Frequently Asked Questions on bragster.com

General

1. Is this legal?

   Yes it is. Since you can play with BragBucks, our internal currency, you're not violating any federal gaming laws. It's also completely free. However in some rare cases, betting for prizes may be illegal in some US states. Participants placing real item bets on sports events, elections and similar external events beyond their control may be violating the law in some states.

   It's free, quick and easy to sign-up with bragster, so why not give it a go now!

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2. What are BragBucks?

   BragBucks are our free bragster currency (they're like points). As soon as you join, we'll credit you with 10,000 BragBucks, and you'll be able to join and create bets right off the bat.

   While they are free, remember to spend them wisely as you can only top up your account once a month, and only when you have less than 100 BragBucks.

   The person who earns the most BragBucks in a month tops the League Table and wins the Most Bragging Rights. Oh, and if you have the Most Bragging Rights, you win a cash prize!

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3. How does a bet for 'Prize' work?

   It could be anything, as long as it remains in good spirit and of limited value (see our T&Cs). From a bottle of champagne to the losers committing to do the dishwashing for a week. Here are three good tips on the topic:

   • Contrary to bets BragBucks, bragster does not deliver the Prize. While we have it all recorded 'officially', it is up to you to ensure the prize changes hands.
   • To avoid any contestation, define the Prize properly (eg: who would owe the bottle champagne: each of the losers, one bottle for all the losers collectively or one bottle per winner?). Oh, and will it be Veuve Cliche or Laurent Perrier?
   • You might want to keep a bet for Prize among friends. What if someone you have never heard of from the other side of the planet decides to join? Will (s)he come over and do that dishwashing for you?

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4. What do all the bragster icons and symbols mean?

   • this is a bet for 'BragBucks' (points)
   • this is a bet for a 'Prize'
   • this bet is 'by invitation only'
   • this is a 'private bet'
   • this is a 'Majority Rules' bet

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5. What is a tag?

   A tag is a descriptive word or term that's attached to a bet (eg: a tag for "I bet I will eat 20 donuts in an hour" could be "donuts").

   The tag tells you about the item and enables people who visit bragster to search and find bets and information based on tagged keywords.

   When you're adding tags to an item, the more complete and clear you can make your keywords, the more chance there is of people being able to find your bet.

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6. Does it cost anything to join bragster?

   Joining bragster is completely free. We will even credit your account with 10,000 BragBucks as soon as you join. Playing for BragBucks or a Prize is completely free of charge as well.

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7. How does bragster make money?

   Our business model is simple, and we like it that way. We aim to profit from advertising in the form of sponsored brags and do some whitelabel deals where we license our technology. So, keep inviting your friends.

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8. Who can join?

   Everybody over 13 years old is welcome to join.

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9. Can I use bragster on my mobile?

   Soon, we're working on it!

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10. I'd like to partner with bragster, how do I go about it?

    Make us a proposal. As a young and flexible company, we welcome new ideas and like to move fast!

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11. Are there work opportunities at bragster?

    If you've always dreamed of working for a fast-moving technology start-up where you can really make a difference, send us your CV, tell us about yourself and why you want to work with us.

    We'll be more than happy to reply, but be aware that we can be extremely critical when it comes to hiring the next superstar!

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Creating a Bet

1. How do I create a bet?

   To create a bet, you must sign-up with bragster. If you're already registered, you need to log in to create a bet.

   Once you're logged in, go to the 'Create a Bet' tab and choose your bet type. Click 'go', and this will take you to the Bet Creation Wizard.

   There's three easy steps to the Bet Creation Wizard:

   1. Describe the details of your bet
   2. Invite friends to join your bet
   3. Confirm your bet.

   That's it!

   Tip: you can always access the Bet Creation Wizard by typing your bet into the green box at the top of the page, then selecting 'go'.

   You need to be over 16 to register on bragster.

   >

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2. How can I create a popular bet?

   Here's some tips to help you set up a popular bet:

   • First, make sure you choose the right type of bet with the Bet Creation Wizard

   • Make your bet interesting - be creative

   • Describe your bet, the prize (if relevant) and the conditions for winning clearly and honestly

   • Make sure that the potential outcomes of the bet are clear and logical (eg, what if you give an option to select 'Win' or 'Lose' and the result is a 'Draw'?)

   • Make sure that you choose the two bet deadlines correctly and that you've thought about potential differences in time zones

   • If you've set odds, choose them carefully

   • Select an independent Referee with a high trust rating

   • Invite friends to join your bet, whether you kept it open to all or not

   • Add pictures or a video clip to illustrate your bet catch people's attention

   • Add tags and choose the appropriate theme so people can easily find your bet

   • Write a clear 'bragster' profile so that other people know they can trust you

   • Always be honest and don't post inappropriate content - it will be removed

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3. How do I add pictures or videos to my bet or profile?

   You can upload four pictures or videos to your bet and four pictures to your 'bragster' profile. Click on the 'Manage pics and videos' link to upload or edit your pictures and videos.

