Mystery Diagnosis Challenge Sweepstakes (“Sweepstakes”)
OFFICIAL RULES
NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO PARTICIPATE OR WIN. A PURCHASE DOES NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. OPEN ONLY TO LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE 50 UNITED STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA WHO ARE 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AT THE TIME OF ENTRY AND LOCATED IN THE UNITED STATES AT THE TIME OF ENTRY.
- Eligibility: Open and offered only to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, 18 years of age or older at the time of entry. The following are not eligible: employees, contractors, directors and officers of Elsevier Inc. (the “Sponsor”), its parent, subsidiaries and affiliated companies, distributors, web design, advertising, fulfillment, legal, judging and sweepstakes agencies involved in the administration, development, fulfillment and execution of this Sweepstakes (collectively, “Sweepstakes Parties”), and the immediate family members of each (spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, and spouse or "step" of each) and those living in their same households (those persons whether related or not who live in the same residence for at least three months during the twelve-month period preceding the start date of the Sweepstakes). VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.
- Sweepstakes Period: You may enter the Sweepstakes between 12:00:01 am Central Time (“CT”) on July, 05, 2010 and 11:59:59 pm CT on September 12, 2010 (“Sweepstakes Period”).
- How to Enter: There are two (2) methods to enter the Sweepstakes: by playing the Mystery Diagnosis game online and via mail. By Playing Online: During the Sweepstakes Period visit www.mdchallenge.com (“Website”), and proceed, per the online instructions, to register for the Sweepstakes (including indicating your agreement to the Official Rules, Terms of Use and Privacy Statement). Registration is free. Following registration, or after signing in, click the Mystery Diagnosis Challenge icon. A video will play in which a patient describes their symptoms; next you can conduct research to submit a proper diagnosis. You will be instantly notified whether the diagnosis you submitted was correct. Upon submitting your diagnosis, you will receive one (1) entry into the Sweepstakes (for both the current Weekly Drawing and for the Grand Prize Drawing), regardless of whether your diagnosis is correct. A new video with a new patient will be posted each week during the Sweepstakes Period. Limit one (1) Sweepstakes entry per registered user/email address per week (one for each patient). Via Mail: To enter the Sweepstakes without playing online, on a piece of paper, approximately 3” by 5”, legibly hand-print your full name, complete home address (no P.O. boxes please), date of birth, daytime phone number, email address and mail your entry to: Mystery Diagnosis Challenge Sweepstakes AMOE, P.O. Box 518 Elmhurst, IL 60126. Mail-in entries are not required to provide a diagnosis. Entry must be mailed in a hand-addressed, postmarked outer envelope. Limit one (1) mailed entry per outer postmarked envelope and one mailed entry each week. Entries must be postmarked by September 11, 2010 and received by September 18, 2010. No photocopies or mechanically reproduced entries allowed. Sponsor is not responsible for late, lost, misdirected, mutilated, incomplete, illegible, or postage-due entries or mail. Entries are property of Sponsor and will not be returned. All entries have an equal chance of winning. By participating, entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of the judges, which are final and binding in all respects. Any attempt by any participant to obtain more than the stated number of entries by using multiple/different email addresses, identities, registrations and logins, or any other methods will void that participant’s entries and that participant may be disqualified. Use of any automated system to participate is prohibited and will result in disqualification.
- Weekly Drawings: There will be ten (10) weekly drawings (each a “Weekly Drawing”) throughout the Sweepstakes Period. One (1) winner will randomly be selected in each Weekly Drawing from all eligible entries received for the corresponding week. Mailed entries will be entered into the Weekly Drawing for the week corresponding to the date the entry was mailed, i.e., the postmark date, provided the entry is received in time for the corresponding Weekly Drawing. Odds of winning a Weekly Drawing depend on the number of eligible entries received. Weekly Drawings will be conducted within approximately three (3) days after the end of each week of the Sweepstakes Period (per the chart below). Non-winning entries will not be carried over into subsequent Weekly Drawings. Limit one (1) Weekly Drawing prize per person and/or household throughout the Sweepstakes Period. If you win a Weekly Drawing prize you are still eligible to win the Grand Prize.
Weekly Entry Period
Drawing Date
July 05, 2010 - July 11, 2010
July 14, 2010
July 12, 2010 - July 18, 2010
July 21, 2010
July 19, 2010 - July 25, 2010
July 28, 2010
July 26, 2010 - August 1, 2010
August 4, 2010
August 2, 2010 - August 8, 2010
August 11, 2010
August 9, 2010 - August 15, 2010
August 18, 2010
August 16, 2010 - August 22, 2010
August 25, 2010
August 23, 2010 - August 29, 2010
September 1, 2010
August 30, 2010 - September 5, 2010
September 8, 2010
September 6, 2010 - September 12, 2010
September 22, 2010
Ten (10) Weekly Prizes: a 16GB Wi-Fi enabled Apple iPad. Color may vary and will be determined solely by the Sponsor. Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”) of each Weekly Prize: $499.00. Apple is a registered trademark and iPad is a trademark of Apple, Inc. Apple, Inc. is no way affiliated with this Sweepstakes.
- Grand Prize Drawing: One (1) Grand Prize winner will be selected in a random drawing from all eligible entries received for the entire Sweepstakes Period. Odds of winning the Grand Prize depend on the number of eligible entries received during the entire Sweepstakes Period. Drawing will be conducted on or about September 22, 2010.
