Zuga.net (aka "ZugaPhoto. TV, " aka "Bela Media, LLC") operated by Gary Bernstein, Monte Zucker, et al, advertised a "pay-to-play" photography contest. The entry fee was $5.00 for one month or $20.00 for one year. The contest advertised over $1000 in prizes from various sponsors. The entry fee entitled you to submit one photo per month in up to three categories: Events, Landscape/Nature/Travel or Portrait/Commercial. I joined the contest in June, paid the entry fee, and submitted photos for consideration in all three categories.
On September 1 one of my photos was selected as a grand prize winner. Despite numerous attempts to contact the contest administrators and Zuga.net staff, I have yet to receive a response.
The contest was widely publicized, both by Zuga.net and Imaging-Resource (www.imaging-resource.com), a well-respected photography equipment website, through its own photo contest website, www.dailydigitalphoto.com. On or about October 1, the contest pages were removed from the Zuga.net website. Also on or about October 1, all links to the Zuga.net contest from dailydigitalphoto.com were removed.
Zuga.net provides an online forum for its members. As of today, October 7, all forum posts inquiring as to the fate of the contest, the status of their prizes, and refund requests for entry fees have been removed/deleted from the forum by the Zuga.net staff.
I am currently in contact with several other contest winners in a similar situation who will be pursing legal action as a group. I am requesting that anyone in a similar situation submit a rebuttal to this post so that we may bolster our case against Zuga.net with additional claimants.
Winner
Not Provided
U.S.A.
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