• Publishers Clearing House (PCH)

Publishers Clearing House (PCH)

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Overview

Publishers Clearing House (PCH) has a rating of 1.96 stars from 609 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally dissatisfied with their purchases. Reviewers complaining about Publishers Clearing House (PCH) most frequently mention clearing house, customer service, and gift card problems. Publishers Clearing House (PCH) ranks 16th among Sweepstakes sites.

  • Service
    78
  • Value
    77
  • Shipping
    70
  • Returns
    58
  • Quality
    79
Positive reviews (last 12 months): 18.8%
Positive
3
Neutral
1
Negative
12
50
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What reviewers want you to know

Positive highlights

No positive highlights yet

Critical highlights

  • I wanted to return the last item but was unable to contact anyone customer service, again NOT WORTH IT!
How would you rate Publishers Clearing House (PCH)?
Top Positive Review

“My point of given young a chance at prize out of poor forgotten county's in America”

O$#*! D.
8/31/23

No one ever win black and young someone who could really make a difference with the founding like build safe havens for homeless in my home town or make a way for battered woman if I had a chance at pch I'd make it actually worth given the prize to a young driven to change our world and less fortunate world sum our system yet failing to accomplish after all their rules and restrictions to resources no homeless want to even get the help of the broken system if it ain't rules it's limits and hold backs

Top Critical Review

“Review”

Luke S.
2/23/24

I been with pch for a while and claiming my stuff until i had a question i called customer service got hung up on. Then called again the lady side step my question im dislike customer service not very friendly i m trying to figure out about the lotto i hit all the numbers but they wont tell me nothing there there starting be scandlist

Reviews (609)

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Reviews that mention popular keywords

customer service (19)
Thumbnail of user tomr998
1 review
18 helpful votes
February 19th, 2022

Just did all the work to hit the goal of a billion tokens and it turns out nothing at all happens when you achieve it. No congratulations, no additional tokens of appreciation, no small cash prize, no item discount, nothing. So anyone reading this thinking to spend all the time and effort to hit the billion token mark, note that it means nothing to PCH other than the fact that you wasted a lot of time and effort to hit that number.

Thumbnail of user gregoryr578
2 reviews
2 helpful votes
July 31st, 2022

Thanks pch. I see something I might want I will check with Walmart, Target, bed bath and beyond, Menards.
One of those usually will have it and better quality, no way over priced s/h. Usually in stock and a better price and get it the same day.
I have a life time 667,000,000 in tokens with 8,000,000 on hand. Due the math. Nothing in winning.
Don't get your hopes up.
Like I said just a shopping catalog.

Value
Shipping
Quality
Thumbnail of user ab637
1 review
42 helpful votes
March 28th, 2020

Nobody seems to win the big prizes and if they do they don't make it public. How many cars have you seen given away? Me neither, but every month they have a car to waste your tokens on! They sent me a couple $10.00 checks which I did not win so I ripped them up... scam? Maybe, not worth the chance or the time. Both my husband and myself were contacted this year about orders WE DID NOT PLACE! When my husband contacted them they refused to take responsibility and just said, "sorry you changed your mind" WTH! My advice is if you never played don't start, it's addictive and you won't win!

Thumbnail of user melissat188
2 reviews
18 helpful votes
March 1st, 2020

I have won approximately $300.00 playing the games which is very great, however I have become increasingly frustrated due to the fact that the link to enter the mega prize drawing works less than half the time.

Thumbnail of user charlesc3089
1 review
3 helpful votes
August 29th, 2023

I once loved PCH. I got great deals on things. Now all that has changed. I got charged for things I didn't order. I received things I didn't order. I offered to return them if they would pay the postage. No response. Now they have collectors pestering me. I have concluded that PCH is not very honest.

Thumbnail of user gordona59
1 review
1 helpful vote
April 27th, 2020

When the Tac Light arrived I installed batteries and it seemed to work fine. The next day it is almost impossible to keep it on. Pushing the power button only makes it pop on then off.