   • To upload a picture, browse on your machine to upload a file.
   • To link to a YouTube or Metacafe video, copy and paste the weblink into the designated field and we'll do the rest.

   Choose a default picture or video before you return to the bet detail page or your 'bragster' profile. You can also delete pictures or videos using this link.

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4. Can I change the rules later?

   No. Once you have confirmed your bet, the rules are final! You can however add some additional clarifications as a comment on the bet detail page and if all players indicate they are fine, you should have no problems settling the bet.

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5. Can everyone see my private bets?

   No. Only you and the other invitees can see your 'private bet'. A blue eye icon on the bet detail page tells you that your bet is private.

   To test this, sign out of bragster and then search for the 'private bet' - you'll see that it's disappeared!

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Joining a Bet

1. How do I find a bet?

   Have you tried our search tool?

   You can search for bets or 'bragster' and then sort your results through different views. The options on the left hand column allow you to refine your search.

   We also use themes and 'tags' to refine bets, and you can add bets to your favorites.

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2. How do I know if I can trust someone who's created a bet?

   The best way to know if you can trust a member is to look at their trust rating and see how many people have rated this person.

   You can also take a look at how many bets that member has created and/or refereed. Also read the comments posted on their profile, or check if you have friends in common.

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3. Why can't I take part in a bet?

   Make sure you're logged in to bragster and that the bet is either a 'public bet' or that you're invited to the bet. If it is a 'public bet' and you're invited, then you might not have enough 'BragBucks' on your account. Go to your account page (under the 'My Bragster' tab) and deposit 'BragBucks'.

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4. Why can't I invite friends to a bet?

   If a bet is 'public', you can use the 'tell a friend' link to invite others to come and join the bet.

   If a bet is 'by invitation only' or a 'private bet', you need to be the Bet Creator to invite people to a bet. If you are the Bet Creator and you want to invite more friends to a bet, make sure you sign in and go to the bet detail page.

   If you're not the Bet Creator but have been invited to a bet and want your friends to be able to join the bet too, you could ask the Bet Creator (nicely) if they can invite your friend(s).

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Bet Settlement and Referee

1. Who is the Referee?

   The Referee is in charge of judging the outcome of a bet after the event took place. The Bet Creator trusts the Referee, and, by joining the bet, so should you.

   Check whether the Referee has already accepted to judge a bet, and whether their trust rating gives you confidence in their honesty and ability.

   If the Referee hasn't accepted, this means that the Bet Creator will act as Referee.

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2. I've received a request to be Referee. What's next?

   You can accept or decline to be the Referee for a bet. If you accept, you are in full power and will need to visit the website to decide the outcome of the event.

   As a Referee for a bet, the Bet Creator might not allow you to participate in the bet. This might be so that the Referee maintains an impartial opinion on the outcome of the bet.

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3. What do ratings mean?

   Bet ratings indicate the collective opinion on how cool and inventive each bet is.

   Trust ratings indicate how trustworthy a member is, and are based on feedback from people who've participated in a bet with that person.

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4. Something went wrong, how do I settle my bet now?

   Sign in to bragster, go to your bet detail page, then click the 'Settle your bet now?' or 'Any Problem?' link. We have below defined 3 situations that may have occurred, do not hesitate to contact us should you have another issue with the settlement of you bet.

   1. Something might have happened where you need to cancel the bet (for example a game that didn't take place), which means that all the participants in your bet will receive their stake back. As a Referee you have the power to cancel a bet, but be aware that you should only do this for a good reason. Otherwise, this will impact your trust rating and we may suspend your membership. If you want to cancel a bet, we advise you to first inform other participants by posting a comment on the bet detail page.
   2. The outcome of the bet might already have been known, and then people could have joined the bet afterwards while knowing the outcome.
   3. You cannot settle the bet yet at the settlement date (for example because the event is delayed). In that case, inform other participants by posting a comment on the bet detail page and come back when the event has taken place. You have up to one month after the settlement date before we cancel the bet. If you require more time, contact us and we will do our best to help.

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5. What if the outcome of a bet I took part was unfair?

   You must give us your feedback (thumbs up or thumbs down) and the reasons why you thought a bet was unfair or dishonest. Be as specific as possible. Please note that your comment will automatically be posted on the Bet Creator and Referee's profiles, which is visible to the public.

   When the outcome of the bet is made public and if a number of people complain, the bet may be cancelled.

   Your feedback will be taken into account for the trust rating of the Bet Creator. You will also have the opportunity to comment directly within their 'bragster' profile, the bet detail page.

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6. My bet got cancelled, what happened?

   There are several reasons why a bet could be cancelled. First, the Bet Creator or Referee him/herself might have decided that this would be the best outcome. In that case, they need to provide a valid reason, which is shared with all participants. If the Referee hasn't settled the bet within 30 days after the event took place, it could be cancelled as well if he or she didn't notify us.

   Secondly, if there were no participants or opposing party at the time the bet participation closed, there would be no point in keeping it open any longer. Not much fun if you all agree with each other.

