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Reviews For: CQ WPX Awards

Category: Ham Radio Awards

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Review Summary For : CQ WPX Awards
Reviews: 6MSRP: 12.00
Description:
The CQ WPX Award recognizes the accomplishments of confirmed
QSOs with the many prefixes used by amateurs throughout the
world. Separate, distinctively marked certificates are
available for SSB, CW, Digital (RTTY/PSK) and Mixed (CW,
SSB/Phone, Digital).
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.cq-amateur-radio.com/cq_awards/cq_wpx_awards/cq_wpx_awards.html
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0061.8
NY0K Rating: 2021-07-12
(Update: Never received) WPX prices increased...by a lot Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Lowered the stars because, like most folks below, they happily took my money and then ghosted me. I'm going to contact my regional ARRL manager and ask them to have this award removed from the LotW's system. Save your money.

Original review:

I qualified for WPX and used LotW's system. My cost? Around $90.

Yup, $90.

The CQ WPX manager received $29 direct from me through PayPal. A nice gent, he answered questions quickly when I emailed him. Reasonable, and 5 stars to CQ and Steve.

The other $60 went to LotW. Two stars knocked off for that.

I'm waiting for my certificate, but it's only been a couple of weeks. I'm assuming the certificate issues have been cleared up after so many years since the last couple of reviews.

I'm also waiting for my ARRL DXCC award, but that makes the very last award I will apply for when it comes to the ARRL.
ASHUBER Rating: 2021-02-05
Excellent Award & Helpful Manager Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I applied for the WPX award via LOTW and the award manager confirmed it the next day. He then sent a PDF file of the award a few days later so I could have a digital copy while the physical one was being processed. I like this award because you can get a lot of prefixes just by being active on the air.
AA5H Rating: 2021-01-12
Cancelled after 5 months waiting Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
My first CQ award last year went uneventful, although it took 5 months to receive the certificate. Sent $38 in mid-July for another (2) award certificates and stickers, in Jan after passing the 5-month wait point I emailed the awards manager to request status, he replied that the "artist" was having some family issues and it would take longer. There was no apology and more important no indication of any delivery date; not even an estimate.

After consideration, the next day I emailed again and canceled the certificate; he concurred but also required that I also return the gold paper endorsement stickers. Apparently, he not only canceled the certificate, but he also RESCINDED the award. Unfortunately, I had tossed the stickers in the trash months ago, I never use them as they cheapen the look of the certificate (in my opinion). I ended up paying him $12 to settle for the lost stickers.

To summarize:

- Lost $12 (@$1 ea.) for 12 stickers. I purchase similar stickers (foil and size) in bulk for product packaging, the average cost is .06 cents a sticker. But he did have a right to ask for their return or pay the replacement cost (so I paid).
- While I appreciate that it may employ someone in need of a job to write the names and dates on the certificates, it doesn't justify a 5-month wait regardless of the goodwill involved. I asked a calligrapher to opine on the certificate lettering, the response was that it's not calligraphy, it is nothing more than neatly-made cursive handwriting that could be done with a steady hand. If there is a constant 5 -6 month backlog, why not hire a second person to assist with the work? I would have been happy to fork out another dollar or two to receive the product a few months earlier.

- Finally, I don't understand the response when asked for a refund. I was treated like a heel, as if I was the one being unreasonable by not waiting longer even though the product was already two months past due with no future date provided.

While I respect the other forum opinions that had a good experience and are happy with the product, my past two interactions soured my opinion of the program for good. I subsequently canceled a recent submission made for a WAZ award, and have tossed my previous WPX award in the trash. With CQ Magazine readership and Amateur Radio in general decline, I fail to understand why they refuse to devote more business resources to their otherwise successful award programs.


NI0C Rating: 2016-08-20
No problem here Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I received a very attractive WPX certificate today, after less than a four month wait.
KK4FYV Rating: 2015-03-12
Never received certificates Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I applied for two CQ WPX awards two years ago and 18 months ago and have not received either certificate yet. I've sent several emails to the
award manager until he started ignoring them (when I started asking for a refund). I've sent emails to the editor and now he is ignoring them, too. When I did get replies, it was always the same old story - we're a little behind, the certificates will be sent soon. Still no certificates and it looks like they will never be sent. Although the endorsement stamps always arrived quickly, they are no good without the certificates.
I will not renew my subscription and not apply for any other CQ awards.
N8YQX Rating: 2014-06-29
Never received certificate Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I got a letter in January stating that I've been approved for the WPX certificate, but I'll have to wait 16 to 20 weeks. It's been 21 weeks, and still no certificate.

I asked the award manager for the status, and those e-mails have gone unanswered.

In fact, I have yet to receive any of the CQ awards.

I spent hundreds of dollars confirming my QSOs for this award. I hope this isn't some scam by CQ magazine to steal $12 from me.