Order Number:
**************
Status:
Paid
Date:
04-09-2020
ITEM QTY STATUS PRICE
TAC LIGHT 1 Paid $9.95
Billing Address:
Boyce Adams
******* Insley St
Houston, TX *******
Acct: *******8922 Item(s) Subtotal: $9.95
Shipping And Handling: $4.67
Tax: $1.17
Grand Total: $15.79
Payment/Credit: $15.79
Pending Refunds: $0.00
Balance Due: $0.00
ORDER DETAILS
PREVIOUS TRANSACTIONS
DATE TYPE AMOUNT SOURCE
04-10-2020 Payment ($15.79) Online
TRACKING INFORMATION
********************* TAC LIGHT

Thumbnail of user uncles2
1 review
19 helpful votes
November 7th, 2020

But way too high on shipping. In fact, most of their products double in price due to shipping cost. So, I use their product list for ideas, then I copy the product name and go to Amazon. I do a search for the same product. Usually, that product will show up for a couple of dollars more. But, with free 2 day shipping it's still about half what you'd pay on PCH.com

Thumbnail of user rogerb98
1 review
12 helpful votes
July 28th, 2017

Cheap overpriced goods with dozens of repeated offers and getting same almost daily implying that purchase is not necessary to enter sweepstakes... big "come on" and a waste of time. Should contact to have my address removed from their system.

Thumbnail of user annad412
1 review
1 helpful vote
September 1st, 2020

Ive been playing for many many years. When you play it shows 7k a week for life announced this date, that date its a 1million dollar winner,, then you get about 5-10 emails per day and saying were on our way to your house etc etc, untrue. Look at the winners in the last 2years a majority of life changing funds are won in cali, a majority of car winners are from nc.
And the few winners from florida are usually north florida, the recent aug 31 drawing which largo won was the furthest south ive seen them come. I live in boynton beach and have yet to see anyone in the last 2 years from south florida. I get spammed more to make orders.
Ive been playing for many years and i know i have a 1 out of a billion chance to win but the fact that no one in south florida has won any life changing money. Get spammed with thousands of emails (i would get 10-20 per day. Its just sad. I even wrote to the company to ask if people in florida were even eligible, i didnt expect a response its fine. But as a mom of 4 a teacher and facing foreclosure it would have been nice to get a response to know i at least had cause for hope. ( i know they received it because i sent it certified and it was signed for. It seems to be more for phishing to get people to place orders.

Thumbnail of user veryu11
1 review
14 helpful votes
June 21st, 2019

I got almost ten emails a day from PCH, wow! After searching through the stuffs page by page, they want me," TO TAKE ANOTHER LOOK " COME ON, GIVE ME A BREAK, I AM NOT RICH! I got too many stuffs from them! It seem to me that they want me to go BROKE while I am OUT OF WORK! PLEASE DON'T BRAINWASH ME! I got go see a DOCTOR over this business. I want to get marry and have kids and need to go out, but I am in PRISON at HOME! I NEED A LIFE! HELP!

Thumbnail of user kevinw417
1 review
16 helpful votes
March 17th, 2019

Publishers Clearing House (PCH) Makes you purchase items. I decided to not buy any items from the pictures of items they sent me. I still entered the contest to win $5000 a week for life. PCH sent me back a letter telling me I had to buy something to be entered into the drawing even though they say in writing you don't need to purchase to enter. I felt like I had to purchase in order for a chance to win. Then they tried to make me pay in full online even though they said pay in monthly installment's. I ignored the email and they went ahead and sent my package to me. Two items plus shipping was $40 and $10 was just for shipping. They have a website to go on for me to make my first installment.
I was late making the first payment and PCH sent out a letter three weeks later demanding full payment. I never wanted what I was forced to purchase and was afraid if I sent back the items they would not enter me into the contest. I learned my lesson. PCH uses get rich schemes in order to make a profit. I knew better but PCH kept sending me letter after letter saying I was in the process of winning.

Thumbnail of user toddc130
1 review
16 helpful votes
August 17th, 2018

I have received a final step notice almost a dozen times...
Even got one in the mail!
Publishers Clearing House seems not to know that the word final means there is only one of them...
Does anyone really complete an entry if the final step is not final?
I understand that selling Dollar Store stuff for $11.96 frees up profit for prizes.
And then add a minimum of $5.00-$10.00 for shipping of course...
Where else Would they get the funds to pretend to give money away...
All that does seem to pencil out just fine for PCH, But the final step is still required to happen only once... It is a final step!
To require more than one final step is nothing short of a lie and contradiction of yourself...

Thumbnail of user reginal35
1 review
5 helpful votes
August 19th, 2019

I can tell you i been doing this since they started. I can tell you how it goes you push the button the ball comes out spins around the 500.00 dollar area always hitd bumper into 2000 coins it goes. I have also noticed that on slots it will skip as it is spinning and about to stop it speeds up then stops no way you can get the instance win 5 times. Also on live drawing you see your name spinning right in front of tube but dont go in. I hit one time and it said error in services and cuts the whole app off. Now i been doing this when you did this by mail 23 years havent miss a year so my review is good

Thumbnail of user lilliant95
2 reviews
2 helpful votes
January 11th, 2021

I have been entering and ordering since 2006 and have never won anything. I am tired of ordering thing I don't need or want to stay up to date for your so call contest for things I really can't afford. This is my last attempt at entering.

