From: schickda@mot.com (David Schick)
Subject: Re: *** WARNING *** Pandemonium Contest possibly a HOAX?
Organization: Gagging Sloth Records
Date: Sat, 3 Oct 1992 17:31:32 GMT
Keywords:  CARNAGE RAPE PILLAGE DESTRUCTION

Hello, all you happy nostrils!

__________________________________________________________________________
   |       /         |\
   | H E   \ Y B E R |/ E N       [ moon!cyberden!system@well.sf.ca.us ]

worries:

> A while back there was an ad in Keyboard magazine (or EM) about winning a
> ton of stuff if you completed puzzles. It was not a contest and money was
> required to enter the 'logic' contest.
>
> It was put on by a company called PANDEMONIUM and it said that all you had
> to do was pay up to $6 to enroll in the contest, depending on how many
> prizes you wanted. $2 enrollment got you only to a certain level of
> prizes, $4 and $6 got you more prizes if you won...

The Pandemonium "Gear Heaven" Contest is actually THREE SEPARATE CONTESTS,
each with its own set of 4 Phases and a tie-breaker.  I forget how much it 
was to enter each one individually, but it cost me $7 to enter all three 
(there was some discount for entering all three).  The three contests were 
(in order of puzzle reception):

16 Track Digital Studio
MIDI Keyboard Rig
Mac II Workstation

> The first PHASE 1 of 4 puzzles came in with a mandatory $2 entry fee (AGAIN!)
> PLUS you had to pay more for even more prizes... well I figured... "grrrr...
> more money? They never said anything about that... grrr..." Well, I sent the
> completed puzzle back with the $2 and figured, ok... $6+$2 ea phase is only
> $14... no biggie...

But the did say something in the original add about additional entry fees.  
I quote:

In the future.  There will be four more puzzles at $2.00 
and one tie-breaker at $1.50.  You will have three weeks to solve
each puzzle which will arrive by mail.  (etc ....)

I'll agree that they did not specify in the original ad that each contest would
have separate puzzles and entry fees along the way, but they cleared that up 
with the first letter.   Also annoying was the "* Some items optional" fine 
print at the bottom of the original ad.  They also explained this in the PHASE I 
letters.
 
> Well, 3 days after I sent PHASE 1 in, I get ANOTHER PHASE 1 ENTRY FORM!!!!!!
> THIS TIME IT'S A DIFFERENT PUZZLE!!!! BOGUS!!!!! RIP OFF!!!!! RIP OFF!!!!!!!  

Yes, it's a different puzzle, as they explained this in the first PHASE I letter, 
for the 16 Track Digital Studio.  Did you read all of it or save a copy of it?  
I don't happen to have my copy here with me.  I suggest when you get the third
PHASE I entry form for the Mac II Workstation, you read it front to back.  It 
should answer most if not all of your questions.

> So... has anyone else entered into this contest and is getting a but pissed
> off about being lied and cheated to? What, is there going to be 132 fucking
> PHASE 1 puzzles?
>
> Well, I've called this guy's answering machine twice, and if I don't get an
> answer about this soon, it's Better Business Bureau time....

I guess I was 'mildly pissed off' (if that's possible!) that I didn't know 
that each contest had its own entry fees and that I didn't know exactly what
"* Some items optional" meant.  If you add up your total costs according to
this scheme (sp?), it looks like this:

Entry into all 3 contests:                 $7.00 =  $ 7.00
First 4 Phases of 3 contests:      3 x 4 x $2.00 =  $24.00
Tie-breaker phase for 3 contests:  3 x 1 x $1.50 =    4.50
                                                    ------
                                                    $35.50

Of course, there are the options along the way, which look like they'll be
about $3 a shot, which adds up to $45 (5 phases * 3 contests * $3.00) more.
My guess is that this is how they're paying for the gear, and that it's not
any sort of tax write-off for them or whatever.

One more word of caution:  I'm sure that the first few phases will have 
incredibly easy puzzles in order to lure as much money as possible into their
wallets.  Only in the later phases and the tiebreaker will the puzzles get
extremely tough.  So if you don't feel up for the challenge, quit while you're
behind!

Happy puzzling!

Zoltan Android (schickda@fl08-g.comm.mot.com)

From: brooksp@hpcc01.corp.hp.com (Peter Brooks)
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 17:01:58 GMT
Subject: Re: Battery Power?
Organization: the HP Corporate notes server