Current Giveaway Details: September 2020

This month we have two giveaways for you. Our first giveaway is for a mystery box of products and goodies from France. Our second giveaway is for a $125 USD voucher for use on the Koy Gear website.

Giveaway #1: France Mystery Box

Brand/Manufacturer: Various
Prize: France Mystery Box
Retail Value: USD $150 or greater
Giveaway Open to: Worldwide

This month we are going to stay with Laurence’s parents who live in France. We haven’t seen them in about a year, and plan to have a nice visit and stay at their rural home in the Dordogne region of France.

While we are in France, we will purchase a box full of goodies to send to one lucky reader! All items will be connected in some way to France.

The France Mystery Box will contain a mix of various kinds of items. We obviously can’t tell you what will be in the mystery box, but here are some ideas of what it may contain:

• Food, wine, and snack items
• Home decor and furnishings
• Books
• Clothing accessories
• Postcards
• Body care products
• Travel items
• Anything else we find!

We hope that the winner will enjoy this surprise box. It can be a great box to treat yourself as well as a way to find some items to gift to the special people in your life.

How to Enter the Giveaway

Please read the rules below to enter the giveaway:

1 – You need to be signed up for our newsletter.

If you get our monthly newsletters, you are eligible!

If you are not a subscriber, you can sign up using the form at the top of the page, or on this page.

If you’re already signed up you don’t need to sign up again and you can skip to the newsletter entry form. When you sign up for our newsletter, you’ll be sent an e-mail to asking you to confirm your sign-up. You’ll need to click the link to confirm and activate your subscription.

2. Check the rules of the giveaway

Before signing up, read over the rules (listed in detail below the entry form) to make sure you are eligible to apply. While we strive to have our giveaway open to all subscribers, some of the giveaways have geographical, residency, age, or other restrictions.

3 – Use the form below to enter the giveaway.

You must use the same e-mail address that you used to sign up to the newsletter with, as we’ll be checking e-mails this way to validate your entry. You must be an active subscriber when we make the draw to be eligible to win!

Enter the Giveaway!

Winners will be randomly drawn with the winner receiving the prize as described above.

The retail value of the giveaway will be USD $150.00 or greater.

Applicants must be 18 years or older, have a valid email address, and have a valid mailing address.

Winners will be contacted by the email provided (so please use an email to enter that you check regularly). If a winner does not respond to email within 72 hours, another winner will be chosen.

The winner will be contacted via email by us, and we will then mail the prize via postal mail directly to the winner.

Note you can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time, but you must be an active subscriber when the draw takes place to be eligible to win. Draws take place within a week of the contest closing.

The data entered into the giveaway form will solely be used for the purposes of verifying your entry, checking you are an active newsletter subscriber, and contacting you if you are a winner.

Winners (first name and last initial, and country of residence) will be announced on the bottom of this page and in our monthly newsletter.

Full Giveaway Terms and Conditions

These are the full terms and conditions!

1. The promoter is: Finding the Universe & Independent Travel Cats
2. Finding the Universe & Independent Travel Cats contributors, and their family members or anyone else connected in any way with the giveaway including helping to set up the giveaway shall not be permitted to enter the giveaway.
3. The giveaway is only open to active newsletter subscribers of the Finding the Universe & Independent Travel Cats monthly newsletter.
4. There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this giveaway.
5. Route to entry for the giveaway and details of how to enter are via this blog post
6. You must be 18 years of age or older to participate in the giveaway.
7. You must fill out all the requested information in the entry form to be eligible. Incomplete entries will not be considered.
8. Closing date for entry is September 28th, 2020 at midnight EST. After this date no further entries to the giveaway will be permitted. Only one entry may be submitted per participant. Multiple entries will not be considered, and will invalidate all entries by the participant. Incomplete, incorrect, or otherwise invalid entries will not be considered. The Promoter reserves the right to verify the eligibility of all participants.
9. No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason.
10. The prize is as follows: 1 France Mystery Box
11. Any tax liability, including import taxes and duties due to international shipping, is the responsibility of the prize winner
12. The promoter reserves the right to cancel or amend the giveaway and these terms and conditions without notice and for any reason. Any changes to the giveaway will be notified to entrants as soon as possible by the promoter.
13. No cash alternative to the prizes will be offered. The prizes are not transferable. Prizes are subject to availability and the promoter reserves the right to substitute any prize with another of equivalent value without giving notice.
14. Winners will be drawn at random from all valid entries. The odds of winning will depend on the number of entries received. Promoters are not responsible for prize fulfillment nor for any technical failures. The winning entry will be verified. A list of winners will be displayed on this page and published in the monthly newsletter.
15. Promoter reserves the right to publish winner’s first name and last initial and country of residence. Any personal data relating to the winner or any other entrants will be used solely in accordance with current UK data protection legislation and will not be disclosed to a third party without the entrant’s prior consent.
16. The winner will be notified by email within 10 days of the closing date. If the winner cannot be contacted or does not claim the prize within 72 hours of notification, the promoter reserves the right to withdraw the prize from the winner and pick a replacement winner.
17. The winner consents to providing their name, email, mailing address, and mobile contact number to the promoters for the sole purpose of enabling their prize to be delivered.
18. The promoters’ decision in respect of all matters to do with the giveaway will be final.
19. By entering this giveaway, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.
20. The giveaway and these terms and conditions will be governed by UK law and any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the UK.
21. Images included in the giveaway post may not depict the exact prize, and are for illustrative purposes only.
22. Residents of Canada will be required to answer a skill-testing question to claim their prize.
23. Void where Prohibited

