I just rec’d a “complimentary” subscription from Bassmaster and when I contacted them to cancel it, I was told that Bass Pro Shop gave them my address, so I cancelled my account with them as I do not support pro bass fishing. I wonder how prevalent this is in relation to where I go on the 'net?
At FAOL we do not rent, sell, loan, trade or let anyone or any company use our email lists. We do not keep a mailing list.
There are others who do, and make a good deal of money by selling them.
LadyFisher, Publisher of
FAOL
i subscribe to some hunting magzines and during the election year i was innundated with requests from the republican national committee for donations–even received an ‘autographed’ picture of george w. bush. the irony is i come from a long line of democratic politicians and union leaders.
LadyFisher, I take that as a sign of a thouroughly decent website. That’s one of the reasons why I enjoy this place so much. Thanks,
Ed
Thanks for the reply Ladyfish, I really think that shows a lot of integrity on your part! Thanks for having a great place to come to!
LadyFisher: thats just one of the many reasons this is the best FF site on the web.My utmost admiration and respect for that attitude towards privacy and integrity.
Micus: Me and the wife recieved the same thing we made a flyer requesting financial aid for our grass roots campain of VOTE NONE OF THE ABOVE put it in the preadressed,postage paid envelope that THEY sent and mailed it back,took 5 tries,Never got another request after that.
teasles
I gotta get me a brochure like that.
Telemarketers are a pet peeve of mine. Several strategies have met with amusement if not sucess at deterring them.
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"I am in hte market for your goods/services but first let tell you about what I have to sell you… (insert whatever you would like to unload here)
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“Hold on for a bit …” (15 minutes later pick the phone back up, if the telemarketer is still there laugh and hang up)
3)"Please quit feeding my cat all those mice. She is allergic and it gives her horrible gas (or whatever you feel moved to claim) (keep going on and on. Most telemarketers will give up and hang up on YOU)
Chuck Hitt
As to telemarketers , I pretend interest in their product say a few uh huh s and I say things to keep them on the line like , yes, interesting , tell me more . When they seem to be nearing the end of their spiel I then drop the phone gently on the countertop so it makes a thump I pick it up and I say sorry the doorbell startled me , excuse me someones at the door I’ll be right back . I give it a couple of minutes pick up the phone and ask them a couple of questions about what they are selling. . They are almost always reading from a script and usually havent a clue about the product so they restart from the beginning of their script . Finally they will figure out that I am deliberatly wasting their time and hang up .
I actually had one woman tell me I Wasn’t being very nice to purposly waste her time like that . I suggested that if she believed that she was in the wrong job and should quit wasting my time and that of everyone else she phones . hah ! My record before the dufus finally clued in was 4 repeats . If they can waste my time , I can certainly waste theirs .
Jerry Sienfeld said ="I tell the guy that he has called in the middle of dinner .Give me your home phone number so I can call you back. " they never do .
Missouri has the “Missouri No-Call List” available from our state to any telephone solicitor upon request. If they don’t heed the list, they pay fines if reported and found guilty of calling those on this list.
Works great and I always ask any who call me if they know about the list and if so, what their company’s name is. Then fill in a state-provided 3X5 card and mail it to the capitol for further action.
We’re still working on mailing lists and spam.
There’s almost nothin’ wrong with the first lie, it’s the weight of all the others holdin’ it up that gets ya’! - Tim
I’m on the federal no call list.Do you realize the silence when they are informed they violated federal law and it is a $50,000.00 fine.It gets REEEEEEAL quiet on the phone followed by a meek apology and dial tone.
But the politicians and their mail.They have to pay for every envelope that they recieve back empty or full.(postage guarenteed things)So junk mail gets The Note as it is refered to around here.
Normally in small print at the bottom is a message that states please DO NOT send anymore correspondance to this address name address city state zip ect. (still waiting for the first donation from any political party) HAR HAR HAR hehehehehe chuckle chuckle
If you want to hear what can really be done to a telemarketer you should go to the web site of Tom Mabe. He has a recorder set up on his phone and he really has fun with them.
He does things like, when a guy calls trying to sell carpet cleaning service he answers back in a very agitated voice. Oh man it’s really good you guys called… what a stroke of luck! Tell me can you get blood stains out of carpet!!! Oh man I can’t believe this! How soon can you get here? I’ll pay you an extra $20 if you can get a crew here in 30 minutes! How about it?? About that time the guy doing the marketing is about to freak out him self. It’s a riot.
I guess it’s for the kid in us all.
Rusty <><
if you wanna catch something ya gotta get a hook in the water
Whenever I get them there pre-paid envelopes, I fill it with some good heavy stuff and THEN send it back. I read once that they have to pay the postage no matter what it is attached to. I even taped one to a box that I filled with gravel and sent it back. I never did hear if it made it or not. I don’t tend to follow up on those things too much. 
For Telemarketers, I ask if they will accept payment in Ham. Or let them speak to the ‘man’ of the house, my 4-year-old that loves to talk on the phone. They don’t last too long. 
Don
Here’s a little insight to the industry.
EVERYONE DOES IT. In the catalog industry, everyone keeps a house list of customers and potential customers. Every company (even competitors) will rent and/or trade names to get some repeat business. It’s how thingswork.
Let’s say Salmon & Steelheader Magazine has a list of subscribers, and your local fishing shop keeps a list of customers, and the outdoors shop in the next state that you shopped at took your name and address when you bought a tent last year.
Basically, a small company wanting to mail out a catalog for people who might want to buy some fishing equipment might rent names from all 3 places in the hopes of gaining those names. In addition, that outdoors shop might have the ability to tell you which people bought fishing tackle and camping gear as opposed to those who bought binoculars and bird-watching guides. You’d know who to target and spend your $$ more wisely.
Not eveyone sells off e-mail addresses, but there are people who do. Bassmaster Magazine might have gotten your name from Bass Pro Shop, but they may have gotten y our name from any assortment of possible methods, including getting your name off a list of people who bought goods from an online company.
Regards,
-Me
I love it when they call and say they got my name because I am a visa or master card user.I have an exwife VISA MASTERCARD what are they on DRUGS.
Richyour right I get the bass pro cat. and cabellas cats because I have bought in their stores.I still get catalougs from REI Campmor ect.I end up doing alot of the cataloug or weg shopping due to location.Nearest thing to me is a corn field.I did get spammed alot for a while because an old Internet provider(now defunkt)sold its email list before they closed sold out ect.Must of sold that list 500000000000000 time.
Sorry Rich, not everyone does it. WE DON’T.
LadyFisher, Publisher of
FAOL