BLK
Black Tax Giveback Contest
Official Rules
THESE OFFICIAL RULES ARE A CONTRACT—READ THEM CAREFULLY BEFORE ENTERING. WITHOUT LIMITATION, THIS CONTRACT INCLUDES A RELEASE AND LICENSE FROM YOU, AND A LIMITATION OF CERTAIN OF YOUR RIGHTS AND REMEDIES.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PURCHASES DO NOT INCREASE ODDS OF WINNING. ODDS OF WINNING DEPEND ON NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE ENTRIES RECEIVED. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.
1. Promotion and Sponsor. Participation in the BLK Black Tax Giveback Contest (the "Promotion") constitutes Entrant's (as defined below) full and unconditional agreement to these Official Rules. Entrant is free to disclaim any prize and status as Entrant, and as a result will not be eligible to receive any prize. The Promotion is sponsored and administered by Affinity Apps, LLC, 8750 North Central Expressway, Dallas, Texas 75231 ("Sponsor"). All decisions related to, as well as all interpretation of, these Official Rules by Sponsor are final and binding. While this Promotion may be promoted via social media websites, such websites are not affiliated with Sponsor or this Promotion. This Promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat or any other site or medium that might host content where information about this Promotion is posted or published (collectively "Content Hosts"). Entrant is providing information only to Sponsor and not to Content Hosts.
2. Promotion Period. The Promotion begins at 8 a.m. CDT on April 26, 2023, and ends at 11:59 p.m. CDT on May 3, 2023 (the "Promotion Period"). Only entries submitted and received during the Promotion Period will be accepted. Sponsor is the official timekeeper of this promotion.
3. Eligibility. The Promotion is open only to legal residents of one of the fifty United States or the District of Columbia, age 18 or older, who at the time of entry have a valid and active (i) account on the BLK dating application, and (ii) Instagram account and follow @meet_blk on Instagram. Employees or agents of Sponsor or its parent or affiliate companies, vendors, suppliers, consultants, sub-contractors, distributors, legal counsel, or advertising, marketing, public relations, or promotional/fulfillment agencies, as well as the immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings and children) and household members of each such employee or agent, are not eligible. Legal entities are not eligible to enter. Eligibility is contingent upon agreement to, compliance with, and fulfillment of all requirements of these Official Rules. Participation in the Promotion in any way, including submission of any entry or the partial completion of any act of entry or any other step taken to participate in the Promotion in any manner, constitutes full and unconditional agreement with all provisions of these Official Rules.
4. How to Enter. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PURCHASES DO NOT INCREASE ODDS OF WINNING. There is one method of entry. By participating in the Promotion in any way you will become an "Entrant." Each Entrant who enters using the below method of entry will receive one entry in the Promotion. Limit one eligible entry per person.
Social Media Entry: During the Promotion Period, you will automatically become an Entrant and receive one entry in the Promotion by submitting your written story highlighting your personal “Black Tax experience” – emphasizing the personal sacrifices you have made to financially support your family members and sharing how you would use the $250 gift card if you are selected as a winner (each, a “Story”) by DM to BLK’s official Instagram account (@meet_BLK on Instagram) and providing the phone number associated with your BLK account.
The Story submitted as an entry in the Promotion must be entirely original and created by Entrant. The Story must not have been submitted previously, in whole or in part, in any promotion of any kind or exhibited or displayed publicly through any means. Entrant is responsible for obtaining, prior to entry, and by submitting any STORY related to this Promotion does represent and warrant to Sponsor that Entrant has obtained, all releases and consents necessary to grant Sponsor the licenseS more fully described in Paragraph 9 of these Official Rules, permitting, among other things, the exhibition and use, for all purposes and without any additional compensation, of the names of all persons referenced in the Story.
Entries must not reference the brand of any other company or product, contain images of a minor, or contain any lewd, vulgar, indecent, defamatory, discriminatory, obscene, offensive or illegal conduct or material. Entries must not invade or infringe the rights of any other individual or entity, including, but not limited to, privacy, publicity, and intellectual property rights. Entries must not contain any advertisements, "spam" content, or references to other products, offers, or websites. Entries must not contain any email addresses, domain names or URL links, phone numbers, physical addresses, or other forms of contact or personal information. Any entry that does not comply with these Official Rules will be deemed ineligible and may be deleted at the sole discretion of Sponsor.
By entering this Promotion, Entrant waives all privacy expectations that Entrant may have otherwise had with respect to any entry.
5. Conditions of Entry. By entering or participating in this Promotion, Entrant agrees to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of Sponsor and its authorized representatives, which are final and binding in all matters concerning this Promotion. Entries not legitimately submitted in accordance with these Official Rules are void. Only qualified entries received by Sponsor during the Promotion Period are eligible for participation. All entries become the property of Sponsor and will not be acknowledged or returned.