Giveaway #2: Koy Gear Technical Clothing

Brand/Manufacturer: Koy Gear
Prize: $125 USD voucher good towards any products on the Koy Gear online store
Retail Value: $125 USD
Giveaway Open to: Worldwide

Koy Gear are a relatively new Canadian based producer of technical clothing. They make several products, including T-shirts, socks, and underwear, with a focus on high-quality garments that keep you cool and fresh whilst still being good looking.

This month we’re delighted to be able to give away a voucher code worth $125 good for anything on the Koy Gear store. This giveaway is open worldwide.

Laurence has been trying out some of their products over the last month, including the technical boxer briefs, technical tee, and technical socks. 

Laurence has liked all the products so far that he has tried from Koy Gear. His favorite item is the technical tee. Although there are a lot of performance T-shirts out there, most are not really ones that you want to wear in normal situations as they look like they are meant for hiking and being outdoors.

Koy Gear clothing is different – the t-shirt is definitely functional and comfortable, but it’s also smart enough for casual wear even when you’re not out adventuring. It also layers well.

In terms of features, the garments are designed with odor resistance, stain protection, and breathability. The technical tee has a hydro repellent coating to keep liquids at bay, a silver ionization treatment that actively kills odor-causing bacteria, and a hyperabsorption interior which wicks moisture away from the body.

So basically everything you want in a performance t-shirt. Laurence has found all the garments to be really comfortable and they certainly perform as advertised—even after multiple hikes on hot days!

The clothing options so far from Koy Gear are definitely geared towards male travelers, but the tee and socks can also be worn by women.

If you see anything in the store you want to purchase, Koy Gear has given us a discount code so that readers can receive 20% off their order. At checkout, use the discount code findingtheuniverse20 to get 20% off your purchase.

How to Enter the Giveaway

Please read the rules below to enter the giveaway:

1 – You need to be signed up for our newsletter.

If you get our monthly newsletters, you are eligible!

If you are not a subscriber, you can sign up using the form at the top of the page, or on this page.

If you’re already signed up you don’t need to sign up again and you can skip to the newsletter entry form. When you sign up for our newsletter, you’ll be sent an e-mail to asking you to confirm your sign-up. You’ll need to click the link to confirm and activate your subscription.

2. Check the rules of the giveaway

Before signing up, read over the rules (listed in detail below the entry form) to make sure you are eligible to apply. While we strive to have our giveaway open to all subscribers, some of the giveaways have geographical, residency, age, or other restrictions.

3 – Use the form below to enter the giveaway.

You must use the same e-mail address that you used to sign up to the newsletter with, as we’ll be checking e-mails this way to validate your entry. You must be an active subscriber when we make the draw to be eligible to win!

Enter the Giveaway!

Winners will be randomly drawn with the winner receiving a voucher worth $125 for use on the Koy Gear website.

The retail value of the giveaway is approximately USD $125

Applicants must be 18 years or older, have a valid email address, and have a valid mailing address.

Winners will be contacted by the email provided (so please use an email to enter that you check regularly). If a winner does not respond to email within 72 hours, another winner will be chosen.

The winner will be contacted via email by us, and we will pass the winner’s details onto Koy Gear to co-ordinate the prize.

Note you can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time, but you must be an active subscriber when the draw takes place to be eligible to win. Draws take place within a week of the contest closing.

The data entered into the giveaway form will solely be used for the purposes of verifying your entry, checking you are an active newsletter subscriber, and contacting you if you are a winner.

Winners (first name and last initial, and country of residence) will be announced on the bottom of this page and in our monthly newsletter.

Full Giveaway Terms and Conditions

These are the full terms and conditions!