Tip for consumers:
Just make sure you need the items, most of the items I have received are not worth the price, and now if you don’t pay on time they will charge you a late fee. Best to shop at a store so you can see the quality of the items. Most you may be lucky to find marked down , at stores like Ross or TJ Maxx , sometimes even at Walmart’s.

Products used:
Belts,Wallace,kitchen knives, kitchen spoon holders,pads,towels,strainers, microwave covers,,storage containers knives door screens etc:
Just to name a few

Service
Value
Shipping
Quality
Thumbnail of user sheilaf19
6 reviews
20 helpful votes
August 9th, 2020

My history with PCH:

I used to throw every piece of junk mail away without even opening it.
About a year ago, I somehow signed up for PCH on-line. I think I played some sort of game. I never would download the app. But I was inundated with emails - like 10 a day. I played a series of 'number reveal' games a couple of times a week, but I finally unsubscribed bc it was ridiculous - it basically amounted to something like playing slot machines. No strategy available to win. You just tap images and see if numbers match, which of course, IF they were to do so, you'd have to play for hours on end everyday. Then, they send you endless messages like 'just 2 more steps!' 'Show us you want to win!'...
I read other sites where people say they won $10. Wooo. After HOW MANY HOURS of play?
So, as I said, I unsubscribed from the daunting, insane, daily flood of PCH email.

Then, I sent in a chance to win from a regular USPO mail I recieved.
I've also purchased 4 or 5 items from the USPO mailings I received. The items I purchased were ok. I gave 2 stars for that reason only. I tend to purchase unusual things or a quantity item.
But now, I get at least THREE envelopes WEEKLY from PCH packed with half pages of items they wanna sell me anywhere from 'only 5 payments of 1.99 to 5 payments of 3.99, plus shipping which is never less than $9 per item or MORE.

So here are some thoughts to ponder:

First, you & I will be better off buying stock in logging & papermills. The amount of trees & processing to create these mailings will be what makes us rich!

Secondly, 99% of the items they have for sale can be purchased in Wal Mart, Dollar General, Family Dollar, etc, for 1/3rd the total item-cost & shipping fee. As I said, the only purchases I made were for a few unusual things I don't see in dollar stores. But a purchase is not worth the deluge of junk mail you'll get.

Third, every week, in each pack of their mail I get different winning numbers. I can go out of my way & mail in any number as many times as I like, but quantity-entering is the criteria to increasing your odds, so how many $11 books of stamps is anyone willing to go thru, PER number? That's $11 worth of gambling per book of stamps. I get 2 or 3 packs of junk a week from them! How many chances would I put a stamp on to enter per number? 5, 10, 20, 50, 100?
Ridiculous costly, gambling.

Also, when you send in an envelope, there is an enclosed pamphlet of odds, and it states no purchase necessary to win. But that is written no where on the envelope, nor the stamps & stickers you are required to attach IF purchasing OR NOT purchasing - yes, they differentiate. In fact, multiple written comments insinuate buying helps you.
Of course, it does not.
Also, those 'criteria' stickers are intentionally mixed in with the item flyers and you have to find them amongst the pack of papers & attach them in the proper place - you always feel unsure you did it right or missed something. Of course, if you don't follow directions you'd be instantly disqualified.
Furthermore, if I'm not buying, and 'marking' my envelope as such, how do I know its not being automatically tossed in the waste bin? I'm sure it is.

Fourth issue - you can find NOTHING about the history of past winners, nor can you google anything to find out where any person is 5 years or a decade after winning the $5000 a-week-for-LIFE (or whatever the sum is now)
No one has ever met someone who won that kind money - am I to believe that anyone & everyone who ever won 'big' simply disappeared - no sister of an aunt's cousin's, cousin's friend even knows where any of these people are 5 years down the road?

This adds to my incredulity, not about whether any human being ever won this money - I think they win for a 'show', but I'm wondering whether they got more than 2 or 3 of these six-digit weekly checks until a loophole was found to disqualify them, or by 'some freak' accident they got killed or died suspiciously. Hmm!?

I guess as human beings we will, most of us fantasize about being wealthy enough to have and do things - not only that we want to have & do, but truly need.

I'm going to continue to trust The One who meets all my needs & even some of my wants. Yes, I fell into the rabbit hole a little ways, but not so far as a lifestyle. Thankfully - I got out, brushed myself off & walked away, now aware of how this trap looks.

