10 in the morning central time.  When I have won it has never been at midnight.

Midnight Eastern time is the time the time they start the Extra Credit on the 1st of the month.  Noon Eastern time is the time they have the Daily Deals.

[shamit]

Just a follow up.  October must be a lucky month for me.  Not only did I win the $10 Staples instant win card, I also won one of the $100 Zappos sweepstakes cards. I never thought I would win a sweepstakes when I wait so long to win an Instant Win.  All this in just 10 days.  Hope others here get some of this luck.

[KellytheBelly]

@wh2708  Actually, there is a Daily Instant Winners List, here: https://community.aarp.org/t5/Redemption/Links-to-Sweepstakes-Winners/m-p/2520366#M8488 | https://winlists.helloworld.com/245438_IW.pdf

08-19-2023 10:34 AM

@BillD916633 wrote: 'We're back up to 7 Instant Wins again this week 8/19/23,' meaning there were (at the time) 7 instant wins available in the AARP Rewards catalog, not that he won 7 instant wins in a week. There had been a fluctuation of available instant wins anywhere from 5 - 6, then there was a surprising 7 instant wins available on the above-mentioned date.

Hope this helps! 

---

@wh2708 wrote:

Used to think that the instant wins had to be entered at exactly midnight, EST. However, there must be an app on the dark web that some AARP users are taking advantage of that enter exactly midnight according to the Atomic clock. And the app is able to circumvent the screen delays, etc that normal users encounter. I would even go so far as to opine that the list of instant winners is almost always the same 50 people who have the DWapp. I really don't care about most of them since there are no PEET coffee shops in my locale, but occasionally, the Amazon $50 gift card comes up and I do use Amazon. However, like you Tom, I may not have tried 400 times, but I know it's been over a hundred and I've never won one either. During my lifetime, I have won some things where a drawing was held, but I knew that they were legitimate to begin with. I've never seen a winners list either. AARP is not really interested in old people I don't think. I think it's all about the bottom line. Been a paying member for at least 29 years now. Not sure how someone like @BillD916633 is up to 7 instant wins in one week. Maybe they only look at instant win entries during certain time frames and not others. Oh well. Maybe next time.

---

[rednexsrus]

Thanks @KellytheBelly  for clearing up that post from @wh2708 concerning @BillD916633 and the 7 Instant Wins in one week. Common sense should tell that is impossible, besides HelloWorld would never stand for that. 
Just trying to understand why @wh2708 has only 2 post since 2016  and that was one of them 🤔 🤔

[KellytheBelly]

@rednexsrus  🔍 IKR! 

Here's a pic/one for you! ⤵️  Happy Halloween! 😁

[rednexsrus]

That’s awesome @KellytheBelly I didn’t think about that one, that was a favorite franchise of mine.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 

[BillD916633]

HEY EVERYBODY

There back !! 
We're back up to 7 Instant Wins again this week 8/19/23

Hope it last 🤪🤪😜

[KellytheBelly]

For anyone interested, you'll be happy to know that I finally won an Instant Win!

🎉 Lucky Me! 🎉  😂

(@Jason2020LovesKelly Don't be jelly. 😂 😘💕)

[Jason2020LovesKelly]

Boom Bam! 

[KellytheBelly]

@Jason2020LovesKelly Congratulations, honey! 🎉

[shamit]

Happy to see you won one.  And a good one at that.  I am still waiting and so is my husband.  The rate of winning has gone dramatically.

[AnneG461594]

Good for you Kelly!!!!!  I just got the DSW one that my daughter is using for wedding shoes!  Well deserved for all the heads-up you give us

[KellytheBelly]

Well, 'Congratulations to you,' @AnneG461594! How awesome your daughter is getting married. Awww. Thank you for your kind words. 🙂

[11320cs]

I have won an instant reward before but now I find that I cannot win one.  I haven’t won any for a while.  I am back to wondering if they really exist.  I am sure they do.  However, there must be many, many people playing and I just can’t get one.  If they spread 125 rewards out over seven days then that is only about 18 a day.  But who knows if that is how they put them out there for a chance for people to win.  They could do 125 in one day.  And why do nonmembers get to play for instant rewards?  It does make the whole rewards program very frustrating.  And what happened to having seven instant rewards everyday?  I have seen only six for a while.  I guess there is always hope or maybe not.  I am just frustrated.  I would just like to get lucky once in a while and win.  And the sweepstakes, well, put me down as Never have won.   But that is another subject.

[jserramcorder]

I play the IWG daily just to use up my points.  I will get a few now and then, sometimes two in a row (I think it happened twice in 3 years) but I have not gotten anything for months now.  On a different note, in the last 4 years or whenever they changed their program, I won two major gifts--$100 Old Navy gift card and a device for communicating with your grandkids--that one was a fluke.  I entered it  without reading what it was.  2 or 3 days later I looked at the prize and realized it was not anything I could use.  At the end of the month they told me I won.  Hope other wins are out ther but not holding my breath....

[shamit]

I know the feeling.  No sweepstakes for me or my husband.  I used to win an instant win about once every 4 to 6 weeks.  Haven't won one in 4 to 6 months now.  Things have definitely changed since they decided to go after the young people down to 18 years old, Not to mention letting people who aren't members enter everything, and having very few cards for points that are for members only.  And let's not forget most of those cards are hidden.

[andrewtoo]

Hey guys...

I am pleased with my instant wins this year.

I have now won five of them. 

I won twice in January which, of course, is the

likelihood of being "struck by lightening," or so

it would seem.

Three wins were via the free entry method and two

were won from the "tiles" in the online catalog this

year.

Entering via the free method can be frustrating at

times and you only save 350 points per day by

using it (7x50pts).  You can win by using either method and

the "points method" is faster and easier making

it more likely that you will enter every day.

I enter the instant wins every day that I have

Internet access.  When I am away from my

laptop, then I pull up rewards and just enter via the

points method otherwise I generally go through the free

entry method.

So...my last instant win was less than two weeks

ago after entering from a tile.  As shown below:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Keep entering, it doesn't even cost points!

I enjoy this program, warts and all.  But, I can understand those who

don't think it is worth the time to earn and play, however, unusually

lucky times will surprise us, if we only keep trudging along.

Sorry for the long post...

[andrewtoo]

For what it's worth...

While this was not a typical 4 month period, I won 4 instant win certificates from the beginning of this year until the end of April 2023.  I just keep trying and I go long periods without an instant win.

[SeniorOmelette]

Do we know what the actual odds of winning are?  They say things like "Play for a chance to be 1 of 125 winners" but that doesn't mean you have a 1 in 125 chance of winning, only that there are 125 winners in total.  It's just really unclear what your chances are.