Competition Organizers lost my first blue ribbon, should I be mad?

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Thundercougarfalconbird

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So I took a blue ribbon in a category at a regional competition recently (http://www.savannahbrewers.com/summersuds.php). When they sent my prize, it came with a note saying they'd misplaced my ribbon. It's my first 1st ribbon so I kinda really wanted it.
Anywho, I emailed the organizer after a month has passed to see if they'd gotten me a new one and get the response:
"We have a meeting tonight and will discuss it then. "
It has been a week and I haven't heard back. AHA membership wasn't required for this event, but it was a large competition with $7 entry fees. What is the policy if a 'prize' is lost? I think at the very least I deserve a refund of my entry fee.
The category I won was a category created specifically for the competition called 'C29 Lowcountry ale' with which we had to write a short essay about why our beer typifies the area as 25% of our score. I noticed the organizer took third in the category, I wonder if he got his ribbon. All of this and the fact the category touted 'BIG' prizes on the registry site. This 'BIG' prize ended up being quite disappointing. (extract kit prize is 'BIG'?) Best in show got a conical and cash I think :mad: Now thats a BIG prize. But whatever, they didn't say the prize and maybe its BIG to the organizer, I'm more bent outta shape about the ribbon.
What do you guys think I should do now?:drunk:
 
I understand your frustration about the ribbon, but try not to worry about it too much. All of us who enter competitions want to do well, and we want the recognition that goes with winning or placing in a competition. While it is aggravating that the organizer has not come through with delivering the ribbon, don't let that diminish your satisfaction in the knowledge that you won.

As for the extract kit not being a very "big" prize, also try not to get too fired up about that either. If your whole motivation for entering the contest was an opportunity to win a conical or some other 'big" prize, then an extract kit does seem pretty insignificant, but I doubt that was the ONLY reason you entered. Just remember that you won... Your beer was the best beer in that category that day. Maybe I have not won enough to get to the point where placing in a competition has lost it's intrinsic value yet, but I would try to be happy THAT I won, and try to worry less about WHAT I won.
 
Congrats on making a winning brew! Get yourself a ribbon to remember the achievement and move on.

I once won a club only competition (imperials) and submitted two more bottles to be sent to the national competition. They were not packaged well by the club and got smashed in transit. Ouch!
 
Idk...I'd be a bit hacked at what could just be sour grapes on their part. Jump on says I. Winnings wining & they made an agreement with the public they didn't fullfil or try to make restitution on.
 
If I had been the one responsible for sending the ribbons, and I lost it, I'd pony up my own cash to replace it. Bring it up at the meeting? Really? I guess in the grand scheme of things it's just a minor irritation, but it would still get my goat.
 
If I were you, I'd publish the name of the competition and I wouldn't tiptoe around. What the hell are they thinking ? We'll bring it up to the meeting ? What kind of response is that ?
 
Yea, kinda why I posted the link on the General Beer Discussion (its in parenthesis in my first post). Figured I'd try to stir up the community a bit and maybe someone from their club with some sense will be able to fix the issue. They have a presence on these forums: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f204/2012-summer-suds-savannah-hb-comp-aug-31-a-340837/
I would've entered that beer in another category if it wasn't for the 'BIG' prizes honestly. It was one of my best brews ever, I would be confident to enter it in an appropriate BJCP category, but I figured I'd put my chips where I could win something substantial. If you look a ways down on that thread I just linked you can also see the organizer say the following to me:
"We'll be sorting prizes over the next week. Yes, the Low Country Ale will get something "big". Not sure what yet, but it will be big."
As you can see the grand prizes were actually BIG. Dont get me wrong the BrewmastersWarehouse guys who took all the best prizes are beasts, I just figured my prize would be comparable.

Since it was a technically a writing contest as well, I am especially aggravated as I feel my time and words are also of value and have been disrespected. Guess that's the way life goes, just disappointed in the professionalism of the organizers.
 
I'd just let it go; it's just a ribbon, right? I've entered two competitions to date, and in the first one I won the saison category. The same thing basically happened to me. I got my score-sheets in the mail, but no medal. Boo-hoo-hoo, I said, but I got over it. I'm not 10 anymore, and when it comes down to it, if I really wanted a medal, I could probably just shell out for a really bitchin' one online. I entered a second contest almost 3 months ago, and still haven't heard back from the organizers. They posted the results online (top 3 in each category), so I know I didn't win anything. But, I really just wanted some feedback on that beer, and it looks like it isn't coming. Hell, I'm a big boy. I've been stood up before. It's annoying, but I've gotten over the second one as well. Something weird went on with that competition, anyway. I paid my entry fee over paypal, the payment is still confirmed on the comp website, but about a week or two after I entered my beer, paypal wrote me back and told me that there was no account for the organizer and refunded my money. I didn't see the email until a few weeks after the comp, so I don't even know if my beer was judged. At least I didn't pay for this one, but I did have to give up a couple bottles of beer.

I guess you probably need to go to the competitions if you really want your prize(s). I wasn't able to attend either. Maybe I'll go to the first comp next year, if I enter anything that I think might place. I won't be entering the second one ever again. I get the feeling that at the end of the judging and awarding, everyone's pretty much worn out/tanked, and so if you're not there to claim your booty, you will either have to wait a long time or kiss it good bye.
 
