OzBargain has turned 9, and we are hosting a Treasure Hunt to celebrate the birthday! (10-27 Nov 2015)

UPDATE: OzBargain Treasure Hunt has finished. For those who have claimed treasures, please go to marketplace to fill out the delivery information.


TL;DR: To celebrate OzBargain's 9th birthday, we are running a treasure hunt / prize giveaways between 10 and 27th of November. Just log into this site to participate.

OzBargain is turning NINE on the 27th of November 2015. Instead of running silly (but extremely entertaining) competitions like last year and the year before, we are running a little game of treasure hunt this year, giving away a few very desirable prizes (according to an OzBargainer's standard, at least). To participate,

  • Make sure you are logged into OzBargain, and are not currently in the penalty box.
  • Browse around the website to spot treasure items.
  • Claim it when you spot one!
  • At the end of Nov 27, prizes will be given out for the treasures you have claimed.

Sounds easy? Here are the details.

Who can participate?

Everyone can participate. However you need to be a logged in user to see the treasures.

Users who are currently in penalty box will not be able to see scattered treasures nor claim them. Sockpuppeting or creating multiple accounts will also risk to have all your accounts banned — so don't even try. Users who have been found gaming the system (cheating, bots, programmatic, etc) will also be blocked from receiving the prizes.

When is the treasure hunt starting & finishing?

Treasure hunt will official start today (10 Nov 2015). I'll be seeding the site with treasures later this afternoon. The hunt will finish on 27 Nov 2015 at 11:59PM ADST, and the treasures you have claimed will be your winning items.

I will be buying and sending the prizes to the winners the following week after we have collected the delivery information. Since it's OzBargain and it makes no sense buying RRP — so the prize winners might need to wait a bit when I go and hunt the actual items.

What treasures?

Here is a rough list of products we are giving away:

  • OzBargain T-shirts
  • Eneloop AA 8pk
  • Eneloop Family Pack
  • Samsung microSD 32GB
  • Woodworm Umbrella
  • Quilton Toilet Tissues
  • Telstra $30 Pre-Paid SIM
  • Hoyts e-CineVoucher
  • Xiaomi Piston 3
  • Xiaomi Powerbank
  • Coles Myer Gift Card $25
  • WISH Gift Card $20
  • WISH Gift Card $100 [x] 2 parts
  • Chromecast [x] 2 parts
  • Getflix Lifetime Subscription [x] 2 parts
  • Crucial BX100 256GB SSD [x] 2 parts
  • LEGO 75102 Star Wars X-Wing [x] 2 parts
  • Fitbit Charge HR [x] 3 parts
  • Nespresso U [x] 3 parts
  • GoPro Hero [x] 3 parts
  • Xbox One Console [x] 3 parts

For products marked with [x], the treasures are split into multiple parts, and you need to claim all the parts to be the winner of the treasure. For example you need to claim all 3 parts of Xbox One Console in order to win the prize at the end.

We will also be adding more products throughout the treasure hunt. What other treasures should we give away? What other hot products that an OzBargainer should own? Suggest in comments!

How do I spot a treasure?

Treasures will be scattered around OzBargain website. Here is an example:

Click to Reveal the treasure

It's all in the probability. For example on each page loaded, 2% of the chance an OzBargain T-shirt will show up in the page, but the probability is lower for other higher-prized items. Basically if you are an OzBargainer that can't stop reloading the home page, sooner or later you'll spot one.

HINT: Treasures will only appear on

  • Front page (between the deals)
  • New deal pages (between the deals)
  • Deal/forum/competition pages that have (1) at least 15 comments (2) last commented less than 30 days ago (between comments)

Throughout the treasure hunt game, I will also place some treasures with higher probability in specific pages. More hints will be left in the comments on where to find them.

Also note that the treasure will only stay on the page for 15 seconds. So it might be wise to scroll up & down when you first load the pages to see whether there's a treasure.

How do I claim a treasure?

