About contests that are not guaranteed to choose a winner

Hello!
Im new here and i would like to know if its common that CH's dont release their prize to the designer?
I ask this because at this moment im only working on guaranteed contests since im a bit afraid of feeling like i worked for "nothing" - its never nothing since we always learn from experience..but you know what i mean.

Peter, there are some cases when the CH does not finish the contest. this is pretty much a risk that is part of the job if you understand what i mean... Contests that are not guaranteed and close, after 5 weeks the price is split among the best rated design ($45 / designer). If there are no rated posts the prize amount goes to the chest and DC puts it up as a prize for a community contest..

aandrei_24,so 5 weeks is the waiting time after the contest was closed-thanks...

Hello aandrei_24, Could you give an example of such prize $ 234, and CH did not respond for 5 weeks. Gifts were distributed to anyone?

I sometimes doubt if you want to enter a contest that was not guaranteed to awarding the prize to the designers.

Sorry my english bad