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The 2021 Official Rules

Save Your Refund Promotion Official Rules

Save Your Refund Promotion
Official Rules

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.

1. Eligibility: The Save Your Refund Promotion (the “Promotion”) is open only to individual legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia who are at least eighteen (18) years old at the time of entry, who are eligible for and due a 2020 individual tax refund from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and whose 2020 annual incomes for household size equal or are less than approximately 250% of the HHS 2020 Annual Poverty Guidelines (Click HERE for applicable annual income thresholds) and/or who get their taxes prepared at a VITA or Tax Aide/TCE site. Employees of AARP, AARP Foundation, Build Commonwealth, Inc., Merkle Inc., and any of their respective parent, subsidiaries and affiliate companies as well as the immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings and children) and household members of each such employee are not eligible. The Promotion is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations and is void where prohibited. The Promotion contains a sweepstakes (“Sweepstakes”) and a contest (“Contest”). The Contest will have two (2) prize pools: one (1) for eligible entrants 18-49 years old as of January 18, 2021 (“18-49 Age Group”) and one (1) for eligible entrants 50+ years old as of January 18, 2021 (“50+ Age Group”).

2. Sponsor: AARP Foundation, 601 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20049. Administrator: Merkle Inc., 3000 Town Center, Suite 2100, Southfield, MI 48075.

3. Agreement to Official Rules: By participating in the Promotion, entrant fully and unconditionally agrees to and accepts these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor and/or Administrator, which are final and binding in all matters related to the Promotion. Whether an entrant receives a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein.

4. Timing: The Promotion begins on January 18, 2021 at 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time (“ET”) and ends on July 16, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. ET (the “Promotion Period”). The Contest runs the entire Promotion Period. The Sweepstakes consists of ten (10) entry periods (each an “Entry Period”) as set forth in the chart below:

Sponsor’s computer is the official time-keeping device for the Promotion.

5. How to Enter:

Sweepstakes: During the Promotion Period, there are two (2) ways to enter the Sweepstakes:

a.   Directing Tax Refund to Qualified Savings Product Method of Entry:
i. file a U.S. federal individual tax return for 2020 with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and be eligible for and due a 2020 tax refund from the IRS (“Tax Refund”);
ii. direct at least $50 of your Tax Refund into one of the approved savings methods (each a “Qualified Savings Product”); and
iii. visit www.saveyourrefund.org and complete and submit the entry form with required information, including your full name, date of birth, household size, annual income, mailing address, phone number, how you heard about the promotion, if you signed up for the promotion through a SYR partner, tax preparer site, total federal tax refund dollar amount, the dollar amount of your federal tax refund directed to an approved savings method, the Qualified Savings Product used, and the savings verification method you will provide.

Once all these steps are taken, you will automatically receive one (1) entry into the Sweepstakes drawing for the applicable Entry Period.

b.   Mail-In Alternate Method of Entry: To enter without directing a portion of your tax refund to a Qualified Savings Product, hand print your full name, valid mailing address (no P.O. Boxes), phone number, valid email address, date of birth, and how you heard about the promotion on a piece of paper and mail it in an envelope with proper postage to “Save Your Refund Promotion,” c/o Merkle Inc., P.O. Box 5031, Department 846360, Kalamazoo, MI 49003-5031. You will receive one (1) entry into the Sweepstakes drawing for the applicable Entry Period. All mail-in entries must be handwritten and must be postmarked by and received by the dates listed in Section 3. All entries become the exclusive property of Sponsor and none will be acknowledged or returned. Proof of sending or submission will not be deemed to be proof of receipt by Sponsor. Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, invalid, unintelligible, illegible, misdirected or postage-due entries, which will be disqualified.

Contest: After you successfully enter the Sweepstakes via either method of entry, you may then, during the Promotion Period, proceed to the Contest entry page on https://saveyourrefund.org and follow the links and instructions to upload:

a.    one (1) photo that displays your motivation to save;
b.    a short description of the photo; and
c.    your response to one (1) of the following four (4) questions:

    • What are your financial goals?
    • Why is having emergency savings important to you?
    • When did you first learn about saving and/or start to save? OR
    • Why did you choose to save this year?

 

The photo, photo description and response will be collectively referred to as your submission (“Submission”). Your Submission need not include any reference, positive or negative, to Sponsor’s products or services. Including a reference to Sponsor’s products or services in your Submission will not improve your chances of winning.