Entrants may be required to provide the following information to be eligible for a Promotion prize: first, middle and last name, month, day and year of birth, email address, complete mailing address (including city, state and postal code) and phone number (including area code) (collectively or individually, "Personal Information"). All requested Personal Information must be provided to participate in the Promotion and to be eligible to win a prize. Unintelligible entries; entries with incomplete, invalid, incorrect, or noncurrent information; and entries that are counterfeit, damaged, or tampered with in any way will be disqualified. Entries that are late, lost, damaged, misdirected or not delivered are not the responsibility of Sponsor and will be disqualified. Sponsor is not responsible if a potential winner does not receive a prize because erroneous, expired, canceled, fraudulent, or fake information was provided during the Promotion. Proof of sent entry does not constitute proof of actual receipt of entry by Sponsor for purposes of this Promotion.
Participation must be by Entrant. Participation by any other individual or entity, or originating at any other website, email address, or phone number, including, but not limited to, commercial promotion, subscription notification, and promotion entering service sites, is invalid and will be disqualified from this Promotion. Any attempt by any Entrant to obtain more than the stated number of entries by using multiple email addresses, phone numbers, identities, registrations, or logins; entries through a sweepstakes club or similar entity; or any other unauthorized method of entry will void all of Entrant's entries and Entrant will be disqualified from the entire Promotion. Submitting mass entries or entries generated by an automated program, script, or macro, or the use of any other similar device, program, or method to enter this Promotion is prohibited and will result in disqualification.
In the event of a dispute as to the identity of Entrant, the authorized account holder of the email address associated with the Instagram account used to enter will be deemed to be Entrant. A potential winner may be required to show proof of being the authorized account holder. The "authorized account holder" of an email address is the natural person assigned to that email address by any organization (business, educational institution, etc.) responsible for assigning accounts to that email address. If the identity of the individual who actually participated in the Promotion cannot be resolved to Sponsor's satisfaction, the affected individual's entry will be deemed ineligible.
Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, disqualify any individual it finds to be in violation of these Official Rules, tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Promotion (including, but not limited to, tampering with websites, email addresses, or phone numbers), or acting in a non-sportsmanlike or disruptive manner. Any attempt to undermine the operation of the Promotion may be a violation of criminal or civil law, and Sponsor may seek damages to the fullest extent permitted by law from any person it finds to have made such an attempt.
6. Prize. There is 1 prize to be won by each of 10 winners. Approximate retail value ("ARV") of all prizes is two thousand, five hundred dollars ($2,500). Each prize consists of one gift card preloaded in the amount of $250.00.
Actual value of prize may vary. No compensation or substitution will be provided for any difference in prize value. Sponsor is in no way responsible for any cancellations, delays, postponements, diversions, substitutions, changes in service or accommodations, or any other act, omission, or result thereof, caused by any third party. All prizes must be accepted as awarded without substitution and are not, in whole or in part, assignable, transferable, or available for resale. Prizes have no cash surrender value, except where required by law. Sponsor has made no warranty, representation, or guarantee, express or implied, in fact or in law, with respect to any prize. This includes, without limitation, any warranty, representation, or guarantee related to any prize's quality or fitness for a particular purpose. Prizes are subject to availability and Sponsor may substitute a prize (or a component thereof) with another prize of equal or greater value if the prize is not available for any reason, as determined in Sponsor's sole discretion. Other prize substitution options are available where required by law. Federal, state, and local taxes and all other costs and expenses associated with acceptance and use of any prize not specified herein as being awarded are the winner's sole responsibility. Prize specific terms and conditions apply. If the winner elects not to partake in any portion of the prize, any remainder of the prize that is unused will be forfeited and will not be subject to further or additional compensation.
Any prize details not specified above will be determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. If any potential winner is disqualified, not eligible, or for any other reason cannot accept the prize as stated, then Sponsor may select a new potential winner from the remaining pool of eligible Entrants using the Criteria (as defined below). Where legal, the winner may be required to submit, without alteration and in the form provided by Sponsor, a completed and signed Affidavit of Eligibility and Liability & Publicity Release (the "Release"), "), along with a properly completed U.S. Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service Form W-9, within the required time period communicated in the Release to be eligible to receive or participate in any prize.
Only the number of each prize set forth in these Official Rules will be awarded. In the event that any mistake, failure, or discrepancy causes more than the stated number of prizes as set forth in these Official Rules to be promoted, noticed, or claimed, Sponsor may award only the stated number of prizes by applying the Criteria to all legitimate, unawarded, eligible prize claims.
