RAFFLE: TFP Broke The Law - Admin on the run.

TFP Admin · January 29, 2007, 12:28 AM

It has been reported (actually, beaten into TFP Admin's skull with a fm67 mallet) that this raffle, any raffle, is against the law in any state I happen to live or have business in. I haven't looked at the actual statutes, but I will take the word of our TheFloorPro.com legal department, one Floorman Sixty-Seven, Esq. He has informed us that I am headed to prison for this feloneous attempt to steal money from you good people, so I will be turning myself into the authorities as soon as I have hidden all the money.

My deepest apologies to those of you who entered the raffle. I will be contacting each of you that sent money after the raffle was announced to make arrangements to return your money, if you want it back. Every person who donated money, whether it was for the raffle or just as a donation, will receive a handsome white cap with TheFloorPro.com logo on it.

The staff and I will try to come up with a member name that we will award this fine tool to as a give-away instead of a raffle. I think we should let our conceited (I mean competent, of course) legal beagle decide the winner just so no more of us has to do hard time. We'll see.

Below is the rest of the former raffle discription post, left intact so I don't also get convicted of tampering with evidence.

Oops, too late.

To be eligible to win this fine tool, you must buy a raffle chance with a $5.00 donation to TheFloorPro.com. Note: DON'T DO THAT! If you want a better chance of winning, make your donation for 10.00, 15.00 or more, in increments of five dollars for each chance, up to a maximum of 20 chances for 100.00. The winner will be selected February 9, at Surfaces, Las Vegas. Shipping is free for standard ground service in the 48 contiguous United States. Shipping will have to be paid by the winner for those who live in Hawaii, Alaska or any other country, and for anyone who wants other than standard ground shipping.

You can make your donation by clicking this graphic (Note: Donations Only - NO MORE RAFFLES): , or the same graphic anywhere you see it here on the site. Fill in the amount of your donation and you will automatically be added to the hat* one time for every $5.00 in donation. If you prefer not to use PayPal or credit cards online, you may send your donation via snail mail. Send me a PM or email to get the mailing address, however, all donations must be received by February 8, 2007, to be eligible for this raffle. All donations received prior to this announcement will be added to this raffle. Donations received after Feb. 8, 2007, will be added to the next raffle.

Here's more information about the Senco DS202-14V 14.4-Volt Ni-Cad Cordless Screwdriver:

FEATURES & BENEFITS
2,300 RPM high-torque motor
Slide out 14.4-volt battery provides the optimum balance of power weight and run-time across the full range of crews
Easy depth-of-drive adjustment regulates the precise amount of countersink
Reverse switch to back out driven screws
Patented clutch design means long-lasting durability
Belt hook - DuraSpin goes where you go
Inexpensive and easy change drive bit-tips
One-hour charger and extra battery ensures a backup battery with a full charge
One year warranty

TOOL SPECIFICATIONS
Voltage: 14.4V volts
Battery Ampacity: 1700 mAh
RPM: 2,300 rev/min
Height: 10" (254 mm)
Length: 13.8"(351 mm)
Weight: 5.2 lb (2.3 kg)
Recharge Time: One hour hour(s)
Fastener Capacity: 50 screws
Torque Delivered: 43 In-lbs. in-lbs
Vibration: m2

This tool has a suggested retail price of $179.00 (available for 149.99 on Amazon). Visit the Senco website for more details: SENCO Air-Powered Nailers, Staplers, and Fasteners

This will not be the only raffle. YES IT WILL! We will have more. NO WE WON'T! A raffle is a good way to help pay the costs of software, hosting and maintenance of the website, gain sponsors that will donate tools and other merchandise in exchange for the promotional value and offer our wonderful members a fun way to get great tools and other products for their donations. IT'S ALSO A GREAT WAY TO DO TIME - HARD TIME!

*Only active, registered members of TheFloorPro.com may enter. An active member is defined as one who has a minimum of 5 posts. TheFloorPro.com staff (Administrators, Moderators, Forum Guides and Advisors) are not eligible to enter open contests.

TFP Admin · January 29, 2007, 03:24 AM

Here is a picture of the actual screw gun that will be awarded to the winner:

Click for larger view.

Bud Cline · January 29, 2007, 06:07 PM

FYI:

A few years ago when John Bridge was starting his Tile Your World Forums one of the active members worked for a wet saw manufacturer and he offered a free wet saw to John be given away on the forums site. Can't remember exactly how John handled it but I do remember some DIY with only two or three posts won the damned thing. Pissed me off. I don't think only five posts should make a person eligible for the TFP raffle(s).

Even though a raffle is a little different from a give-a-way, I would like to see the raffled items go to people that are more active at the site. Anyone can dummy-up five posts with no effort.

COMMENTS?

rgfloor · January 29, 2007, 06:25 PM

I tend to agree with Bud. But then many of the real active members are part of the admin and not eligible anyhow.