   Finally, in some cases we might remove/cancel bets that are not in line with our Terms and Conditions. In that case, all stakes are returned to the participants. They will be notified in every case.

   Those measures are designed to protect you and our team monitors users who are responsible for too many cancellations.

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7. Can bragster settle disputes over bets?

   bragster will not directly interfere in bets, as we're simply an intermediary platform.

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Dares

1. What's a dare?

   We're glad you asked. You can send someone a dare, and then a bet will be created about it. The bet is whether or not the daree (the person who's been dared) will complete the dare, not whether or not they'll join it.

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2. How do I create a dare?

   Click the create a bet button and choose the dare tab. Follow our two-step dare creation process (patent pending), and you'll be good to go.

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3. What happens if someone dares me to do something?

   You can decide to accept or decline the dare. If you accept the dare, you'll be asked to upload evidence proving that you completed it. If you decline the dare, you'll be called a chicken, and Bertrand will make fun of you. Once you've accepted, you'll automatically enter that bet we mentioned earlier.

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4. What do I do if Bertrand starts making fun of me?

   Dare him to do something...

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5. How long do I have to accept a dare?

   You've got 2 weeks to accept a dare.

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6. How long do I have to submit evidence once I've accepted a dare?

   You've got 30 days to submit evidence.

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7. What happens when I submit evidence?

   The darer (the person who dared you) will check over the evidence and then settle the bet.

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8. What if I have another question?

   Drop us a line.

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Your Account/Security

1. How do I make sure I get my prize?

   As a platform for your bets, bragster records settlements and transfers funds. However, we do not offer this service for the settlement and transfer of prizes. Note that you cannot define a prize as physical money or a cheque.

   You have to trust people to settle bets and dares for prizes as you agreed. Or else just pester them relentlessly.

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2. What do I do if I run out of BragBucks?

   You can top up your 'BragBucks' account by 1,000 as soon as you dropped below 100 'BragBucks'. However, you can only do this once a month, so go easy on spending them!

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3. How do I manage my profile?

   You can manage your profile under the 'My Bragster' tab. This section is all about you, and includes your messages, your bets, your account, your settings and your profile.

   Through 'My Bragster', you can check all of the bets that you're involved in, upload pictures or videos, tell us about yourself, change your mail or security settings and loads more.

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4. How am I sure my privacy is respected?

   We respect your privacy at all times and we only post the information that you provide on your public 'bragster' profile. If you want to remain anonymous, don't share your name or other personal details on your 'bragster' profile.

   We don't share any personal information with third parties unless you allow us to.

   For more details, please see our Privacy Policy.

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5. Can I cancel my account?

   Sure, you can cancel your account at any time, as long as you are not involved in any bets. You must have all of your bets settled before you can close an account.

   Mind you, why would you want to close your bragster account? Who knows the next great wager that's around the corner?

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Troubleshooting

1. Why can't I log-in?

   Check that you've confirmed the email that was sent to your inbox.

   If it's not there, take a look in your junk email box as it may have been filtered out as spam and sent there first. If the email isn't in your junk mail, try signing in again.

   Make sure you've typed the correct nickname (or your email) and password into the login boxes. If you have forgotten your password, you can request a password reminder by providing your nickname or email.

   If you still can't log in, please contact us.

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2. If I see or read inappropriate content, how do I report it?

   If you come across content that you feel is inappropriate, report this to us by selecting the 'flag as inappropriate' link on the page that it relates to. You might need to go to the detailed page about that bet or profile to find the link. Inappropriate content includes pornography, abuse, racism, violent action and incitement, etc.

   We take each complaint very seriously. If we judge content to be inappropriate, we'll remove it and possibly cancel the associated bet. We also reserve the right to suspend or terminate people's membership in that case.

   Thanks in anticipation for your help in keeping bragster a fun and safe place. For full details about inappropriate content, please see our terms and conditions.

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3. How do I manage my mailbox and avoid spam?

   You can set your mailing preferences in the 'MySettings' section (under the 'My Bragster' tab) and choose not to receive update messages in your personal mailbox. Please note that we will send a limited number of important emails – for example a reminder to settle your bet - to your mailbox in any case.

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4. Someone has posted a comment about me, and I am not that happy. What can I do?

   You have a right to respond directly to a comment on your profile, but please be respectful in your reply - we want to keep bragster a fun place to be!

   We allow members who are involved in a bet with you to post their comments, which provides valuable feedback for other people who might want to bet with you.

   If a comment about you is inappropriate, please flag it as inappropriate and we will act on your behalf.

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5. Why did a picture, video or comment disappear?

   It might be due to a server issue on our side. But don't worry in that case; chances are that our emergency team is already on the case. Would it not be fixed in a few hours, contact us and we will investigate.

   Alternatively, it might be because the content was considered as inappropriate (see our T&Cs). If so, the person that posted this content will be notified.

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6. Can I make a suggestion?

   Sure, send it our way. We'll review it and, if we think it's cool, we'll try to make it happen.

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