Thumbnail of user harrietl4
3 reviews
4 helpful votes
October 17th, 2022

Gipping the game players of their token. I just played a game and they tried to gipp me 8 times. Then they actually gipped me of 7,000 token I won! PCH wins sneak of the month!

Thumbnail of user melazya
1 review
11 helpful votes
September 8th, 2019

So far I'm getting tire on the bounce games you reply to one and then it bounces back and forth to other games after the time you waste on the dumb survey you end up bouncing over to a different game that is asking you to buy something that says 5 payment options and then after you order they add the over price shipping and you get it on regular mail and by then the price has double and the monthly payment is twice as much so now I am not buying anything unless is got free shipment as I paid the cost for first class next day and it arrives on bulk usps this right here kill my will to shop from them

Thumbnail of user robertg3675
1 review
1 helpful vote
July 15th, 2022

Several times I received duplicates of a previous order. I have also had added items called a gift. The gift item is added to my original purchase which increases my bill.

Tip for consumers:
Knowing ahead of receiving my order that other items added to my order can be refused before sending the order to me.

Products used:
Refrigerator bin liners and a neckline top
Publishers Clearing House

Thumbnail of user rhondag126
1 review
19 helpful votes
March 1st, 2020

They said theres no record and i have 20 scratch offs worth $. Then they say you have to wait until gateways over... well gateway 1300 is over!

Tip for consumers:
They shouldnt make people think theve won! Its very time consuming doing everything they want you to do.I did for solid yr straight an i havr proof i have about 20 more i scratched on the same day an next.

Thumbnail of user mikes2915
2 reviews
0 helpful votes
March 17th, 2021

I got the same products offered to me six to seven times daily. One particular product I bought a year ago, I wanted a second one because I had moved and left the old one attached to the previous home. It never showed up in this year's ads. Most of the products I don't need or already have it or a similar item. But I did see a battery storage / tester unit I was interested in and put it in the cart. Now I know of no other business that does this but I left the item in the cart in case I found additional items I wanted to order. I was not ready to order but wanted to keep the item as a reminder of what I found, I don't want to pay shipping on just one item if I could later find the actual item I was looking for. Upon closing the app this item was automatically ordered without warning. There's nothing in the ads or the web pages that warns of this action. I was able to cancel it through a phone call but they should not be automatically ordering items. This is a highly unusual action as compared with the other websites I deal with.

Tip for consumers:
Don't close the app with items in your cart unless you want those items ordered. It is an automatic function on this site. There are no warnings or confirmations before the order is sent through. You just get an email saying your order has been placed.

Products used:
I could not find the automatic solar light I want to put in my shed, and I was allowed to cancel the battery storage / tester unit that was automatically ordered from my cart.

Service
Returns
Quality
Thumbnail of user denisel45
1 review
21 helpful votes
July 10th, 2016

I have been faithfully playing all of the games every day for years, winning tokens. And for what? I also of course enter to win the big prize of $5,000 a week, faithfully send in these these entries every single day. There is no way possible with the amount of tokens that I spend that I haven't won the items that I've bid on. This absolutely HAS to ne a SCAM! I have played the games and sent in my entries for YEARS on. A daily basis. Bid in prizes for years... and nothing? Come on now.

Thumbnail of user kevins666
1 review
14 helpful votes
May 25th, 2019

At the top of an email is written "An order is required to enter sweepstakes"
At the bottom of the SAME email "No purchase necessary to enter sweepstakes"
In my books WHAT'LL IT BE? I'm sending NO MONEY,
I'm making NO ORDER to a company that can't even keep their story straight.
REALLY PCH?

Thumbnail of user karenl188
1 review
23 helpful votes
April 17th, 2017

I am so disappointed as it takes too long to finish a tab of scratch offs and they don't load properly and they have double trying to load pages and hang up for too long doing that... What happened too many pages behind it trying to get my information or what?

Thumbnail of user danac154
2 reviews
30 helpful votes
August 5th, 2019

Many times I have been interested in purchasing one of the products offered only to find out at checkout that the cost of shipping and handling is at least twice what it should be. Unless the item is something that I really want and need, I will not throw my money away on these enormous shipping and handling charges. PCH should adjust their pricing for S & H to be more realistic if they intend to sell their products.

Thumbnail of user jonnies7
4 reviews
3 helpful votes
December 15th, 2017

I have been a member of pch since 2011 really before that I use to get a lot of mail and emails but for at least 6 or 8 months nothing. What happened?

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About the business

Publishers Clearing House (PCH) is direct marketing company which sells magazine subscriptions and merchandise while offering sweepstakes.

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