By uploading your Submission, you agree that your Submission conforms to the Guidelines, Permissions and Content Restrictions as defined below (collectively, the “Guidelines, Permissions and Restrictions”) and that Sponsor, in its sole discretion, may remove your Submission and disqualify you from the Promotion if it believes that your Submission fails to conform to the Guidelines, Permissions and Restrictions. Where your Submission meets all requirements, your Submission will be deemed one (1) Contest entry into the applicable prize pool.

Guidelines:

  • The Submission must be your original work;
  • The photo must be in .jpg, .jpeg or .png format;
  • The Submission must not exceed 100 MB in size;
  • The response must be at least 75 characters and no more than 300 characters in length; and
  • The photo description and response must be in English or Spanish.

 

Permissions: Entrant must have permission from any recognizable individuals who appear in the Submission to use their names and likenesses in the Submission and to grant the rights set forth herein. Minors may only be included in the Submission if entrant is their parent or legal guardian. If requested, entrant must be able to provide such permissions or proof in a form acceptable to Sponsor.

Content Restrictions:

    • The Submission must not contain material that violates or infringes another’s rights, including but not limited to privacy, publicity or intellectual property rights, or that constitutes copyright infringement;
    • The Submission must not contain any videos or photo collages;
    • The Submission must not disparage Sponsor, Administrator or any other person or party affiliated with the Promotion;
    • The Submission must not feature brand names or trademarks other than those owned by Sponsor, which entrant has a limited license to use to incorporate in his/her Submission in this Contest;
    • The Submission must not contain images or artwork not created by entrant;
    • The Submission must not contain material that is inappropriate, offensive, indecent, obscene, hateful, tortious, defamatory, slanderous or libelous;
    • The Submission must not make references to or include: alcohol, illegal drugs, tobacco or firearms/weapons, any activities that are or appear to be dangerous or any political agenda;
    • The Submission must not contain material that promotes bigotry, racism, hatred or harm against any group or individual or promotes discrimination based on race, gender, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or age; and
    • The Submission must not contain material that is unlawful, in violation of or contrary to the laws or regulations in any state where Submission is created.

 

Limit: One (1) Sweepstakes entry and one (1) Contest entry per person. Entries/Submissions received from any person or email address in excess of the stated limit will be void. Multiple entrants are not permitted to share the same email address. Any attempt by any entrant to obtain more than the stated number of entries/Submissions by using multiple/different email addresses, identities, registrations and logins, or any other methods will void that entrant’s entries/Submission and that entrant may be disqualified. Use of any automated system to participate is prohibited and will result in disqualification. Released Parties (as defined in Section 12, below) are not responsible for lost, late, stolen, damaged, incomplete, invalid, un-intelligible, garbled, delayed or misdirected entries/Submissions, which will be disqualified. In the event of a dispute as to any entry/Submission, the authorized account holder of the email address used to register will be deemed to be the entrant. The “authorized account holder” is the natural person assigned an email address by an Internet access provider, online service provider or other organization responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted address. Potential winners may be required to show proof of being an authorized account holder.

6. Sponsor’s Use of Submissions: Uploading a Submission constitutes entrant’s consent to give Sponsor a royalty-free, irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive license to use, reproduce, modify, publish, create derivative works from, and display such Submissions in whole or in part, on a worldwide basis, and to incorporate it into other works, in any form, media or technology now known or later developed, including for promotional or marketing purposes. If requested, entrant will sign any documentation that may be required for Sponsor or its designees to make use of the non-exclusive rights entrant is granting to use the Submission.

7. Winner Determination:

Sweepstakes: Administrator is an independent organization whose decisions as to the administration and operation of the Sweepstakes and the selection of the potential winners are final and binding in all matters related to the Sweepstakes. Administrator will randomly select the potential Sweepstakes winners from all eligible entries received during the applicable Entry Period on or around dates listed in Section 3 above. Non-winning entries will be included in subsequent Entry Period drawings. The potential Sweepstakes winners will be notified by email.

Contest: The Contest winners will be determined through the process outlined below:

A panel of qualified judges determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion will select the two (2) entrants from the 18-49 Age Group and three (3) entrants from the 50+ Age Group with the highest scoring Submissions (the “Contest Winners”), from among all applicable eligible Submissions, based on the following criteria (“Judging Criteria”):

    • Compelling nature of Submission as to why Entrant saved including a clear answer in response to one (1) of the four (4) questions outlined in Section 5 (60%);
    • Creativity and Originality of Submission (30%); and
    • Quality and Clarity of Photo (10%).

