Official Rules
No Purchase Necessary to Enter or Win. A purchase will not increase your chances of winning. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW OR REGULATION. PARTICIPANTS MUST BE 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AT THE TIME OF ENTRY. This Sweepstakes is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Twitter. You understand that you are providing your information to Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. and not to Twitter.
SWEEPSTAKES DESCRIPTION:
The SPG AMEX Stars 25,000 Starpoint Giveaway (the “Sweepstakes”) begins on Monday, May 7, 2012 at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (“EST”) and ends on Thursday, May 31, 2012 at 11:59:59 p.m. EST (the “Sweepstakes Period”). There will be (1) drawing to award one (1) prize by each participating Blogger (six in all). Entry in the Sweepstakes does not constitute entry into any other promotion, contest or sweepstakes. By participating in the Sweepstakes, each entrant unconditionally accepts and agrees to comply with and abide by these Sweepstakes Official Rules (the “Official Rules”) and the decisions of the sponsor of the Sweepstakes, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, In., One Starpoint, Stanford, CT 06902 (the “Sponsor” or “Starwood”) and COHEN-FRIEDBERG ASSOCIATES, LLC Framingham, MA 01702 (the “Administrator”), and each participating Blogger, whose decisions shall be final and legally binding in all respects.
Eligibility:
To enter the SPG AMEX Stars 25,000 Starpoint Giveaway, you must 18 years of age or older at the time of entry, or legal age to enter sweepstakes as required by each state. Employees, officers, directors, shareholders of Sponsor, Administrator, Ogilvy Public Relations, participating Bloggers, American Express and their respective parent, subsidiaries, limited liability and affiliated companies, and individuals providing services to any of the above or any of its affiliated companies through an outsourcer or temporary employment agency (collectively the “Sweepstakes Entities”) as well as the immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings, and children) and household members of such employees, officers, directors and individuals are not eligible. Void where prohibited or restricted by law or regulatory agency. Participation constitutes entrant’s full and unconditional agreement to these Official Rules and Administrator’s decisions, which are final and legally binding in all matters related to the Sweepstakes. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth in these Official Rules.
TO ENTER:
To participate you will need a Twitter account and a log in and be logged in. From your Twitter account;
Tweet the name of your favorite Starwood Property in New York (USA) with the hashtag #SPGAMEX to any one of the participating Bloggers to enter:
@OneMileATime, @LoyaltyTraveler, @TheVacationGals, @JohnnyJet, @Vagabondish or @PassivePanda.
All Tweets posted within the Sweepstakes Period will be entered in to that Sweepstakes drawing. Individuals may win a maximum of one (1) prize. Enter as often as you like.
Sweepstakes /DRAWING DATE:
A random drawing will be conducted by each participating Blogger on or about Monday, June 4, 2012 from all eligible entries received by each Blogger during the Sweepstakes Period. The Sweepstakes is conducted under the supervision of the Administrator.
Notification of Winners:
Potential winners will be contacted via Twitter and required to provide an e-mail address and phone number. The potential winner will be notified by e-mail or by phone within two (2) business days of the drawing. If, despite reasonable efforts, any potential prizewinner does not respond within (24) hours of the first notification attempt, or if the prize notification is returned as unclaimed or undeliverable such prizewinner will forfeit his or her prize and an alternate winner may be selected. If any potential prizewinner is found to be ineligible, or if he or she has not complied with these Official Rules or declines a prize for any reason prior to award, such potential prizewinner will be disqualified and an alternate winner may be selected. Each prizewinner inner will be required to sign an affidavit of eligibility/publicity and liability release, W-9 Tax payer request for identification form and return it properly executed, within (7) days of attempted notification as a condition of awarding the prize. If a potential prizewinner cannot be contacted, fails to fulfill all the requirements of the Sweepstakes, or if notices or prizes are returned as undeliverable, an alternate winner will be selected from the valid drawing pool. Winners are advised to seek independent counsel regarding the tax implications of accepting a Prize.Acceptance of any prize constitutes prizewinner’s permission for the Sponsor to use prizewinner’s name, photograph, image, likeness, voice, biographical information, statements and complete address (collectively, the “Attributes”), for advertising and/or publicity purposes worldwide and in all forms of media now known or hereafter devised, in perpetuity, without further compensation or authorization, (except where prohibited by law), and releases the Sweepstakes Entities from all claims arising out of the use of such Attributes
Once eligibility has been verified and the Administrator receives the winner’s mailing address, Sponsor will award the Prize (as defined below). Sponsor nor any of its subsidiaries or affiliates nor any of their respective officers, directors, employees or agents be liable for any unsuccessful efforts to notify or communicate with a potential winner. Odds of winning depend upon the number of eligible entries received.
An entrant is not a winner of any prize, even if the Sweepstakes SHOULD so indicate, unless and until entrant’s eligibility and the potential Winning ENTRY has been verified and entrant has been notified that verification is complete.