1. The promoter is: Finding the Universe & Independent Travel Cats
2. Finding the Universe & Independent Travel Cats contributors, and their family members or anyone else connected in any way with the giveaway including helping to set up the giveaway shall not be permitted to enter the giveaway.
3. The giveaway is only open to active newsletter subscribers of the Finding the Universe & Independent Travel Cats monthly newsletter.
4. There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this giveaway.
5. Route to entry for the giveaway and details of how to enter are via this blog post
6. You must be 18 years of age or older to participate in the giveaway.
7. You must fill out all the requested information in the entry form to be eligible. Incomplete entries will not be considered.
8. Closing date for entry is September 28th, 2020 at midnight EST. After this date no further entries to the giveaway will be permitted. Only one entry may be submitted per participant. Multiple entries will not be considered, and will invalidate all entries by the participant. Incomplete, incorrect, or otherwise invalid entries will not be considered. The Promoter reserves the right to verify the eligibility of all participants.
9. No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason.
10. The prizes are as follows: 1x $125 USD voucher to use for any available products on the Koy Gear website
11. Any tax liability, including import taxes due to international shipping, is the responsibility of the prize winner
12. The promoter reserves the right to cancel or amend the giveaway and these terms and conditions without notice and for any reason. Any changes to the giveaway will be notified to entrants as soon as possible by the promoter.
13. No cash alternative to the prizes will be offered. The prizes are not transferable. Prizes are subject to availability and the promoter reserves the right to substitute any prize with another of equivalent value without giving notice.
14. Winners will be drawn at random from all valid entries. The odds of winning will depend on the number of entries received. Promoters are not responsible for prize fulfillment nor for any technical failures. The winning entry will be verified. A list of winners will be displayed on this page and published in the monthly newsletter.
15. Promoter reserves the right to publish winner’s first name and last initial and country of residence. Any personal data relating to the winner or any other entrants will be used solely in accordance with current UK data protection legislation and will not be disclosed to a third party without the entrant’s prior consent.
16. The winner will be notified by email within 10 days of the closing date. If the winner cannot be contacted or does not claim the prize within 72 hours of notification, the promoter reserves the right to withdraw the prize from the winner and pick a replacement winner.
17. The winner consents to providing their name, email, mailing address, and mobile contact number to the promoters for the sole purpose of enabling their prize to be delivered.
18. The promoters’ decision in respect of all matters to do with the giveaway will be final.
19. By entering this giveaway, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.
20. The giveaway and these terms and conditions will be governed by UK law and any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the UK.
21. Images included in the giveaway post may not depict the exact prize, and are for illustrative purposes only.
22. Residents of Canada will be required to answer a skill-testing question to claim their prize.
23. Void where Prohibited

We wish you the best of luck!

If you have any questions or concerns about the giveaways, please let us know in the Comments section below or email us directly.

Past Winners

Here is a list of our past giveaway winners:

August 2020

• Skye T of South Dakota, USA won an AKASO Brave 7 LE Action Camera, worth $142.99 USD
• Samantha W. of England, UK won a $150 Civitatis voucher to use on any ticket, tour, or activity of her choice

July 2020

• Julie D. of England won a 2-night stay in a 4-star hotel in Bali, Indonesia, plus 2 guided tours with ForeverVacation. The prize was worth around $500 USD

June 2020

• Will E. of Rhode Island, USA won a 3-year NordVPN VPN subscription with a total retail value of $125.00

May 2020

• Rae H. of England, UK won a watch, cuff links, leather cord organizer, a travel coffee mug, a travel photography course, & several other travel gifts with a total retail value of $534.85
• Pamela S. of New York, USA won her choice of travel inspired home decor items from Etsy, worth $125

April 2020

• Joyce W. of Wales, UK won a Kameleon Rose Ultimate Travel Dress and 5 Way Cardigan, worth GBP £146
• Nick B. of Italy, Wayne K. of South Africa, and Kandy K-L. of Michigan, USA won a copy of Skylum Luminar 4 photo editing software worth USD $89 each
• Susan C. of Ohio, USA who won a travel coffee maker of her choice, worth up to USD $100

March 2020

• Anthea H. of England, UK who won a cashmere scarf, jewelry, and travel gifts with a value of over $500
• Kate W. of Ontario, Canada who won a USD $200 voucher for any walking tour on the Take Walks website

February 2020

• Scott F. of England, UK won two 2-day Paris Passes, worth 260 euros
• Regina R. of Portugal, won a copy of our travel photography course worth 99 euros

January 2020

• Ricky J. of North Carolina, USA won two framed prints of our photos, worth $125
• Jodie R. of Australia won a Tropicfeel bundle including 1 pair of Canyon shoes, 1 pair of Havasu flip flops, 1 Cruiser backpack, and 1 reusable Shopper bag, with a value of $166

December 2019

• Janni N of Denmark won a pair of Vallerret Photography gloves and Beanie, with a retail value of $136
• Louis D. of Illinois, USA won a GetYourGuide gift card worth $250

November 2019

• Kiara G of England, UK won an Ovcio Featherlight cashmere scarf worth $125
• Barbara C of Idaho, USA won her choice of gifts worth up to $200 from our gift guide for travelers and gift guide for photographers.

