Oh, the bitter irony in my inbox. A supposed expert on selling and marketing, who resorts to spam email. This method is second only to SMS spam and call centre marketing calls as the all-time most annoying method of selling stuff."Sales people are not born great. It is only with good quality training that they can learn, develop and polish the skills that will make them great. A small investment [R595] in this seminar will pay for itself hundreds of times over.Well, Dr Brian Jude listen up: Spam is bad. Spam is illegal. Buying email lists to send out spam is just plain stupid. (But then it is morally wrong to allow suckers to keep their money, and you were suckered by Brent (a.k.a. Mike) at MLD Marketing. Hook, line and sinker.)
"Presented by Dr Brian Jude
"This programme explores the do's and don'ts of superior selling. Turn prospects into customers by following tried and tested professional methods."
What's more, MLD Marketing, doesn't even have a web site: that's how internet-savvy they are. But then you wouldn't know about the internet, because you don't have a web site either, and spam is so last century. And if you think I'm going to pay you R595 to be told how to do "effective marketing" then you can think again. You wouldn't know an effective internet marketing strategy if it hit you over the head. You should stick to the "tried and tested professional methods" that are professional, and sending unsolicited emails is not one of them. Not to mention that you are breaking the law. (Are you really a doctor? Of what? Conferences? Stupidity?)
Update 7 Dec 2009: some loser called "Mike" phoned me today to claim that MLD Marketing bought their list from Mark Tribelhorn, listed in the ISPA Hall of Shame. I found an email and cell number here, but it isn't the same as the one given to me by "Mike". "Mike" wouldn't give me his name or phone number, and his caller ID is blocked on my phone. Also, he made bogus claims about his email program, so I don't know whether to believe a word he said. He sounded very smug. He also said that he had "only" sold the list to Dr Jude for R500 "to get his money back", and knew nothing about "Front Foot" or "Vibrant Media". Yet they gave me the logo (above), and used an email address "mlb@vibrantmedia.co.za". Someone is lying, Mike.Update 10 Dec 2009:I phoned Mark Tribelhorn on his mobile number 083-298-1825 and he was as smug, slimy and evasive as Mike. He claimed that he had "verified" my email address by means of software, without actually sending me any emails. Now there's a new one! Mark you are unethical and I'm glad you have been exposed by the ISPA for lying to people and misleading your customers.
21 comments:
Spam is a part of life. Get used to it and grow up.
Crime is a "part of life" too. That doesn't make it OK. And SPAM is against the law, as well as being disrespectful and annoying. But then I'm sure as a "grownup" you knew that.
Haver to support you 110%. Also got spammed my MLD Research, buch of wankers. My suggestion. call his cel number at all hours of the night. Eventually they'll shut shop. Tomothy is also one of the culprits. (021) 551 9658.
And SPAM IS ILLEGAL anon. COWARD, you want to say something, post your name an email address next time.
Alan
Well said!
http://yourvisitmakesmefeelgood.blogspot.com/
It is with great pleasure that after 24 hours of hectic e-mail communication with Mr. Tribelhorn, the man has decided to turn his act around. After a harsh exchange of words, with a couple of threats and insults, Mr. Tribelhorn now states he wants out of this business of providing spam-material.
See his commitment here, after this blog, dedicated solely to him: http://aernoutzevenbergen.co.za/Scribbles/crazy-adventures-behind-a-keyboard-going-head-to-head-with-sas-worst-spammer
A little victory on the road to a spam-free SA and a spam-free In-Box!
Naming & Shaming can be done effectively!
LeopardMan
It seems that Mark Tribelhorn has taken back his old job and is currently selling e-mail addresses.
I've set up my Google e-mail account to send all my spam to his e-mail address (tribsm@cybersmart.co.za).
I am also putting in a formal compliant to e-mail service provider.
Excellent, on this case myself.
