Questions to ask:

How much time, money or effort is required of me?

Is the entry free or do they require endless surveys or pages to be completed? Many companies require completion of multiple offers or subscriptions in order to be entered into their sweepstakes that cost you money and time.

Is there a privacy policy to protect my personal information?

Until I worked in an ad review position, I believed that all companies included a privacy policy; they don't. Look for specific company contact info if there is not a formal policy listed (name, address, email address, phone number).I like to see that they are willing to give the same information they are requesting.

Do I understand the terms and conditions?

Save yourself possible frustration and read the terms and conditions of the contest.The same holds true when joining an affiliate program. Recently prior to joining Kontera, I emailed them to ask about their payment policy because the terms and conditions state that they "shall not make any payment to Publisher until the accrued Revenue Share for a payment period is at least one hundred dollars ($100)". Assuming that they would pay their publishers what was owed, I asked them if an amount of less than $100 would be paid out in the case of termination of the partnership with their company. The answer was no. I was surprised and glad that I asked.

I want others to know how important it is to understand company policies prior to agreeing to them.This step saved me time, effort and possibly money (up to $100!).

Contests can be fun for you and beneficial for business, but if you feel uncomfortable giving out certain information, or agreeing to certain terms there may be a good reason. It is usually a good rule of thumb to trust your gut; trust yourself.

Don't assume anything. There are no stupid questions.

If you don't understand, contact the company and ask. There are no stupid questions when it comes to protecting yourself. Contact them in writing if possible so that you have a copy for future reference. If you decide to contact the company by phone, be sure to log the date and time of the call, a contact name and employee ID number if they have one. I've been in this situation and sometimes it's best to click on the X at the top of the page rather than continue. At the very least, it may cut down on junk mail!