Art Contest Rules
If you plan to hold an Art Contest on CS, and will be offering prizes, then you need to read these rules.
Breaking these rules is a serious offence. People who fail to follow these rules can lose pets, the ability to post in certain boards, or their account. It's considered a scam to promise payment for art and then break the promise.
Contests with Prizes
Most people choose to enter a contest based on what kind of prize they have a chance to win. These rules are designed to protect players from being ripped off in contests which change or don't deliver the promised prizes.
- Don't offer any prizes that you'll regret losing. If you're not happy to give something away, it shouldn't be a prize.
- Any prizes you offer must be awarded to winners at the end of the contest - even if you cancel or close the contest early. If the entries were disappointing or you didn't get many to pick from, advertise and bump more to try and get more entries before you close.
- You can't list any prizes that aren't definitely going to be given out. This means you can no longer list conditional prizes (e.g. grand prizes) which you'll only give out if you get a particularly good entry. Every prize listed must be awarded at the end of the contest if the entry conditions are met.
- You can't change your promised prizes, unless you are changing them to something of the same (or higher) value. Any changes made must be accepted by the prize winner or contestants involved.
- If the prize is a pet, you must link to the pet's profile page. This is to ensure that you actually own the pet and that there is no misunderstanding about the prize. Linking to pet groups is not sufficient.
- You can't trade or auction pets that you're offering in a contest.
- Contests without an advertised end date must end within 3 months. The end date can be changed or extended, but if the contest has been open for a long time without any activity from contestants or the contest holder than it may be forced closed by staff.
- Contests in total may not run more than 1 year past the original creation date. This is the maximum amount of time a contest may run and they may not be extended any further.
So please play fair, and only offer prizes that you are truely willing to give away!
If you are participating in a contest which fails to give out the promised prizes or breaks any other rules, please report it.