Anyone else get spammed by a mob selling branded coffee mugs very recently?

[malliemcg]

I copped one today for someone pushing Vietnamese coffee, by the Metric Tonne.

The email address it hit is only used for one forum, which happens to be coffee related. Ah, spammers if only there was an large enough grinder to shove 'em through.

[dabbler]

Unsubscribe is the BEST way to get on more lists... they know a human reads that address and it's worth more to the spam market.

As a rule I agree, but this is a legit OZ company so subject to our privacy and unsolicited bulk email laws. I don't think they would even admit it was SPAM and are hiding behind the "this is not unsolicited bulk email because either you're an existing customer or you asked us to send this" rule. I think the problem I had with unsubscribe was simply they considered each mailing was for a related but distinctly different operation or service and I had to unsubscribe to each one. This multiple list approach seems pretty common in the media service world. I've even seen the multiple list-multiple unsubscribe approach from travel agents. I ignored the first two "ferrets" until I saw they weren't going away unless I made a move.

Different story with something that comes from outside OZ, offering all sorts of pharmacologicals, stock tips or whatever. As you said, most of them don't want to sell you anything. They're often looking for their next live target to inadvertently agree to host a Spam-bot.

Shame you can't shred then compost them like actual junk mail. Might be useful then.

[dabbler]

Are you signed into Google/Chrome when you do your searches?

Nope. Very careful about that. I have a gmail address too and expect it to cop unwanted crap. But that wasn't the case with the emailed ferret stuff.

[Andy]

unsubscribe. It tooks me 7 or 8 goes over a month.

Unsubscribe is the BEST way to get on more lists... they know a human reads that address and it's worth more to the spam market.

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

Are you signed into Google/Chrome when you do your searches?

[dabbler]

A few weeks ago, I started getting mining and industrial tooling product info and catalogue emails from the ferret crowd. Every 4 days or so. It kinda fit with my one of my other interests, woodturning. And I had been searching to carbide tooling info.

Thing is, they all arrived at an email address that I rarely use (I have several), never ever in web searches and almost solely for personal, private correspondance. So I really was confuzzled how they even knew of it and my full real name !

And it was a proper b@stard to unsubscribe. It tooks me 7 or 8 goes over a month. I still don't know if I'm unsubscribed from their damn lists. Turns out that they are a sort of info clearing house for a number of similar but unrelated companies.

Here's the kicker - I googled "email branded mugs" after I read your recent post (crazy, I know) and they were second or third on the list. I never followed the link so I hope I'm not on their lists again.

[Andy]

Hey BarryO,
you are right, your email isn't in the wild "much" but the way spammers work it only needs to be 1 place before it explodes onto lists everywhere and is bought, sold and swapped.

I found your email address on yasni(dot)com which is where I would guess the spammer would have bought it from.

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

I don't know if I want to know this answer or not but was it from a company called "ferret" ?

No it wasn't. But now I'm intrigued......

[dabbler]

I don't know if I want to know this answer or not but was it from a company called "ferret" ?

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

Just thinking BOSW - was it that tempting you read it anyway or was the subject line a giveaway clue

Oh, they were selling commercial quantities of ceramic cups, with or without branding. I was just trying to work out how I got on their list (6 cups is about the limit for me). Subject line 'braXXed mugs'. Replace the XXs.

[dabbler]

The only disappointing thing is that we unplugged our home phone from the wall because we're on the DNC Register and I got sick of all the charity organisations ringing me, and they never ring me on my mobile, so I can't test it out...

I find mentioning the DNC Register usually makes them hangup but it does take effort to get them to supply the info needed if you want to lodge a complaint. I'm abrupt with unsolicited callers now esp. if from pollies (it's a satisfaction thing) or charities (we give but we pick what we support and don't need a phone call to prompt). I try not to let them even finish their intro sentence.

Shame there's no satisfaction when purging SPAM though.

Just thinking BOSW - was it that tempting you read it anyway or was the subject line a giveaway clue

[Coffee2Di4]

Which gets me thinking, years ago when working for tel$tra I was accused of having a "premium phone service" telephone voice (if you get what I mean ). Maybe, if/when they call me, I could ask them for their credit card details and warn them that the call would cost them $4.95 per minute and see how quick they hung up?

The only disappointing thing is that we unplugged our home phone from the wall because we're on the DNC Register and I got sick of all the charity organisations ringing me, and they never ring me on my mobile, so I can't test it out...

[Procat]

No coffee cups but Jeez I have had some contacts from our friends in Deli (or Mumbai) at the "Windows Help Centre" helpfully informing me that they have identified a security problem with my computer and they are here to help. I've had about 5 calls so far over about a month. Always a bad line, so hard to communicate. I usually sic my computer-expert Son on to them if he's around. They are persistent, I will say that for them.
Got a call last night. I asked them to wait while I got my Son to speak to them. Didn't tell them he wasn't expected home for a half-hour. Don't know how long they held on. I'm trying to think of something more imaginative for their next call. Maybe speak with an Indian accent - tell them I'm from the Calcutta Call-Centre Repatriation Clinic and I've heard that they are tired and cheesed off with their job and need counselling.

Someone I know engages them in conversation by asking questions about what sort of underwear they have on. Apparently they hang up pretty quickly. Dunno what your options are if they are happy to discuss though.

Doug

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

Hi Dabbler,

Not in 6 months or so.....just trying to think whether I've ordered some little nick nack off evil bay...don't think so.

Cheers
BOSW

[dabbler]

Hi BOSW,
Any chance you've been googling for "coffee cups" ?
d.