7. Winner Determination and Verification. The process leading to the selection of a potential prize winner is within the sole discretion of Sponsor. Within a reasonable time after the end of the Promotion Period, 10 potential winners will be selected from the pool of all eligible entries received during the Promotion Period. The potential winners will be chosen by a panel of three judges who are members of the BLK marketing team, based on the following judging criteria applied to each Entrant's entry: Creativity (20%); Adherence to the Theme (50%); and Exemplification of the BLK Community Guidelines found at https://www.blk-app.com/en/community-guidelines (30%) (together, the "Criteria"). The 10 Entrants with the highest combined score on the Criteria will be selected as the potential winners. In the event of a tie, the Entrant with the higher score on the more heavily weighted criteria (Adherence to Theme) will be selected as the potential winner.
Potential winners are each subject to eligibility verification, on an ongoing basis, by Sponsor, whose decisions are final and binding. An Entrant is not a winner of any prize, even if notified of being a winner and/or issued any item of value, unless and until Entrant's eligibility has been, and continues to be verified to the satisfaction of Sponsor.
To be verified as eligible to receive a prize, each potential winner must fulfill all requirements and continue to comply with all terms and conditions of these Official Rules, and not be disqualified for any reason. Each potential winner will be notified by email or social media (subject to Sponsor’s discretion). If a potential winner of any prize cannot be contacted using the information provided, or fails to respond to Sponsor's attempt to notify them of selection within three business days; if any prize or notification is returned as undeliverable or yields an error or undeliverable type "bounce back" email (regardless if the message is ultimately delivered to the recipient); if the potential winner fails to sign and return the Release or any other required documentation or fails to comply with these Official Rules; if a potential winner is unable or unwilling to accept the prize (or any portion) as stated; or if the potential winner cannot be verified as eligible for any reason at any time before, during, or after the Promotion Period, the potential winner is disqualified and/or forfeits the prize (or relevant portion), and an alternate potential winner will be selected from among the remaining eligible entries based on the Criteria.
In the event that an Entrant or potential winner is disqualified or fails to claim a prize for any reason, the foregoing process will be repeated until all prizes are awarded OR until three attempts have been made to award each prize and each attempt has failed. IF ANY PRIZE REMAINS UNAWARDED FOR ANY REASON AFTER THREE ATTEMPTS, THAT PRIZE WILL NOT BE AWARDED IN THIS PROMOTION. If any winner is awarded and claims a prize, a winners list may be obtained by printing the requestor's name, address, city, state or province/territory and zip or postal code on a 3x5" postcard and mailing it to Affinity Apps, LLC, Attn: Black Tax Giveback Contest Winners List, 8750 North Central Expressway, Dallas, Texas 75231. Limit one request per person, per household.
Odds of winning any prize depend on the number of eligible entries received.
8. Limitations of Liability. By entering or participating in this Promotion or any prize in any way, each Entrant agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless, and thereby does release and discharge Sponsor, Content Hosts, and each of their respective parent and affiliate companies, vendors, suppliers, consultants, sub-contractors, distributors, legal counsel, and advertising, marketing, public relations, and promotional/fulfillment agencies, and each of their respective parent companies and each such company's officers, directors, employees and agents, as well as the immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings and children) and household members of each such individual (collectively, the "Released Parties") from and against any loss, damage, injury, claim, or cause of action related in any way whatsoever to this Promotion, these Official Rules, or the rights, consents and licenses granted to Sponsor under these Official Rules, including, but not limited to, infringement of any right of publicity or intellectual property; threatened or actual injury, loss or damage to any person, including death and disability; defamation or portrayal in a false light (intentional and unintentional); invasion of privacy; and damage to or loss of property, arising out of such Entrant's participation in the Promotion or receipt or use, non-use or misuse of any prize. To the maximum extent allowed by law, in no event will Released Parties be responsible or liable for any damages or losses of any kind, including indirect, incidental, consequential or punitive damages arising out of this Promotion. (Some jurisdictions may not allow the limitations or exclusion of liability for incidental or consequential damages or exclusion of implied warranties. Check local laws for restrictions regarding these limitations or exclusions.)
Entrants waive any right to claim ambiguity in these Official Rules. The Released Parties are not responsible for: (1) technical failures of any kind; (2) incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by Entrants, any internet or email service provider, any promotional or advertising agency, printing or computing errors, or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Promotion; (3) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process or the Promotion; (4) technical or human error that may occur in the administration of the Promotion, the processing of entries or the announcement of the winner and prize; (5) any injury or damage to persons or property, including without limitation computers, phones, and tablets, that may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, by Entrant's participation in the Promotion or access to the Promotion materials; (6) the receipt, use or misuse of any prize; or (7) any other errors in any materials, information or announcements associated with the Promotion. If for any reason an Entrant's entry is confirmed to have been erroneously deleted, lost, or otherwise destroyed or corrupted by Sponsor, Entrant's sole remedy is another entry in the Promotion, subject to availability and provided that the Promotion Period has not then expired.