 

In the event of a tie, the entrant whose Submission received the highest score for the “Compelling nature of Submission as to why Entrant saved including a clear answer in response to one (1) of the four (4) questions outlined in Section 5”, as determined by the qualified judges in their sole discretion, will be deemed the Contest Winner from among the tied entrants. Sponsor reserves the right to select fewer than five (5) Contest Winners, if, in its sole discretion, it does not receive a sufficient number of eligible and qualified Submissions. Sponsor will not disclose judging scores.

8. Winner Requirements: Receiving a prize is contingent upon compliance with these Official Rules.

Sweepstakes: Each potential Sweepstakes winner who entered via Method 5a (parent/legal guardian if a winner is a minor in his/her place of residence) will be required to verify and provide proof of his/her tax refund deposit into a Qualified Savings Product, in a manner required by Sponsor, to Sponsor within seven (7) days of the date notice or attempted notice is sent in order to claim his/her prize. Each potential Sweepstakes winner who entered via Method 5b (parent/legal guardian if a winner is a minor in his/her place of residence) will be required to provide proof of his/her filed tax return, Tax Refund, annual income and household size to Sponsor within seven (7) days of the date notice or attempted notice is sent in order to claim his/her prize. If a potential Sweepstakes winner cannot be contacted, fails to provide any requested information within the required time period or the provided information cannot be verified, or the prize is returned as undeliverable, the potential winner is disqualified and forfeits his/her prize. In the event that a potential winner is disqualified for any reason, Sponsor will award the applicable prize to an alternate winner by random drawing from among all remaining eligible entries. Only three (3) alternate drawings will be held, after which the prize will remain un-awarded. Sweepstakes prizes will be fulfilled via mail within approximately eleven to thirteen (11-13) weeks after the conclusion of the applicable Entry Period.

Contest: Each potential Contest Winner who entered the Sweepstakes via Method 5a (parent/legal guardian if a winner is a minor in his/her place of residence) will be required to verify and provide proof of his/her tax refund deposit into a Qualified Savings Product, in a manner required by Sponsor, to Sponsor within seven (7) days of the date notice or attempted notice is sent, in order to claim his/her prize. Each potential Contest Winner who entered the Sweepstakes via Method 5b (parent/legal guardian if a winner is a minor in his/her place of residence) will be required to provide proof of his/her filed tax return, Tax Refund, annual income and household size to Sponsor within seven (7) days of the date notice or attempted notice is sent, in order to claim his/her prize. Further, each potential Contest Winner (parent/legal guardian if a winner is a minor in his/her place of residence) will be required to sign and return a Declaration of Compliance, Liability Waiver and, where not prohibited, a Publicity Release (“Declaration”), which must be received by Administrator within seven (7) days of the date notice or attempted notice is sent, in order to claim his/her prize. If a potential Contest Winner cannot be contacted, fails to execute and return the Declaration or provide any other requested information within the required time period, or prize is returned as undeliverable, the potential winner is disqualified and forfeits his/her prize. If a potential Contest Winner is disqualified for any reason, the prize may be awarded to a runner-up, if any, in Sponsor’s sole discretion. Only three (3) alternate winners may be determined, after which the applicable prize will remain un-awarded. Contest prizes will be fulfilled by mail within approximately eight to ten (8-10) weeks after Contest Winner confirmation is complete.

9. Prizes:

Sweepstakes: ONE HUNDRED (100) SWEEPSTAKES PRIZES (TEN (10) AWARDED PER ENTRY PERIOD): $100 check payable to winner. Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”): $100. Odds of winning a Sweepstakes prize depend on the number of eligible entries received during an Entry Period. Total ARV of Sweepstakes Prizes: $10,000.

Contest: FIVE (5) CONTEST PRIZES (TWO (2) AWARDED TO 18-49 AGE GROUP AND THREE (3) AWARDED TO 50+ AGE GROUP): $5,000 check payable to winner. ARV: $5,000. Total ARV of Contest Prizes: $25,000.

For All Prizes: Prizes are non-transferable and no substitution will be made unless Sponsor, in its sole discretion, determines otherwise. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize or a portion thereof for one of equal or greater value in its sole discretion. Winners are responsible for all taxes and fees associated with prize receipt and/or use. All prize details are at Sponsor’s sole discretion. Limit: one (1) Sweepstakes prize and one (1) Contest prize per person.

10. Publicity: Acceptance of any prize shall constitute and signify each winner’s agreement and consent that Sponsor and its designees may use the winner’s name, city, state, likeness, photo, Submission, and/or prize information in connection with the Promotion for promotional, advertising or other purposes, worldwide, in any and all media now known or hereafter devised, including the Internet, without limitation and without further payment, notification, permission or other consideration, except where prohibited by law.

