How to check a competition website before entering

Check the business behind the website

Look for the legal business name, a contact address and usable support details in the terms. If a company number is given, open its Companies House record and compare the name with the business described on the site. Trading names can differ from registered names; look for a clear explanation.

Registration is an identity check, not a guarantee that prizes will be delivered or that a promotion complies with the rules. A polished page and a padlock also do not establish those things. The padlock relates to the connection, not the trustworthiness of the business.

Check the promotion itself

Read the prize description, dates, entry routes, eligibility and winner-selection process together. Look for material costs or restrictions outside the headline. Ask what happens if the advertised prize becomes unavailable and how winners are notified.

If several pages contradict one another, save the details and seek a written explanation. You can leave the decision there. A deadline does not make missing information less important.

Does an offline website mean the business has closed?

A failed page load does not establish that a business has stopped trading. A website can have a temporary outage, a security check, a changed address or an announced pause. Equally, a page that loads successfully can be a holding page or a closure notice. Read what is actually on the page and record the date.

Look for a dated statement from the operator and check the precise legal name or company number using the official company-information service. A company record and a website are different evidence: registration status does not establish whether a particular competition is running or a prize will be delivered.

If the operator announces a closure, read what it says about existing entries, draws, prizes and support. Keep your entry confirmation and applicable terms, and contact the operator through a previously verified channel. Do not follow an unrelated redirect or send more money to an account claiming to provide closure support. Our reporting guide explains the next steps for different concerns.

Understand what each signal tells you

Be careful with unexpected winner messages

If a message claims you have won, navigate independently to the operator’s known website and verify it through a contact you obtained there. Citizens Advice provides checks for possible scams. Be cautious about pressure, unexpected payment requests or requests for passwords.

Do not send us card details, passwords or identity documents when reporting a listing. A URL, a description of the issue and a redacted screenshot are usually a better starting point.

Use checks to inform a choice

This is a way to organise questions, not a scoring system that awards a “safe” label. If you cannot resolve an important doubt, do not enter. For a suspected misleading advert or an entry problem, use the reporting guide.