At the end, we'll laugh the loudest. Sick of spam and people selling private information like it's cupcakes... They will reap what they sow.
When I receive spam via email or SMS, I send the following extract from the ECTA no 25 of 2002. It has always worked (esp if you highlight the bit about the jail term):
In terms of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, 2002, No. 25 of 2002:
Unsolicited goods, services or communications
45. (1) Any person who sends unsolicited commercial communications to consumers, must provide the consumer—¬
(a) with the option to cancel his or her subscription to the mailing list of that person; and
(b) with the identifying particulars of the source from which that person obtained the consumer's personal information, on request of the consumer.
(2) No agreement is concluded where a consumer has failed to respond to an unsolicited communication.
(3) Any person who fails to comply with or contravenes subsection (1) is guilty of an offence and liable, on conviction, to the penalties prescribed in section 89(1).
(4) Any person who sends unsolicited commercial communications to a person who has advised the sender that such communications are unwelcome, is guilty of an offence and liable, on conviction, to the penalties prescribed in section 89(1).
Penalties
89. (1) A person convicted of an offence referred to in sections 37(3),40(2), 58(2), 80(5),82(2) or 86(1), (2) or (3) is liable to a fine or imprisonment for a period not exceeding 12 months.
(2) A person convicted of an offence referred to in section 86(4) or (5) or section 87 is liable to a fine or imprisonment for a period not exceeding five years.
SO:
1.PLEASE REMOVE ME FROM YOUR MAILING LIST
2.PLEASE INFORM ME YOUR SOURCE OF MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
Thank you.
Further to my post above, I sent it to tribsm@cybersmart.co.za and received a very prompt and grovelling apology.
How about this for irony: I've just received a span email from the SA Consumer Forum, and at the bottom they state
"PS, In case you were wondering, you were referred to us as you are on M.L.D. Marketing's database. If you feel you shouldn't have received this, please contact them directly.".
Did they provide MLD's contact details?
Did they give you contactdetails for MLD?
Nope, no contact details.
I has a go with MLD Marketing a while back after some person bought an "authentic" list from them end sent me spam. MLD insisted that their list was from the likes of people like Edgars but eventually admitted buying a list off Gumtree from the one and only Mark Triblehorn.
MLD were similarly smug, saying "I don’t buy in the data, I sell it, there is no law against the buying and selling of data"
That's from Brent, their Marketing Manager, apprently. brent@mld-marketing.com.
Another priceless quote:
"I have been called a spammer on many ‘hall of shame’ type lists, and am just as quickly removed, and apologized to as I do not send out
Unsolicited emails’(spam), we are are data brokers and source and sell databases, so we do not actually have to comply with the spam laws"
I reported them to the ISPA and had them added to the Hall of Shame list. They haven't been removed.
It seems that MLD marketing has not changed their tactics. I found they have solf my information to The Convenient Shopper, Imsimbi Training and someone doing Phishing on ABSA Bank accounts.
is that clown dr brian jude still spamming? you can trust a spammer, right?
O.K I despise these spam cowboys and the unethical sale and moment of our personal information.
What can we do about it is the question?
My feeling is that you should all calm down, take a step back and think about what you would do if you had been retrenched and had 3 children still at school. If you don't want what is on offer, reply and say 'No' or hit the delete button. Do you refuse to go to Woolworths because they DARE to show you milk when all you wanted was bread? Get over yourselves. Far too much righteous indignation around...
@Anonymous: I think you have missed the point completely. The guy is promoting himself as a marketing guru by using suspect/illegal marketing methods. And then he wants people to pay him to listen to his bad advice.
I hope Brian has learnt his lesson; I suspect not.
And he's still at it.
I recently received a spam message from Dr Brian Jude, advertising one of his seminars.
When I asked where he received my email from he said it was from a list recently purchased from Brent at MLD Marketing.
I tried to email mld-marking.com, but my email bounced back, saying that the domain does not exist anymore.
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