When you click on the highlighted row, you will be shown what treasure it is and a button for you to claim it. Once it is claimed it will be added to your inventory which you can then check in the marketplace page later. A user can keep at most 4 items in the inventory. Here is an example when treasure is revealed and ready to be claimed:

Click to Claim the treasure

Once a treasure is revealed you should have 3-4 minutes to claim it (before we expire it in the backend). If you already have 4 items in your inventory, you will then be given an option to drop an existing item to claim the one on the page. Dropped item will be released to the wild to be picked up by another lucky guy.

Marketplace

Treasure Hunt Marketplace is the place where you can

  • See what treasures are currently in your inventory
  • Put items in your inventory to be traded on the market
  • See treasures other users are currently trading on the market
  • Request / Accept / Reject trades

When a treasure is first claimed, it would be private under Your Items. Click on the toggle "Trade on the Marketplace" to make it public, available for trade.

Your Items in Marketplace

Under Marketplace you will see a list of items that other users have made available to trade. Clicking on "Trade Item" will bring down a list of your own items that you wish to swap with.

When currently there are pending trade requests against the items under your inventory, there will also be a section Trade Request. You can then approve or reject those trade requests. Users will be notified when there's an incoming trade request, or when your trade request has been approved or rejected.

Please note that item trading is one to one only — one item in yours inventory trading with another item that's currently on the market. It is not possible to do one-to-many trading.

Trading Example

Two users, let's just call them Alice and Bob, have the following items in their inventory:

  • Alice: OzBargain T-Shirt, Xbox One Part 1/3, Xbox One Part 3/3, Eneloop AA 8pk
  • Bob: Xbox One Part 2/3

Since you cannot win by simply having part 2 out 3 of a high prized item, Bob puts his Xbox One Part 2/3 on the market. While browsing the marketplace Alice found that's exactly what she needed. So she clicked on "Trade Item" next to Xbox One Part 2/3. Being a cheapskate she decided to use her Eneloop AA 8pk to request the trade.

"WTF?!" as Bob already has boxes of unopened Eneloops at home, so he responded with "Reject" on the trade request. Not be discouraged by the rejection, Alice requested the trade again with her most valued possession — OzBargain T-Shirt. Moved by her determination, Bob accepted Alice's trade, items swapped inventories, and both live happily ever after (with their OzBargain treasures, of course).

Sounds exciting? Get your hunting hat ready and have fun!

closed Comments

        • +1

          Nah just the headphones for me!

          And no, I won't trade a full something for half of something ;)

      • +11

        Yes you need get this half > and that half < to make an >< wing

        • Oh dear… ;)

  • Are treasures released all at once each day? If so, can the release be staggered during the day?

  • +12

    I spent hours looking, seems like a waste of time. I know you can't have enough prizes for everyone but it made me fairly discouraged not knowing if I was doing the right thing or looking in the right place. Perhaps you can limit prizes per user or something

    • It's limited to four prizes per user.

      • +3

        oh only four, thats great, maybe when i get 1 ill be happy to know i can go looking for 3 more….. :|

  • +1

    I changed browser, wasn't logged in and saw an add thought it was my lucky day.. Want an Ozbargain Tshirt so bad :(

    • No such thing as a free ice cream, perhaps you have to dig deep for it

      • -2

        I was just joking.

        • +2

          Me too ;)

  • Let's stay on topic.

  • Happy birthday Ozziebargain :)

  • why i can't find anything…I assumed i am the most frequent user of ozbargain. :(

    • same here. :( dissapointed.. been searching .. for a long time now.. !!

  • +1

    Haven't found a single one :(

  • Refreshing while watching cricket ^^ I think I'm getting RSI ^^

    • +1

      There are browser addons that do that for you by the way.