One (1) Grand Prize: A trip for winner and one (1) verified travel guest (“Guest”) to Turks & Caicos. Package includes: round-trip air transportation to/from a gateway airport nearest winner’s residents within the U.S. to Turks & Caicos; ground transportation to/from airport/Turkoise Club Med Resort; six (6) days/five (5) nights of lodging accommodations at the Turkoise Club Med Resort in Turks & Caicos (standard room/double occupancy); and all-inclusive meals. ARV of the Grand Prize is $5,100. Actual value of prize trip may vary depending on Winner’s point of travel origin, airfare and hotel rate fluctuations. Any difference between the stated ARV and actual value will not be awarded. Airport, airline, and hotel accommodations will be determined by the Sponsor. All meals, gratuities, luggage fees, incidental hotel charges and other expenses associated with prize trip not specifically mentioned in these Official Rules are the Winner’s responsibility. Trip must be booked at least 30 days prior to departure and completed by September 30, 2011, or Grand Prize will be forfeited. Winner and Guest must travel on same itinerary, comply with all security requirements for travel and are solely responsible for obtaining all necessary travel documents prior to departure date for travel (e.g., a valid Passport). Winner and/or Guest’s participation in any or all activities on the prize trip is voluntary. Guest accompanying winner must sign and return a release of liability/publicity before travel will be booked. The Turkoise Club Med resort is an adults-only resort therefore the travel companion must be eighteen (18) or older.
For All Prizes: No cash equivalent is available. Prizes are non-transferable and no substitution will be made except as provided herein at the Sponsor's sole discretion. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute any listed prize for one of equal or greater value for any reason. Winners are responsible for all taxes and fees associated with prize receipt and/or use, and Grand Prize winner will be issued an IRS Form 1099 for the value of the prize.
Total approximate retail value of all prizes in this Sweepstakes is: $10,090. - Entry Conditions and Release: By entering, each participant agrees to: (a) comply with and be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor and/or the Sweepstakes administrators which are binding and final in all matters relating to this Sweepstakes; (b) release and hold harmless the Sponsor and each of its respective parents, subsidiary, and affiliated companies, the prize suppliers and any other organizations responsible for sponsoring, fulfilling, administering, advertising or promoting the Sweepstakes, and all of its respective past and present officers, directors, employees, agents and representatives (collectively, the “Released Parties”) from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liability, including but not limited to negligence and damages of any kind to persons and property arising out of or relating to a participant's entry, submission of an entry, participation in the Sweepstakes, acceptance or use or misuse of prize (including any travel or activity related thereto); and (c) indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Sponsor from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liabilities (including reasonable attorneys fees) arising out of or relating to an entrant’s participation in the Sweepstakes and/or entrant’s acceptance, use or misuse of prize.
- Publicity: Except where prohibited, participation in the Sweepstakes constitutes winners consent to Sponsor's and its agents' use of winner's name, likeness, photograph, voice, opinions and/or hometown and state for promotional purposes in any media, worldwide, without further payment or consideration.
- General Conditions: Potential winners are subject to verification. Grand Prize winner will be notified by mail and will be required to complete, sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility/Liability Release and, where lawful, a Publicity Release and an IRS W-9 within ten (10) days of attempted notification or Grand Prize may be forfeited. Weekly prizes will ship out 4 to 6 weeks after the Sweepstakes Period to the address used at time of registration. Sponsor reserves the right to cancel, suspend and/or modify the Sweepstakes, or any part of it, if any fraud, technical failures or any other factor beyond Sponsor's reasonable control impairs the integrity or proper functioning of the Sweepstakes, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. In the event of termination, Sponsor will award all remaining prizes in a random drawing from all eligible entries received as of the time of termination, or in another random and equitable manner determined by Sponsor. Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual it finds to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Sweepstakes or to be acting in violation of these Official Rules or any other promotion or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner. Any attempt by any person to deliberately undermine the legitimate operation of the Sweepstakes may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. Sponsor's failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.
- Limitations of Liability: The Released Parties are not responsible for: (1) any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by entrants, printing errors or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Sweepstakes; (2) technical failures of any kind, including, but not limited to malfunctions, interruptions, or disconnections in phone lines or network hardware or software; (3) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process or the Sweepstakes; (4) technical or human error which may occur in the administration of the Sweepstakes or the processing of entries; or (5) any injury or damage to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from entrant's participation in the Sweepstakes or receipt or use or misuse of any prize.
- Disputes: Entrant agrees that: (i) any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Sweepstakes, or any prizes awarded, other than those concerning the administration of the Sweepstakes or the determination of winners, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action; (ii) any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Sweepstakes, or any prizes awarded, shall be resolved exclusively by the United States District Court located in St. Louis, Missouri; (iii) any and all claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering this Sweepstakes, but in no event attorneys' fees; and (iv) under no circumstances will entrant be permitted to obtain awards for, and entrant hereby waives all rights to claim punitive, incidental and consequential damages and any other damages, other than for actual out-of-pocket expenses, and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of the entrant and Sponsor in connection with the Sweepstakes, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Missouri, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of the State of Missouri or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Missouri.
- Entrant's Personal Information: Information collected from entrants is subject to the Sponsor's Privacy Policy which is available at http://www.mdchallenge.com/privacy-policy.php.
- Winners List: For winner names, send a self addressed, stamped envelope postmarked by October 22, 2010 and received by October 29, 2010 to: Mystery Diagnosis Challenge Sweepstakes Winners List Requests, PO Box 1095, Elmhurst, IL 60126.
- Sponsor: Elsevier Inc., 3251 Riverport Lane, Maryland Heights, MO 63043.
