Don Chavez

Last night, I crawled into bed around 1 A.M. and turned on the television.  At first it appeared that I was watching an infomercial on TBS, but after being suckered in for 5 minutes I realized that it was actually a late night interactive game show.  It’s called Midnight Money Madness and it’s hosted by a cute British chick and a scrawny geek that wants this to be his stepping stone to MTV’s TRL.

The gameshow is very simple to play, and consists of a variety of word games.  Last night one segment asked callers to name the second word in the phrase Hard _____.  There were 5 different winning combinations, ranging in prize money from $50 to $250. 

I’m laying there and I realize how easy this game is.  How the hell do I cash in on it?  There was no ignoring the 900 number flashing on the screen, along with another message to send a text message to enter.  So I decided that I would pony up the 99 cents for the phone call and give them the final answer they were looking for (Hard Ass).  I dialed the number and got a recording saying I had 3 seconds to hang up, after which time I would be charged the 99 cents.  3 seconds later I heard a tone and a recording tell some ridiculous joke that wouldn’t make it onto a candy wrapper.  After the lame ass joke, I was thanked for entering and the recording said good-bye.  That was it! 

Apparently, and they fail to disclose this on the TV screen, your phone call enters you into the contest, and then they randomly call people back and put you into the “Hot Lounge” where you wait your turn to attempt to answer a question for cash.  It was only 1:20 and the show was on for another 80 minutes.  Even though I was tired, I couldn’t go to sleep.  After all, I had 99 cents on the line, and what if I got the callback? 

After a little research today, I found out that you can enter for FREE on their website.  This is one of the greatest 900 number scams I have ever seen.  They make long dramatic pauses during the show to make it seem as if nobody is actually calling in.  They do this to drive up the revenue generated by suckers like me who call in or send a text message.  In reality, they already have the next contestant and a handful of others already lined up.

Well, I learned my lesson.  I’m determined to get my shot at redeeming that 99 cents I lost, and I’ll try it again tonight.  Only this time I’ll play for FREE by registering on their website.  In case you’ve never seen the show, here is a clip of it from youtube…