Have you ever heard of Publishers Clearing House but have no idea what to make of it?
Many people have been saying that it is a scam, but how true are those claims?
In this review, I cover what Publishers Clearing House does and whether you can trust it.
Keep reading below to get all the info.
Before we get started…
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During that time, one program has stood the test of time and in the last 3 months made us over $124,000.
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Table of Contents
What is Publishers Clearing House?
Publishers Clearing House (PHC) is a company that is widely known for its direct marketing of merchandise and magazine subscriptions.
It uses a combination of sweepstakes and prize-based games to encourage its customers to buy more subscriptions to boost its sales.
The arrangement works because customers win awards and major prizes and the company increases its sales.
PHC has a website that offers a variety of games through which you can win prizes. This lets you have a couple of games to choose from as well.
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Who created Publishers Clearing House?
Publishers Clearing House was launched by Harold Mertz in 1953 in his basement with the help of his wife, LuEster Mertz, and daughter. His first batch of mailings offered 20 subscriptions to popular magazines.
He created the company to supply magazine subscriptions more effectively. In doing so, he sought to replace door-to-door sales of magazine subscription sales. Back then, one vendor would offer an assortment of subscriptions via mail.
He had experience as a door-to-door salesman and effectively managed a door-to-door sales team that sold magazine subscriptions when he established the company.
Although PCH was initially modest, it took off at around 1967 when the sweepstakes marketing strategy became popular with customers. By the year 1988, revenue had reached $100 million.
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What is the operating model of Publishers Clearing House?
Publishers Clearing House is a direct marketing company that sells a wide range of products. Some of its products include jewelry, magazine subscriptions, and books. It also runs a few gaming websites.
Its main offering is the magazine subscriptions it sells via the sweepstakes model. Through this model, once you buy a subscription, you earn the chance to win a prize. Those subscriptions are also heavily discounted.
It first adopted the strategy in 1967 when it started using sweepstakes to entice people to buy more subscriptions. The first prizes it offered to the winners ranged between 25 cents and $10.
In this sweepstakes model, you don’t have to buy a ticket to qualify for the prizes. The draws happen every day (which improves your chances of winning).
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There are a couple of ways by which you can join the PHC sweepstakes program:
You can join by making a call, sending a request via mail, or more conveniently, joining the online platform.
Joining the online platform is, by far, the easiest way to join the program because you only need to visit the main website, follow a series of steps to sign up, and get started.
The mail system is more laborious as you have to respond to their calls to join and send your request via mail.
You can also call the designated number to enroll in their sweepstakes database.
The company also runs a couple of websites that host different games. Some of the games include video poker games, Lotto, and other popular online games.
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Is Publishers Clearing House Legit?
Publishers Clearing House is legit. The first indication that it is legitimate is that it has been around for decades. Since it was established in the early fifties, it has been serving its clients for many years; it wouldn’t survive that long if it ran a scammy business.
It hasn’t been without challenges though. For example, it has had to contend with numerous court cases challenging its practices over the years. It has spent millions of dollars in settlements and changed its way of conducting business to keep up with new regulations.
On top of that, there have been complaints by its customers about their chances of winning its competitions. There has been a mismatch between the implied odds of winning and the actual odds of winning.
As it turns out, the odds were skewed against certain groups and PCH didn’t do itself any favors by not disclosing this – it eventually has, but after lengthy litigations that have damaged its reputation.
That being said, PCH runs a legal business and many people have won prizes courtesy of its competitions over the years.
Merits of Publishers Clearing House
- You don’t have to buy tickets to participate in the sweepstakes.
- PCH has a large assortment of products for its customers to choose from.
- You can subscribe via multiple channels with the easiest one being online. Note that you can also join via the phone or mail.
- They have a responsive and helpful customer support team.
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Demerits of Publishers Clearing House
- Chances of winning the sweepstakes are quite low for the average subscriber.
- Customers have been complaining that PCH sends them too much spam mail.
My Final Word on Publishers Clearing House
To conclude, I think Publishers Clearing is a legit company that has been offering a unique service to its clients for many years. It was created out of a need to conveniently sell magazine subscriptions but grew to incorporate sweepstakes and online games.
It hasn’t been without challenges but it has been around for a while now and that has to count for something (serving its customers for more than sixty years).
Don’t leave yet…
Over the past few years I’ve personally reviewed 100’s of programs from investing to business opportunities.
During that time, one program has stood the test of time and in the last 3 months made us over $124,000.
Go here to see BizReviewed’s #1 recommendation for making money
FAQ
What Is Publishers Clearing House?
Publishers Clearing House (PHC) is a company that is widely known for its direct marketing of merchandise and magazine subscriptions.
Who Is Behind Publishers Clearing House?
Publishers Clearing House was launched by Harold Mertz in 1953 in his basement with the help of his wife, LuEster Mertz, and daughter. His first batch of mailings offered 20 subscriptions to popular magazines.
What Does Publishers Clearing House Offer?
Publishers Clearing House is a direct marketing company that sells a wide range of products. Some of its products include jewelry, magazine subscriptions, and books. It also runs a few gaming websites.
Is Publishers Clearing House Legit?
Publishers Clearing House is legit. The first indication that it is legitimate is that it has been around for decades. Since it was established in the early fifties, it has been serving its clients for many years.
Go here to see BizReviewed’s #1 recommendation for making money