11. Ownership of Submission: Each Contest Winner shall irrevocably grant, transfer, convey and assign to Sponsor the entirety of the rights in and to the Submission and all renewals and extensions of copyright, and the right to secure copyright registrations thereto in perpetuity including, without limitation, the rights to use the Submission for any and all purposes in any and all media whether now known or hereafter developed, on a worldwide basis, in perpetuity. Each Contest Winner accepts and acknowledges that Sponsor shall not be obligated to use the Submission and that Sponsor in its sole discretion shall have the right to refrain from using the Submission. Sponsor shall not incur any liability whatsoever to the extent Sponsor chooses to refrain from any exploitation of its rights hereunder. Each Contest Winner will indemnify Sponsor, Released Parties, and any licensee of Sponsor against all claims, damages, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable counsel fees and legal expenses) arising out of any breach of these terms.

12. Release: By participation in the Promotion, each entrant agrees to release and hold harmless Sponsor, Administrator, AARP, Build Commonwealth, Inc., and their respective subsidiaries, affiliates, suppliers, distributors, advertising/promotion agencies, and prize suppliers, and each of their respective parent and affiliate companies and each such company’s officers, directors, employees and agents (collectively, the “Released Parties”) from and against any claim or cause of action, including, but not limited to, personal injury, death, or damage to or loss of property, arising out of participation in the Promotion or receipt or use or misuse of any prize.

13. General Conditions: Sponsor reserves the right to cancel, suspend and/or modify the Promotion, or any part of it, if any fraud, technical failures, human error or any other factor impairs the integrity or proper functioning of the Promotion, or any event or cause beyond Sponsor’s control (e.g., events such as natural calamities, national emergencies, widespread illness, declarations of war, acts of God, or acts of terrorism) interferes with any aspect of the Promotion, including but not limited to fulfilment of the prize(s), as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. In such event, Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, determine the Contest winners from among all non-suspect, eligible Submissions received up to time of such action using the judging procedure outlined above, and Sponsor reserves the right to award the Sweepstakes prizes at random from among the eligible entries received up to the time of the impairment. Sponsor, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to disqualify any individual it finds to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Promotion or to be acting in violation of these Official Rules or those of any other promotion or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner and void all associated Submissions. Any attempt by any person to deliberately undermine the legitimate operation of the Promotion may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages and other remedies (including attorneys’ fees) from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. Sponsor’s failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.

14. Limitations of Liability: The Released Parties are not responsible for: (1) any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by entrant, printing errors or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Promotion; (2) technical failures of any kind, including, but not limited to malfunctions, interruptions, or disconnections in phone lines or network hardware or software; (3) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process or the Promotion; (4) printing, typographical, technical, computer, network or human error which may occur in the administration of the Contest, the uploading, the processing or judging of Submissions or votes or the tabulating of votes, the announcement of the prizes or in any Promotion-related materials; or (5) any injury or damage to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from entrant’s participation in the Promotion or receipt or use or misuse of any prize. Released Parties are not responsible for any unauthorized third-party use of any Submission. If for any reason an entrant’s entry is confirmed to have been erroneously deleted, lost, or otherwise destroyed or corrupted, entrant’s sole remedy is another entry in the Sweepstakes entry, if it is possible. If the Sweepstakes, or any part of it, is discontinued for any reason, Sponsor, in its sole discretion, may elect to hold a random drawing from among all eligible entries received up to the date of discontinuance for any or all of the prizes offered herein. No more than the stated number of prizes will be awarded. In the event that production, technical, seeding, programming or any other reasons cause more than the stated number of prizes as set forth in these Official Rules to be available and/or claimed, Sponsor reserves the right to award only the stated number of prizes by a random drawing among all legitimate, unawarded, eligible prize claims.

15. Disputes: Except where prohibited, entrant agrees that: (1) any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Promotion or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (Southern Division) or the appropriate Michigan State Court located in Oakland County, Michigan; (2) any and all claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering this Promotion, but in no event attorneys’ fees; and (3) under no circumstances will entrant be permitted to obtain awards for, and entrant hereby waives all rights to claim, indirect, punitive, incidental and consequential damages and any other damages, other than for actual out-of-pocket expenses, and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of the entrant and Sponsor in connection with the Promotion, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Michigan without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of the State of Michigan or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Michigan.

16. Entrant’s Personal Information: Information collected from entrants is subject to Sponsor’s Privacy Policy https://www.aarp.org/about-aarp/privacy-policy/.

17. Winner List: For a winner list, visit https://bit.ly/3mrfega. The winner list will be posted after the end of the Promotion when winner confirmation is complete.

© 2021 Merkle Inc. All rights reserved.

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