EACH ENTRANT WAIVES CALIFORNIA CIVIL CODE § 1542 (AND ALL SIMILAR LAWS OF ANY STATE OR TERRITORY OF THE UNITED STATES), WHICH READS: “A GENERAL RELEASE DOES NOT EXTEND TO CLAIMS WHICH THE CREDITOR DOES NOT KNOW OR SUSPECT TO EXIST IN HIS FAVOR AT THE TIME OF EXECUTING THE RELEASE, WHICH IF KNOWN BY HIM MUST HAVE MATERIALLY AFFECTED HIS SETTLEMENT WITH THE DEBTOR.” EACH ENTRANT REPRESENTS AND WARRANTS FULL UNDERSTANDING OF, AND ACKNOWLEDGES THE SIGNIFICANCE AND CONSEQUENCE OF, WAIVER OF CALIFORNIA CIVIL CODE § 1542 (AND ALL SIMILAR LAWS OF ANY STATE OR TERRITORY OF THE UNITED STATES).
9. LICENSES FROM ENTRANT. To the extent allowed by law, participation in the Promotion in any way and/or acceptance of, or participation in, any prize constitutes each Entrant's consent for, and grant of a non-exclusive, sub-licensable and assignable license to Sponsor to use, publish, post, or display Entrant's name, likeness, photograph, voice, opinions, statements, prize information, biographical information, and hometown and state, province, or territory, regardless of whether altered, distorted, or used alone or with other material, in Sponsor's sole discretion, for promotional, advertising, trade, and publicity purposes in any medium now known or later discovered, worldwide and in perpetuity, without review or approval, and without further notice, payment, or consideration of any kind.
By submitting or posting any Story related to this Promotion, regardless of whether such Story is selected as a winning entry, Entrant grants Sponsor a non-exclusive, royalty-free license, with the right to sublicense, to use, reproduce, copy, modify, publish, transmit, display, distribute, and create derivative works of the Story, and the names of all persons referenced in the Story, using all mediums or distribution methods now known or later developed, including on any social media platform, in whole or in part, individually or as part of a compilation, for any lawful purpose whatsoever, with such license extending to, without limitation, all trademark rights, copyright rights, and all publicity and privacy rights of any kind, worldwide and in perpetuity. Entrant agrees that Sponsor may make the Story available on the internet for public access and information, and grants Sponsor permission for such internet publication and use. Entrant waives the right to inspect or approve any use of the Story by Sponsor and its licensees, including any added written or electronic copy. Sponsor is permitted, although not obligated, to include Entrant's name as a credit in connection with any use of the Story. Entrant agrees that Sponsor is not obligated to use any of the rights granted to it by Entrant in these Official Rules.
All rights, consents and licenses granted to Sponsor under these Official Rules or the Release will survive the termination of this Promotion. Such consents and licenses may only be revoked in writing, and the mere ending of this Promotion or Promotion Period is not sufficient to revoke such consents or licenses.
10. Right to Modify or Cancel. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of these Official Rules will not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision. In the event any provision is found invalid or unenforceable, these Official Rules will otherwise remain in effect in accordance with their terms as if the invalid or unenforceable provision was never included. Sponsor's failure to enforce any provision of these Official Rules does not constitute a waiver of that provision.
Sponsor may cancel, suspend or modify the Promotion or any part of it, in any way, if Sponsor determines in its sole discretion that the Promotion is not capable of executing as Sponsor intended, or that any mistake, clerical, or typographical error, omission, fraud, technical failure, tampering, computer virus, or other factor, technical or otherwise, beyond Sponsor's reasonable control, impairs or may impair Sponsor's ability to properly conduct the Promotion, subject to any applicable law or regulation. In such event, Sponsor may, but is not obligated to, award any applicable prize(s) by using the Criteria to select the winners from among the eligible entries received up to the time of the cancellation, suspension, or modification of the Promotion. Inclusion in such judging pool is Entrant's exclusive remedy under such circumstances.
In the event of an inconsistency between these Official Rules and any disclosure or other statement contained in any Promotion-related materials, including, but not limited to, a Promotion entry form or any point-of-sale, radio, television, print, or online advertising, these Official Rules will prevail and govern.
11. Disputes. Except where prohibited by law, Entrant agrees that: (1) all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Promotion or any prize awarded will be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the appropriate federal or state court located in Dallas County, Texas; and (2) all claims, judgments and awards will be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering this Promotion, but in no event attorneys' fees. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights or obligations of Entrant or Sponsor in connection with the Promotion, are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules that would cause the application of the laws of any other jurisdiction.
12. Privacy. By entering this Promotion, Entrant agrees to Sponsor's manner of collection, use, retention, and disclosure of Entrant's Personal Information submitted in connection with the Promotion. Personal Information collected from Entrant is subject to Sponsor's privacy policy, which can be found at blk-app.com/en/privacy-policy.