(iii)

today i took a visit to the rules page for the sweepstakes and read it start to finish. however, before i even finished the first paragraph i made a shocking discovery. to understand this, first we need to go back to september of 2018.

during the off season, hgtv and diy network host a couple of other sweepstakes. these are the HGTV Smart Home and the DIY Network Ultimate Retreat Giveaway.  i enter these to 'get my fix' while waiting for the Dream Home sweepstakes to return. anyway, similar to what i did today, i read through the rules for the ultimate retreat giveaway and noticed something in the 'how to enter' section. here's the paragraph from that page, with the important part highlighted:

How to Enter: Beginning at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time (“ET”) on August 6, 2018 until 5:00 p.m. ET on September 26, 2018 (the “Sweepstakes Period”), you may enter the DIY Network (“DIY Network”) – DIY Network Ultimate Retreat Giveaway 2018 sweepstakes (the “Sweepstakes”) in any of the following ways: (i) online, by visiting the DIY Network website (www.diynetwork.com) (the “DIY Network Website”) and completing and submitting the online entry form (limit one (1) online entry, per valid email address, per eligible person per day For purposes of this Promotion, a “day” begins at 12:00 a.m. ET and ends at 11:59 p.m. ET unless specified otherwise); (ii) online, by visiting the HGTV website (www.HGTV.com) (the “HGTV Website” and collectively with the DIY Network Website, the “Websites”) and completing and submitting the online entry form (limit one (1) online entry, per valid email address, per eligible person per day); and/or (iii) by mail, by hand printing your name, complete address, phone number (including area code) and date of birth either on a postcard or on a separate piece of paper no larger than 8½ x 11 inches, and mailing the postcard or paper in an envelope with the proper postage affixed to: “DIY Network Ultimate Retreat Giveaway 2018, PO Box 52226 Knoxville, TN 37950”. Entrants using US mail may enter as often as they wish. Mail-in entries must be postmarked by September 26, 2018 and received by October 3, 2018. Limit one (1) entry per stamped envelope. Mechanically reproduced or pre-printed mailing labels or entries generated by script, macro or other automated or mechanical means and entries by any means which subvert the entry process will not be accepted. Mechanical stamping machines are acceptable. Incorrect, illegible, corrupt, and incomplete entries are void. These official rules are also available at the Websites or by writing to DIY Network Ultimate Retreat Giveaway 2018 - Rules Request, PO Box 52151, Knoxville, TN 37950.
entrants using US mail may enter as often as they wish. could that be true? a potential for unlimited entries? i reached out to diy network to confirm this with them. here's the response email i received:

so it was true. unlimited mail-in entries. i wasn't sure what to do with this knowledge, but i held on to it and waited for the next Dream Home sweepstakes.

back to the present. i peek at the rules for the Dream Home 2019 and.... no mention of a mail-in option. just the two online entry forms. surely this wasn't because of my inquiry. it must have never existed for the Dream Home. perhaps there's a difference in rules between the sweepstakes hosted by diy network vs. hgtv. or maybe it's just more relaxed for the ultimate retreat. these were the rationalizations that swept through me. just to be sure, i pulled up rules page for the 2018 Dream Home sweepstakes using the wayback machine. and right there, below options (i) and (ii), was the mail-in option.

what gives, scripps?

where is the mail-in option?

why was it removed?

we want answers.

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total entries: 82