October 2019

• Ian F. of England, UK won an AKASO V50 Elite action camera worth $140.
• Stephanie L. of California, USA, Heather S. of Ontario, Canada and Christopher S. of New York, USA won a Wanderchain and set of 10 engraved tokens from The Wander Club. A $67 value each. Jill T. of Pennsylvania also won a Wanderchain.
• Jarna P. of Finland won a Tinggly holiday gift card, a $119 value.

September 2019

• Linda K. of Michigan, USA won a 3-piece Happyluxe travel set. A $88 value.
• Catherine R. of Ontario, Canada won a pair of travel shoes of her choice. She chose a pair of Sorel Joan Explorer winter boots, a $150 value.

August 2019

• Cynthia R. of Arizona, USA won a $150 gift credit to use to book camping and glamping sites on Hipcamp.
• Kelly J. of New Zealand won her choice of a set of Shacke Pack packing cubes, a Vera Bradley travel pill case, and a Zoppen travel wallet.

July 2019

• Julie W. of Michigan, USA won a Vanguard VEO 2 GO 235CB carbon fiber tripod and a VEO GO 34M bag with a total value of USD $339.98. Philip B. of England, UK won a VEO 2 GO 204AB aluminum tripod with a value of USD $149.99. Megan K. of England UK, William B. of North Carolina, USA, and Robin S. of Ontario Canada each won a VESTA Mini Tripod with a value of USD $43.99 each.
• Rachael B. of Ohio, USA, won a RavPower Filehub Plus travel router with a value of USD $42.99.

June 2019

• Ashley S. of Florida, USA won a USD $150 voucher for ScotteVest travel clothing of choice.
• Iain M. of Scotland, UK won a My Webspot Individual Edition WiFi Hotspot and a 20 day usage pass with a retail value of USD $299.

May 2019

• Gerri T. of Wales, UK was the first prize winner for the online travel photography course and Skylum Lumniar photo editing software, worth USD $168. Abbas K. of Turkey and Patsy B. of Canada also each won a free copy of the Skylum Luminar editing software.
• William T. of Georgia, USA who won a Pad & Quill TechFolio Pro Cord Organizer worth USD $140

April 2019

• Rotem A. of Israel, Cassandra C. of Missouri, USA, and Carolina R. of Argentina, each of whom won a day tour of their choice for 2 persons from Iceland Travel worth up to USD $700
• Sheila H. of England, UK who won a Melifluos travel wrap worth USD $32
• Carolyn  E. of England, UK who won a Happyluxe travel wrap worth USD $56
• David S. of Wisconsin, USA who won 3 custom vintage travel posters from Just Go Travel Studios worth USD $135

March 2019

• Delyna B. of Australia, who won a Rabbie’s Tour in the UK or Ireland worth up to USD $500
• Goretti R. of Catalonia, Spain, who won a Sony compact camera valued at USD $200

February 2019

• Becky P. from London, England, UK who won a tour from Travel Talk worth up to USD $1,200.

January 2019

• Anissa E. from Washington D.C., USA, who won a USD $200 voucher for use to buy a backpack on the Arcido store
• Anke K. from South Africa, who won a USD $200 voucher for any walking tour on the Take Walks website

December 2018

• Michelle B. from Germany, who won a Travelccessories Toiletry Bag & Travel Laundry Kit with a retail value of USD $100
• Russell C. from England, UK, who won a 5-piece Manta Sleep travel package with a retail value of USD $90

November 2018

• Toni K. from Kentucky, USA, who won OOO Traveling luggage with a retail value of USD $298
• Gary R. from Ontario, Canada, who won a Tinggly Best in the World travel gift card with a retail value of USD $119

October 2018

• Tracy C. from Australia, who won a free lifetime subscription to our travel photography course with a retail value of USD $99
• Vicki L. from the USA, who won a custom Passport Map with a retail value of USD $129

September 2018

• Toni A. of Evansville, IN, USA won a Vanguard VEO 2 235CB Carbon Fiber tripod with a retail value of USD $199
• Kevin C. of Wales, UK won a Thule Subterra Carry-On 55cm with a retail value of GBP £215