In recent years, adverts have been popping up on the TV offering amazing prizes worth millions of pounds. All you need to do is buy entries from Omaze, a brand you may never have heard of. When something sounds too good to be true from a brand you’ve unfamiliar with you’d be right to ask if Omaze is legit.
Omaze is a legitimate fundraising platform that helps charities by providing a way for people to enter to win amazing prizes. The odds of winning are slim, but the benefits of participating are great and Omaze has proven to be highly effective at raising money for good causes.
I first became aware of the platform way back in 2015 when they teamed up with Star Wars to create a competition to “Win the Three Most Epic Star Wars Experiences Ever”. Needless to say, I didn’t win, but I did have confidence in the company thanks to the big names they were working with.
For us UK residents, the prizes on offer tend to be property based and vehicle based. Let’s take a look at how it works.
What is Omaze?
Omaze is a fundraising platform that offers unique prizes to people who donate money to different charities.
The company was founded by Ryan Cummins and Matthew Pohlson with the aim of creating the opportunity to win epic prizes previously only available to the highest bidder at charity fundraising auctions.
This concept proved to be very successful and they’ve gone on to raise money for a wide range of worthy causes, raising millions for different charities through their campaigns.
How does Omaze work?
You’ve seen the TV commercial, you want to enter…but what do you do?
Step 1: Pick your prize
Omaze often runs multiple prize draws at the same time. The current draw will take up the main home page; you can access others via the menu.
You’re able to enter multiple draws at the same time, and if a new prize has just been announced they’ll often run a special offer where you can buy a bundle entry pack that gives you discounted entries into multiple prizes.
Step 2: Donate for Entries
To enter you make a donation before different deadlines. The deadlines are set to encourage people to enter early and to buy a lot of tickets.
For example, the main prize might be a £3 million house. Entering early can not only get you more entries for you cash, but can also make you eligible to win additional prizes such as cars, gift cards or cash.
Purchasing entries is the fastest approach, but you can also enter for free via a postal entry.
As mentioned, there are often bundle entries available if you check out the website soon after a new prize is announced, so to maximise your chances of winning this would be the best time to make a donation.
Step 3: Wait a loooong time!
Given the high prize costs and the marketing they do it’s understandable they want as many entries as possible. This means you’ll be waiting for months before the main draw finally takes place.
To keep things exciting, the additional prizes (offered to entice a quick take up of entries) are generally awarded much sooner than the main prize.
What are the benefits of using Omaze?
I’ve entered a few prize draws over the years, here are the pros I’ve found.
The company is legitimate and not a scam.
Omaze is a preferred solution for companies looking to raise money quickly and easily. The platform is easy to use and efficient, and offers an array of benefits such as increased money flow, increased charity awareness, and more.
At the time of writing they’re working to raise money for Dogs Trust, Teenage Cancer Trust and Our Charity Partners.
You can enter for free.
Registering on the Omaze is free, but buying entries online isn’t. You can gain a free entry via post, sending your contact details and preffered prize to their nominated address found on this page.
The company is transparent.
I assume they contact winners directly, I wouldn’t know as I’ve never won anything! The website keeps track of all entries you’ve purchased, showing how many you have for each of the prizes offered this time round.
It can show 0 entries in the early bird prizes if you entered after the deadline, and it’ll give you a count down how long is left until the draw.
You can also find the previous winning entry codes on this page.
The prizes are EPIC
I love the idea of winning a beautiful, fully furnished, property that could be used as a holiday home, a rental property, or somewhere to sell to convert it into cash.
The runner-up prizes aren’t bad either: expensive cars, large amounts of cash, what’s not to love?!
What are the drawbacks of using Omaze?
There is always a flip side!
There is no guarantee that you will win a prize.
Of course the prizes are amazing, they need to be in order to get a huge number of people to part with hard-earned cash.
And like any lottery or prize draw, there is no guarantee that you will ever win.
See it as a bit of fun that helps out a worthy cause, and if cash is tight, use the ‘Free Entry’ mechanism.
You have to be 18 or older to play.
Not an issue for me, but worth noting there is an age requirement of 18+ to participate in Omaze campaigns.
Ticket price
High value prizes require high value tickets. A one off donation of £10 will get you 15 entries. The bundle prices can reduce costs, netting you a lot more entries (usually into 2 draws) at a discounted rate.
For those looking to have a little fun you can now get a £10 a month subscription which will get you 30 entries for every house draw every month.
Can Missinglettr be Used in Conjunction with Omaze for Social Marketing?
Yes, Missinglettr can be used in conjunction with Omaze to set your social marketing on autopilot. With Missinglettr’s automation features, you can easily create and schedule social media campaigns for your Omaze promotions. This way, you can focus on engaging with your audience while your marketing runs smoothly in the background.
FAQ’s
What is Omaze?
Omaze is a platform that offers experiences and prizes to raise money for charity. It was founded by Ryan Cummins and Matthew Pohlson with the aim of making once-in-a-lifetime opportunities accessible to everyone. To date, Omaze has raised millions of dollars for different charities through their campaigns.
How does Omaze work?
You enter the Omaze giveaways by donating money or using the alternate entry method, which is free. The more you donate, the more entries you get, and the higher your chances of winning are.
What type of prizes does Omaze offer?
Omaze offers a variety of prizes, including experiences, vacations, property, cars, cash and more.
How many chances do I have to win a prize?
Your chances of winning a prize in a sweepstakes depend on the amount of entries you have. The more money you spend on enties, this higher your chance of winning.
Previous winners of the sweepstakes are featured on the website.