Nick Arrera · January 29, 2007, 06:43 PM

I would like to see the raffled items go to people that are more active at the site to . But are we not trying to raise money .. Personally i think $5.00 is $5.00 Get it from where ever you can ..

TFP Admin · January 29, 2007, 07:02 PM

I agree that these should go to active members. I've worked other forums that had contests and there was usually a minimum post requirement. But it never seemed to matter what the number of posts were, several people would always join and post a bunch of nonsensical posts.

This is a relatively inexpensive tool and I think the raffle ticket amount and the requirement for 5 posts is good for this particular item and to get the interest up for future raffles. I don't think too many people, especially drive by posters, will be willing to gamble the 5 bucks. If it were a give-away, a free prize, it would be a different story. Not only that, it will be very obvious for someone to join and then throw up 5 posts of nonsense. We will just refund their donation (minus the PayPal fees) and disqualify them. No BS allowed.

The next raffle may be different - different buy-in, different requirements. This one was spur of the moment. We'll discuss the next one in the staff lounge first.

rgfloor · January 29, 2007, 07:09 PM

Be sure to have a transparent drawing for the prize, I would hate to see bickering over the methods used to determine a winner.

TFP Admin · January 29, 2007, 07:18 PM

I agree, Roger. My plan is to recruit one of the participants at Surfaces to do the drawing. It will give the drawing some credibility and give them a little publicity. Pictures will be taken. It won't just be an attendee, it will be an exhibitor or vendor. There will be others watching, so there will not be any question as to its authenticity - except of course from one or 2 people who just hate that we have anything going for us at all.

Bud Cline · January 29, 2007, 07:42 PM

Maybe the person actually drawing the name should be at one of the organizational booths such as CFI or CTEF or TCA or one of the trade magazines. In fact the mags should have advance notice anyway. They could do a story on it in one of their issues.

Lo Down · January 31, 2007, 09:24 PM

Nick Arrera said

I would like to see the raffled items go to people that are more active at the site to . But are we not trying to raise money .. Personally i think $5.00 is $5.00 Get it from where ever you can ..

That sounds fair to me. How givin' one away to the first member to top 1000 posts?

TFP Admin · January 31, 2007, 10:25 PM

And congratulations to you, Lo Down, for your 1,000th post. You and Nick trade places back and forth for the most posts positions. It's great to see you enjoy it here so much.

Thanks,

TFP Admin

Jon Scanlan · January 31, 2007, 11:37 PM

How about the guy that spends more time in a plane getting to Surfaces to meet Jim?

rgfloor · February 10, 2007, 06:05 AM

And the winner was?

Anticipation!!!

TFP Admin · February 10, 2007, 10:45 AM

Unfortunately, the winner was floorman67. He pointed out something I never gave a second thought to, mastermind criminal that I am, and it turns out I am a felon on the lam. I have not been able to learn more about it because of limited time. What I think should happen is that I contact each contribtor since the raffle and offer to return their donation. Because I told everyone that all contributors who qualify (staff wouldn't have been elligible for the raffle or any other public contest), would have a chance at the screw gun for every $5.00 they donated, I will send an official TheFloorPro.com hat to (picture to follow soon).

So, everyone who donated gets a hat - and my apologies for not checking into the legalities to begin with (of course, floorman 67 will tell you this was my fall-back plan all along, as long as I had your money) - and I will be happy to send all donations back to the sender WITH a hat, to any who contributed during the raffle.

I am sorry. I should have checked into it. I didn't know this would be illegal. As I am sure floorman67 is well aware of, I despise this website and all of you so much that I will do these kinds of things from time to time to ensure that this site fails on a grand scale. No vandalism or the loss of a few attachments or a bunch of database errors will bring this site to its knees. It will be something like my next big scam to separate you from your cold cash. I still have the deed to the Brooklyn Bridge, if anyone's interested, or maybe a case of V|AGRA I have laying around the warehouse. Let's see what else...

TFP Admin · February 10, 2007, 10:59 AM

Oh yeah, PS: we are still going to get rid of that damn Senco Cordless Screw Gun. But it will be a give-away, since the raffle is kabush now. I'll let staff figure out how to find the winner (staff, you better get on that right away or we'll have a riot on our hands) and we'll announce the winner in a few days (I am still languishing in the Mohave Dessert while enjoying the fruits of my last scam).

I apologize for my sarcasm. I really do appreciate everything you all have done for TheFloorPro.com and me personally. I can't wait to tell you about my trip and all the truly great people I met and talked with - including Gregg Loria from FCI magazine, Jim & Jane Walker, of CFI, Chris Davis, main dude at WFCA, the NOFMA, CTEF, CRI, Carpet Cushion Council, and so many other organizations and companies that support our efforts. This has and continues to be the best week I can remember in years.

OK, I am off to take a morning glide on my donated Segway before I have to drive a few hundred more miles to return it to Oakland.

Thanks.