Caption of the Month Contest Terms and Conditions
Important: Please read these terms and conditions (“Terms and Conditions”) carefully before entering the Caption of the Month Contest (“Contest”)…we’ve tried not to make them too boring. By submitting a caption you are agreeing to these Terms and Conditions. It’s doubtful that after reading the Terms and Conditions you’ll say “well I’m not agreeing to that!” but read them just in case. Also, we’re not sure why we had to parenthetically restate both “Terms and Conditions” and “Contest” in quotation marks, but our lawyers seemed to think it was a good idea.
1. The contest is organized by Carolina Water Cooler (“website”…again with the parentheses) and is open to anyone who visits the website and has enough of a sense of humor to submit a caption (“participant”…last one, we promise).
2. The Contest begins whenever we get around to posting a picture, which is typically on the first day of each month, and ends at 3:00 p.m. (15:00, military time) two days prior to the last day of the month (January 29th, February 26th, etc.), or such other periods of time as Carolina Water Cooler may in its absolute discretion deem appropriate and which will be announced on the website. We’re not sure why we’d “deem it appropriate”…one of us could possibly have big plans or there might be a big game that interferes with our judging – who knows, we mostly just put this in here to please our lawyers again.
3. To enter, all you have to do is fill in each of the text boxes located underneath the picture and click “submit.” It’s very easy, really.
4. Each Participant is limited to two entries per month. That’s right…you can submit two. So let’s say you submit one on the 12th. Then the 23rd rolls around and you think to yourself “oh man, I should have said _____ instead.” If that’s the case, you are permitted to submit another entry. If later that week you think of another caption you should have said instead…you’re out of luck, the limit is two.
5. All entries must meet the following criteria or will be deemed invalid:
(a) All entries must be received within the entry period described in number 2.
(b) All entries must include the Participant’s name and town of residence.
(c) All entries must be submitted in English…unless part of the humor is the fact that it’s in another language…like mocking the Taco Bell dog, for instance.
6. Carolina Water Cooler accepts no responsibility for any entries that are lost, incomplete, not received by Carolina Water Cooler or miss the deadline for any reason whatsoever. Proof of online submission shall not constitute proof of receipt by Carolina Water Cooler. Nothing can be said to make this legality humorous. We apologize.
7. In the event that any information provided on an entry is found to be misleading or inaccurate, that entry shall be deemed to be invalid. This pretty much means no falsifying your name or home town…there’s not much else you could lie about. It’s a simple contest.
8. Entries will be judged by a panel of sports comedy experts (Dave and Stillman) based upon the following criteria: Humor (100%). In the event of a tie between the two judges, the tie shall be broken by a random person who happens to be around at the time, or, if a random person cannot be found – or refuses to participate – by loud argument or wrestling match between said judges. It should be noted that Stillman’s nose could easily knock Dave out.
9. Winning participants become ineligible for the next month’s Contest, but can win in an every-other-month manner (January, March, May…) indefinitely assuming they are funny enough.
10. Carolina Water Cooler will use reasonable efforts to notify the prizewinners at their email address. So make sure you check your email because that’s the only means we’ll have of contacting you if you should win.
11. All Participants in the contest agree to have their name, town of residence, and winning caption entry announced on the website. Otherwise, no one would get to see the winner’s comedic genius.
12. Carolina Water Cooler reserves the right to offer an alternative prize of similar monetary value without prior notice. We don’t plan on that happening, but it’s sort of a “just in case” for us.
13. All prizewinners agree to bear all and any applicable income taxes, stamp duties, custom duties, and any other duties and taxes that may arise or be imposed on the prizes to be received from this Contest. In this connection, Carolina Water Cooler may, in its sole and absolute discretion, collect or deduct such taxes and duties from the prizes prior to the prizes being delivered to the prizewinners. Even though Dave is an accountant, we doubt that will ever occur. I mean, really.
14. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Carolina Water Cooler shall not be liable to the Participant in contract, tort, or otherwise for any loss, damage, costs, or expenses of any nature whatsoever incurred or suffered by the Participant and which is of a direct or indirect or consequential nature, including without limitation any economic loss or other loss, arising out of or in connection with the Contest. That’s legaleze for “if your boss catches you thinking up a caption on the job, fires you, and in your subsequent rage you punch the wall and break your hand…don’t sue us because that’s your own fault.”
15. By entering the Contest, the Participant shall be deemed to have read (that’s right, you’ll be deemed to have even if you haven’t) and agrees to be bound by these Terms and Conditions and by the decisions of Carolina Water Cooler, which shall be final and binding in all respects.
16. This Contest shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the United States. Of America.
17. Employees of Carolina Water Cooler and their immediate family members, sponsors under contract with Carolina Water Cooler and their immediate family members, and Wake Forest fans are not eligible to win the Contest. Immediate family members are defined as parents, siblings, and those who live in the same household or are otherwise financially dependent on the Carolina Water Cooler or sponsor employee. Sponsor employees who have no ownership rights or ability to make management decisions are eligible to win – they shouldn’t be punished for working for an establishment that made the wise decision to advertise on the site.
18. Carolina Water Cooler reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions at any time and in its sole discretion to suspend or cancel the Contest or any entrant’s participation in the Contest should viruses, bugs, unauthorized human intervention or other causes beyond Carolina Water Cooler’s control affect the administration, security or proper play of the Contest as planned. Participants who violate these Terms and Conditions, tamper with the operation of the Contest or engage in any conduct that is detrimental or unfair to Carolina Water Cooler, the Contest or any other Participant (in each case as determined in Carolina Water Cooler’s sole and absolute discretion) are subject to disqualification from entry into the Contest. Carolina Water Cooler reserves the right to lock out Participants whose eligibility is in question or who have been disqualified or are otherwise ineligible to enter the Contest. This last one seemed like a lot of jibberish, didn’t it?