PRIZES/ODDS OF WINNING:
Odds of winning depend upon the number of eligible entries received
PRIZES: Only the prize listed for each drawing will be awarded in this Sweepstakes.
One (1) Grand Prize awarded by each Blogger (6 in total): 25,000 Starpoints, equal to one (1) night stay at a Category 6 property.
Approximate retail value $400.
All estimated retail values are subject to change based on, among other things, normal price fluctuations associated with the consumer marketplace. No substitution or transfer of prizes or cash equivalent is permitted. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value. Each winner is responsible for any applicable federal state or local taxes on any prize received. If the Prize or the Prize notification letter is returned as undeliverable or any non-compliance with the Official Rules or failure to respond and execute and return the appropriate forms within the applicable time period, it will result in forfeiture of the Prize and an alternate winner will be randomly selected from all remaining eligible entries received.
General Conditions:
By registering to enter this Sweepstakes, you affirm that you have read and accepted these Official Rules. Sponsor reserves the right to cancel, suspend and/or modify this Sweepstakes, or any part of it, at any time, if any fraud, technical failure or any other factor beyond Sponsor’s reasonable control impairs the integrity or proper functioning of this Sweepstakes, as determined by the 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 this Sweepstakes or to be acting in violation of these Official Rules or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner. Any attempt by any person to deliberately undermine the legitimate operation of this Sweepstakes may be a violation of criminal law, and should 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.
By entering this sweepstakes and/or accepting any Prize, entrant: (1) releases, discharges and agrees to indemnify and hold harmless SPONSOR, Sweepstakes Entities, and their respective parents, subsidiaries, limited liability and affiliated companies and advertising and Sweepstakes agencies, and each of their respective shareholders, officers, directors, employees, members, agents and assigns, (collectively, the “Released Parties”) from liability of any kind or nature for any loss, claims, damages, or injuries of any kind resulting in whole or in part, directly or indirectly from entrant’s participation in this sweepstakes or from the acceptance and use/misuse of any Prize
.
Sponsor is not responsible for: (1) any incorrect or inaccurate information in connection with this sweepstakes, whether caused by entrants, printing errors or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in this Sweepstakes; (2) technical failures of any kind, including, but not limited to, malfunctions, interruptions, or disconnections in phone lines, networks, hardware and/or software failures; (3) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process or this sweepstakes; (4) technical or human error which may occur in the administration of this sweepstakes or the processing of entries; (5) late, lost, undeliverable, damaged or stolen mail; or (6) 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 this sweepstakes or receipt or use or misuse of any Prize. If for any reason an entrant’s entry is confirmed to have been erroneously deleted, lost, or otherwise destroyed or corrupted, entrant’s sole and exclusive remedy is another entry in this Sweepstakes, provided that the entry Sweepstakes Period has not ended. If this Sweepstakes is canceled, suspended or modified, Sponsor, in its sole discretion, may elect to hold a random drawing from among all eligible entries received up to the date of discontinuance for any or all of the Prizes offered herein. No more than the stated number of Prizes will be awarded. In the event that production, technical, seeding, programming or any other reasons cause more than stated number of Prizes as set forth in these Official Rules to be available and/or claimed, Sponsor reserves the right to award only the stated number of Prizes by random drawing among all legitimate, un-awarded, eligible prizes claims.
Disputes:
Entrant agrees that any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of, or connected with, this sweepstakes or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and the venue for such litigation shall be the U.S. District Court for the state of Connecticut; provided that, if for any reason the federal court for the state of Connecticut will not or cannot hear such action or proceeding, the venue for such litigation shall be the courts of the State of Connecticut. Entrant irrevocably waives any objection, which entrant may now or hereafter have to the bringing of any such action or proceeding in such respective jurisdictions, including any objection to the laying of venue based on the grounds of forum non conveniens and any objection based on the grounds of lack of in personam jurisdiction. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, entrant’s rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of Sponsor in connection with this sweepstakes, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Connecticut, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of the State of Connecticut or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Connecticut. By participating in this sweepstakes, you HEREBY KNOWINGLY, VOLUNTARILY, AND INTENTIONALLY WAIVE ANY RIGHT THAT MAY EXIST TO HAVE A TRIAL BY JURY IN RESPECT OF ANY LITIGATION BASED UPON OR ARISING OUT OF, UNDER, OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH, THis sweepstakes.
WINNERS LIST/OFFICIAL RULES:
To obtain the name of the winners, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: SPG AMEX Stars 25,000 Starpoint Giveaway, PO Box 2274, Framingham, MA 01703-22274. All such requests must be received by 6/15/2012.
® Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc All Rights Reserved.
The use of any prize manufacturer or event, name or trademark in connection with the Sweepstakes is solely for the purpose of describing such prize or event location, and is not intended to suggest any affiliation or sponsorship