  • +1

    Yeah, been refreshing/regularly checking for days. Just unlucky I suppose :P Great idea though! :)

  • +5

    I've got a little tip for those yet to find prizes. Find a forum post with close to 15 comments and zoom out until you can view all of the comments on your screen at once. This lets you easily scan and spot the prize if it appears as it only appears between comments. I found 67% zoom to work for me, you can also full screen the window. Hover your cursor over a part of the text on the last comment of the page. Keep hitting f5 until you see your cursor is no longer on the same spot after a refresh, it means a new element must have loaded on the page i.e. the prize :)

    • Thank you for the tip, much faster than what i am doing. Feel like im going to get an epileptic seizure though from the constant flash of the refresh

  • +1

    See nothing…..decided wont bother any more ….

  • +5

    I've been using OzBargain intensely for days, not seen one single drop

    • Me too, I've used up most of my mobile data, and still no prize!

      • +1

        Switch to someone else's WiFi.

        • +3

          Mobile network, wifi, even work (shhhhh)!
          PC, laptop, phone
          No luck yet

  • +1

    Are the prizes worked out like Maccas Monopoly?
    So lots of Parts 1 and 2, and only one Part 3?

  • +6

    I check number of times during the weekend but did not find a thing :( is it supposed to be this difficult ? at this moment Ozbargain 1 - Me - 0

  • Same here, no luck for the past 2 days :( on several occasions.

  • Same here, keep on F5. What I could guess is my time spent on this (max. 5 mins refreshing, 2-3 times a day) is way too less than expert Ozbargainers.

  • +5

    Nov 16 Morning Update

    Items added this morning:

    • 5x OzBargain T-shirts
    • Fitbit Charge HR [x] 3 parts

    Here are some hints for certain items:

    • Getflix Lifetime Subscription 2/2 — in one of recent VPN deal
    • Hoyts e-CineVoucher — 2 of them are on a recent movie freebie
    • Sweet, any leads on hotspots for that shiny xbone?

  • +4

    Its been over a week of refreshing, and I'm still hoping to see what the treasure hunt thing actually looks like…

  • +19

    Just a quick update. I have just added 12 items back to the hunt. Not because I feel extra generous Wednesday nights. But I have just banned 3 accounts holding 4 items each, as these are cheaters.

    • All the items held by those 3 accounts are released back to the hunt, and accounts are banned.
    • Yes we know who you are and what you are doing. Don't use the uni network for scrapping by the way, lest you want to have the entire network blocked on the firewall (which might be a good idea during exam weeks).
    • A full audit will be done at the end of the treasure hunt. I won't be surprised that I'll be giving away less prize than I have planned.
    • This more like fun activity, i do not know why people cheat here and make mockery of themselves. Good work scotty.

    • +2

      Well done with picking up on the cheating pricks!

    • +1

      Kudos to you for finding the cheaters

    • Well done Scotty :) I thought the Marketplace was a lil crowded!

    • Gotta love an account with no posts and no comments coming out of nowhere to be cycling some top notch prizes on the marketplace, not obvious at all! XD

      Was that account a sockpuppet of the other banned chap from the ACT?

      • Well well. Talking about strange request patterns :) I'll keep watching…

        • I traded with that account :/ Hope that's not an issue!

          Scrooge, I think you got my headphones :P

  • +5

    Nov 20 Morning Update

    Last week of treasure hunt. Just added 5 more T-shirts in the hunt and activated all the remaining items. Here are some hints:

    • Chromecast 2/2 — a recent DickSmith deal
    • Crucial BX100 2/2 — recent SSD deal from an Australian retailer
    • Fitbit Charge HR 2/3 — recent Sports & Outdoor deal
    • LEGO X-Wing 2/2 — recent Lego deal
    • +1

      Thanks for the hints… Finally manage to find one.

      • -2

        you could say where / what - so others don't waste even more time.

        • +1

          I picked up the Lego X-Wing 2/2

        • +3

          @cashews: Lucky you! Edit: and I can tell you that the Quilton you dropped has gone to a good home :)

  • +2

    OMG I GOT A PIECE

    lol first time I have won a 'prize', well hopefully can make a deal to exchange.