I've been shafted on some ribbons too. I won a first and best in show and never got ribbons. Nobody got any, they were lost some how.
 
I guess I would be equally angry. I have been waiting on a comp - scoresheets and medal for a month now myself. E-mail correspondence saying "going in the mail tomorrow" - meanwhile, 10 days later, still nothing.

I understand what some people are saying about - "only a ribbon/medal" or "it happens" and "get over it." But, you know what? People CHOOSE competitions based on what appears to be advertised. If a comp. does not want to mess with results and awards - advertise your comp. that way: "Please take the time, money and effort to enter and ship your beer to us. In return we will judge it, post results on line and from there we may or may not take the time and effort to send your scoresheets and any awards to you in a timely fashion . . . or at all for that matter."

Then, everyone can decide if they would like to enter that comp. or not. As for the "big" prize thing. I guess I see your point, but you kind of took the risk when you entered that category not knowing what it would be. And, most comps. give nothing more than ribbons, medals or minor things - so a $30-$40 kit is not a bad prize. Not a conical mind you, but, better than anything I have gotten for any of the 1st places I have gotten.

However, entering a comp. does entitle you to expect to receive scoresheets and awards in a timely fashion. If that is too much to ask from the people putting on the comp., then perhaps they should choose not to host one.
 
I gave up on competitions because of crap like this. Because this is a hobby that we have a passion for, we tend to overlook certain things, especially because of the RDWHAHB attitude that we think everyone has.

But common decency should still apply, not to mention the expectation that certain people will come through with what they promised they would do. I went through something a little worse with the East Coast vs. West Coast Competition awhile back, but you situation deserves no less attention from the organizers. No club or other group should be organizing competitions if they cannot carry out their promises in regards. Contact the AHA, that's what I did. It didn't really fix much, but at least if you let the organizers know that you're doing that it may make them send you the $1 ribbon they can't seem to find, and which you deserve.
 
I gave up on competitions because of crap like this. Because this is a hobby that we have a passion for, we tend to overlook certain things, especially because of the RDWHAHB attitude that we think everyone has.

But common decency should still apply, not to mention the expectation that certain people will come through with what they promised they would do. I went through something a little worse with the East Coast vs. West Coast Competition awhile back, but you situation deserves no less attention from the organizers. No club or other group should be organizing competitions if they cannot carry out their promises in regards. Contact the AHA, that's what I did. It didn't really fix much, but at least if you let the organizers know that you're doing that it may make them send you the $1 ribbon they can't seem to find, and which you deserve.

Exactly. It's not the size of the prize or even the mising ribbon that's ridiculous, it's the apathy: "we'll bring it up at the meeting". Why would the organizer need to bring up something so trivial at the meeting ? What kind of organization needs to talk this over at length ? Why not just jump in the car and order another one ? Because they have no intentions of sending anything and they hoped it would make OP shut up about it.
 
I had something similar happen last year. I won a couple ribbons but never recieved my score sheets. I received my ribbons though and a note saying that apparently someone at the competition threw a box of score sheets away. They had no problem cashing my check though, before they mailed out the ribbons...

Anyway, if you're upset about it let the AHA and BJCP know. If it's a sanctioned competition they should look into it as their organizations have their names on it.
 
They didn't Loose anything. The more I think about it,the more stories you guys relate,the mmore this reminds me of a bust on one such fleecing operation where a couple guys took the beers sent in,& the money,& that was it. nada.zipo. they got raided with the beers in there small houses. Seems to me the money was never recovered,though. Good thing it wasn't me or my extended family. WV rednecks that like killin shizz. Especially those tha do us wrong. One marshall learned that the hard way on our mountain. He was in the news some 10 years ago now,because his badge # survived...that's all I'm sayin. You screw me or mine...guess what A-hole!!.......:mad:
 
As for the "big" prize thing. I guess I see your point, but you kind of took the risk when you entered that category not knowing what it would be. And, most comps. give nothing more than ribbons, medals or minor things - so a $30-$40 kit is not a bad prize. Not a conical mind you, but, better than anything I have gotten for any of the 1st places I have gotten.

Yea, I know I took a gamble and it didn't turn out half bad =P I'm not upset about the prize, its is decent considering the average blue ribbon payout.

Just tired of getting the runaround. I sent one final email to the organizer. The next step will be contacting the BJCP and AHA.
 
You know I don't understand why it takes so long to get scoresheets and/or ribbons back to contestants. The solution is so easy! Have every entrant send a self addressed stamped envelope (SASE) along with their entries. Once the winners have been established all the competition director has to do is stuff the SASE with the scoresheets and drop them in the mail. I have waited weeks to get scoresheets and that just isn't acceptable!!
 
Keep in mind I recieved a letter saying my ribbon had been 'misplaced'


Here's the email I got recently:
"We originally had not planned on sending ribbons out for the section 29 winners as the ribbons ended up being needed for extra flights/tables. We were confident that with the bigger prizes being offered for the category winners that this would suffice (I also placed in this category).

After further thought we decided to order an additional set of ribbons and we are now waiting for them to arrive from the manufacturer. As soon as we receive them we will send your ribbon out. Feel free to call if you would like to further discuss."
 
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