Just Once Is Fine?
We all get junk mail by the tons, most of which we never see. But the ones that bother me the most are the ones who think spamming “just once” is fine.
Yesterday my information was pulled off a website and I received this:
—–
Hello, there, Kara,
I was reading about you and your business ad in
Mom Chats.
I know there are some people in our community of 170,000 that would love to
get in touch with you about your unique opportunity at no cost to you.
Our site give you more for free than tons of other sites do for a fee! Just ask for invite and you will see!
We are an invitation only company.
Would you like help in promoting your business FREE!
May I offer you an invitation?
All my best from,
Mary Jo
[Email and website removed, I refuse to give her business!]
—-
For one, the “opportunity” she describes screams scam. I didn’t look to far into it, but apparently this is some type of networking idea. Well, if it’s invitation only, I can’t see how that would work so well.
Regardless of what the actual opportunity was, I replied to her explaining what she was doing was spam. Here is my exact reply:
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Mary Jo,
Please be aware that what you are doing is considered spam and poor business practices. I am telling you this because I would not want to see someone’s reputation tarnished before you have a chance to make a go on the internet. I could have just as easily turned this over to authorities, but I decided you should be aware of your actions first.
I hope that in the future you will make wise choices in regards to your business
—-
Not too harsh, right? I didn’t think so anyway. If I was new and had done something wrong, I would want it pointed out. I guess that’s just me though, because here was my reply:
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Well Gee I really do not think that sending out an invitation to other business owners once is such a bad thing to do. It sounds like to me that you are not making money in your business!! Bitter much? I get junk emails in all my email accounts and I just delete them. really why do people like your self have to be so negative and on a power trip.IF, your going to find any success you really need to be networking on more than one site.
Good Day.
—-
Hmm, shame on me for being thoughtful I guess. I learned something though – apparently it’s alright to spam people as long as you do it just once. (Note sarcasm)
Seriously though, if this is the way people on her “networking site” talk to others, I want no part of it. Also, if they think spamming is alright to do, then I’m out completely. Why would I want my business associated with something like that?
Your fellow WAHM in success,
Kara
Topics: Unprofessional Business Acts | 7 Comments »
December 3rd, 2008 at 11:24 am
hi,
it’s unfortunate that this spam problem does exist.Spam is illegal and should be reported.I have come across this web page that tells you what to do and what to look out for.Do not reply,some are identity scams.
http://www.squidoo.com/scamsfraud
take care
george
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:34 pm
Oh Kara! Brings back the days of S. Kobs!
As the owners of MomChats.com, Val and I take this sort of thing very seriously! Certainly did not appreciate her using our site name in the subject line! Val has taken proper measures, and she’s been warned by us too.
So hard, when you are trying to be helpful, and it’s taken as a threat. No need for that type of a response from her either.
December 4th, 2008 at 9:31 am
Lauren -
I have to ask … did you get a nasty reply as well? I swear people never cease to amaze me anymore!
December 5th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
The site she was spamming everyone with was nothing more than a contact form. No information at all, just fill out this form and we’ll contact you with whatever scam we are selling.
Sorry I didn’t forward all of it to you Anita. You guys won’t mind the super long comment right? Let me just do exactly what Kara did and go copy and paste. I wasn’t quite as nice, but then it was my and Lauren’s names that were being dragged into it and I was much nicer than I wanted to be. lol BTW, since I do have an ad page up on Mom Chats I also got the exact same email that Kara put up.
So here is what I wrote to her after Kara forwarded that she had gotten the email:
——————————————–
Good evening to you and your email harvesting program.
This is a cease and desist order for using Mom Chats name in any email campaigns. You have been harvesting emails from our sites and illegally sending spam to our advertisers.
Our advertisers have sent me some complaints with the email attached and this is exactly the same email that you also sent to one of my accounts.
Sending mass emails unsolicited is illegal and your emails have been forwarded to the FCC and to google whom you used as your email service while sending them. If we continue to get complaints legal action will be taken.
Val & Lauren ~ Co-owners
http://www.momchats.com
—————————————-
Not too harsh actually, as this was in no way what I wanted to write. lol But here is her reply!
—————————————-
Well Thank you so much for your warning. What ever emails I sent where sent to there private emails and they did have a unsubscribtion link attached.
Tell me do you find joy in trying to scare people who are sharing a great website with the other members? I read your rules and they say it is fine to email the members privately.
Good Day
———————————-
Wow, feeling guilty cause you got caught spamming? But you guys missed that she sent it with an unsubscribe link at the bottom. Of course you DIDN’T subscribe to begin with and we all know NEVER to click unsubscribe links when we didn’t subscribe because then it does put you on their list. lol
And she read our rules huh? Where pray-tell are the one’s that say it’s ok to email them privately with your offer? Hmm, I missed that one I guess.
It is always so hard for me to bite my tongue and be the adult. Because yes it does thrill me to treat morons like the morons they are. I help a ton of people with their businesses and realize that this CAN be an honest mistake, but this is in no way a mistake. She knew what she was doing and I am not afraid to push with legal action when someone is harrassing our advertisers and using OUR GOOD NAME!
So what do you think of that one Kara?
December 9th, 2008 at 8:26 am
A great post. Thank you.
December 9th, 2008 at 10:32 am
Hehe – good reply Val. It IS hard to reply with a “professional/adult” reply when someone is acting like this.
I can’t remember if there was an unsub link in the email or not but regardless, no one signed up to receive her messages in the first place!
Love how she told you about the rules she read that you didn’t even know existed on your site! Hilarious! If she was going to come back with something such as that, then she really should have taken the time to double check the site to see if she had even the slightest argument to use.
Scare tactics? No scare tactics involved in the least – simple truth and facts. It wouldn’t have had to gone that far had she simply replied with an apology.
We all know that newbies do this strictly by mistake and not knowing any better. Not that this makes it okay because ignorance is not an excuse, you go into business, it’s your responsibility to find out what you can and can’t do. However, I’m with you Val, she knew exactly what she had done and got defensive because she KNOWS she’s in the wrong. Either that or very stupid, lol! (Sorry – that was bad but – if the shoe fits, ya know?)
Thanks for copying and pasting your conversation here Val!
December 9th, 2008 at 10:45 am
Nope, she was lying. Being the email pack rat that I am, I still had the message and there was NO “unsubscribe” link. But either way, that doesn’t excuse her actions. Spamming is spamming, regardless if you put an unsub link in or not.
LOVED your reply Val, it was perfect! Let’s hope her email is shut down just as a warning that she shouldn’t be doing this kind of thing.