Reading Competition Rules...

is really boring, but it's also very important as it could make the difference between being a potential winner or loser.

It's all too easy to make a mistake and then find that you've been disqualified.

All competition rules vary, but can include:

- Competition entries to be received by a specific time and date.

- Supplying full contact details including, name, gender, age/date of birth, home address, daytime/evening/home and mobile telephone numbers.

- Age restrictions.

THE FINAL SAY

In competitions, where you need to write answers, tiebreakers, slogans or address details, entries may be judged invalid if they are incomplete or illegible.

With online competitions, most will stipulate that you must have a valid e-mail address to enter.

Other rules can include:

- One entry per person only

- One entry per e-mail address only

- One entry per household only

- One entry per person per e-mail address per home address or household only

And don't forget, the Judge's/Promoter's/Organiser's/Editor's/Company's decision is always final.