No matter how they are packaged, these offers end up costing you money. It is not much of a prize if you are asked to make a purchase, provide a donation or send an advance payment of taxes, handling fees or processing charges. There is a lemon law the protects you on all big-ticket items you purchase including used cars not under warranty. Almost all states have lemon laws that cover new car purchases. You should investigate the history of the used car or product and have it checked out by a mechanic or someone knowledgeable of the product before purchasing.
Some states have lemon laws that pertain to some used cars.
When solicited by a charity, almost all of the money you contributed must go to the intended charitable purpose. Charitable organizations are not obligated to spend a certain percentage on their stated charitable purpose. Charities that hire professional fund-raisers will have higher overhead costs to meet, so may spend less on the actual cause. Consumers should ask if the caller is a paid solicitor or a volunteer for the charity and what percentage of the donation will actually go to the charity. Credit cards used for identification purposes can turn out to be a costly mistake.