    I didn't even refresh, just pure luck which makes it more satisfying.

    • What did you find?

      • Just Nespresso U Part 1/3, not sure what I will able to exchange with at this stage.

        • I exchanged one of those for a t-shirt.

        • Still a few days left — just put it the market and see whether people with other parts are willing to trade items with you.

  • +9

    Nov 23 Morning Update

    All items are in the market and here are some stats of this morning:

    • 123 items, 110 have already been claimed
    • 5 users have 4 items, 3 have 3, 13 have 2 and 55 have 1 (pending audit)
    • 214 trades have been requested, only 27 accepted
    • Most requested item is Coles Gift Card $25, followed by OzBargain T-Shirt. One OzBargain T-shirt has been traded 5 times.
  • +5

    nooo… the other day I noticed something in between deals but for some reason ignored it and now discover that a treasure hunt has been going on. haha, oh well. Happy Birthday Ozbargain!!

  • one day to go and i don't have anything to trade my part 2/3 go pro =(

  • +2

    Nov 26 Noon Update

    Only 4 items left in the hunt.

    • Chromecast Part 2/2 — On a recent DickSmith deal featuring Eneloop
    • Fitbit Charge HR Part 2/3 — On a recent "Sports & Outdoor" deal
    • Xbox One Part 2/3 — just appear on any page
    • Xbox One Part 3/3 — on a recent Xbox related deal

    I'll probably add another 5 T-shirts into the hunt later today.

  • I just had a weird bug occur - after I accepted a trade, suddenly the system automatically requested trades for that accepted item with all other items in the marketplace! I had to quickly cancel them…

    • +1

      I had similar when I accepted a trade, but was with only 1 other person.

      Maybe if a person has multiple trade requests on that item, the trade requests 'stay' with the item, rather than the person?

      • Ah yes, that does seem like a reasonable hypothesis.

  • +1

    All parts of the GoPro Hero are up for trade in the marketplace, get trading. :)

    • And both Chromecast Part 1 & Part 2 as well.

  • Hey Scotty, do you keep a log of the 'displays' of treasure. Would be interesting to see if I ever missed a chance or I was just never lucky enough.

    • +3

      I don't keep a log of "who have seen what" however I do keep a record of how many times the treasure item has appeared. Chromecast 2/2 has already been claimed. Out of the 3 that haven't been claimed:

      • Fitbit Charge HR 2/3 — only seen once (one of the rare page that no one visited?)
      • Xbox One 2/3 — seen 62 times
      • Xbox One 3/3 — seen 10 times

      Yes, people often have pages loaded with treasure in there but didn't get spotted.

      • Thanks that was the sort of stat I was thinking of.

  • +1

    Happy birthday Ozbargain and happy browser refreshing Ozbargainers!

  • +4

    Happy 9th Birthday OzBargain!

    To another year of excellent savings, product reviews, jokes, and community spirit.

    I have taken it upon myself to cater for the event, but as the only OzBargainer of the household, I must consume it all myself…

  • Indeed, Happy Birthday OzBargain!

    I understand this is the last day of the treasure hunt… at the end of the day that's it!(?)
    Scotty, have all treasures been claimed now?

  • +7

    Nov 27 Morning Update

    Only 2 items are not claimed. I am now setting them to possibly appear on all deals — saving you guys hunting down specific pages.

    For those who have treasures in your inventories, after tonight you'll be presented with an address form in your marketplace page. If your treasure is not digital goods (gift cards, Getflix), you'll have to fill that in & I'll organise the delivery.

    • +1

      Don't suppose you want to have an option to gift a treasure to another member? Or will that put you out of pocket too much? :P

      • This comment +1.
        I have half a chromecast, would rather give it to a deserving person if possible.
        Cheers

  • Does anyone have part 2 of getflix and is willing to trade with a tshirt or a Nespresso part1?

