Why do so many sweepstakes and contests come to my mailbox every day?  Are there really this many prizes to give away, or are they up to something else?  In short, they really are up to something else.  They want your name, because they can make money off of that information.  As long as you select the contest through a reputable company though, you are generally going to be entered into the sweepstakes.  However, if you are signing up for some cheesy offer, from a company you have never heard of, they are probably just going to wait for your confirmation, and then turn around to sell your name to the highest bidder.  This in turn fills your mailbox full of other offers along the same lines, just to get your name.