  • Anyone got the Xbone 3 of 3? Willing to trade an sd card or 25 dollar card for it. (Or both… Ahem Under the table ahem…)

  • +3

    30 minutes to go! Must congratulate lozbargain for a great trade :)

    For those with incomplete parts, unfortunately I won't send you half of Chromecast or 1/3 of Nespresso. However there will be consolation prizes. If you have incomplete parts, you can still fill in the address after tonight and I'll send you a foldable OzBargain shopping bag :)

    • What did you get lozbargain?

      • I'm guessing the critical piece of the XBONE…

        • Nice, that is a very successful trade.

    • +2

      Bag envy. Much bag envy.

      Have you considered creating basic backpacks? I'd take one. Know someone who could do with one. Must have comfy straps around the arms. You'd get endless free advertising.

      • Problem for backpack is — they are relatively expensive to source, especially the good ones. Price on Alibaba is probably not a good indication — once you request some customisation & limited quantity (say, you only need 200 bags) they can get expensive quickly.

        Easier with plain backpack with an OzBargain badge sew on top.

        • +2

          with an OzBargain badge sew on top.

          Any excuse to collect more OzB badges ;)

        • +2

          Scotty, maybe an OzBargain 'clutch purse', for the ladies, would be an easier piece of merch to source. Extra space for coupon storage would be a thoughful touch.

          Maybe do actually consider issuing OzBargain badges in a tangible form.
          A suitably emblazoned Turnip - down at her local shops and beyond - would certainly be an impressive promotional vehicle.

          Even if just issued in Pog/Tazos-form (shudder), badges could be stuck on for special occasions, e.g. 7/11 Slurpee promotional days. Again, Turnip would certainly be…

          Kindly send 'Li'l Miss Envy' an OzBargain bag.
          I am sure that she will carry it with pride.

        • +1

          @Tas: Why did you get negged? O.O

          Orange clutches are super classy. I like them.

        • @Jar Jar Binks: I can envisage the OzBargain logo on those really easily!

        • @Tas:

          What about an ozbargain wallet with a spot for coupons?

        • @treeman: Indeed. Maybe a subtle, very burnt-orange-colour, for that particular bit of merch.. Also, a discreet, embossed, OzB logo in corner.

          I suggest a larger, and very orange, OzBargain logo on the inside. Flash to intimidate store-staff when negotiating price…

          Proper coupon bandits may still require that w.turnip-suggested backpack for their coupon haul. Defiantly and definitely, if the U.S. coupon craze ever arrives here.

    • Thanks Scotty, Happy birthday!

    • Consolation prize! Thank you Ozbargain.

    • That's a shame, I was really looking forward to one third of a GoPro :'(

  • Any chance of a size guide for the t-shirts?

    Thanks and happy birthday!

  • When the competition first started I was one of the members refreshing certain pages every few seconds, although I only did this for a few days on and off when I happened to be viewing OzBargain.

    Once the prizes became fewer and fewer I went to checking each page from top to bottom and then reading the comments or the deal.

    Everytime I've loaded a page today I've gone up and down the page out of habit, even though the competition is over.

    How do I break the habit?

    • Buy eneloops and pretend you won them.

      • +1

        Guilty as charged! :( Except it wasn't eneloops , it was this. I'm planning to tell wiki, the twins and myself that I won it in the treasure hunt.

        • Actually I did win some eneloops so it was worth the effort in the first few days.

        • @pointscrazy:

          8 pack or Family pack?

        • @Scrooge McDuck:

          8 x AA according to my Treasure Hunt page.

  • +1

    Are we gonna have a winners list Scotty?

    • +5

      There are 92 "winners" so I don't think I'll list them all. I'll be doing a lot of posting & shopping in the next couple of days. Instead of me revealing who have won the big items, maybe the winners themselves can come here and announce it themselves (if they want to).

      • I'd be interested in seeing the list. I'm curious as to how many were members who pop up on a regular basis or just members who randomly got lucky.

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