Have you tried sample-swapping??

[Sample-swap]

abcdefghij

[Audrey]

I am going to personally caution anyone considering joining this group. It's a mailing list you can NOT get off of.

[Audrey]

This is not about being annoyed over 2 emails. This is about having my name harvested off a message board. This is about the daily spam I was receiving. This is about my asking nicely to be removed and being ignored. This is about my continuing to receive emails even after 2 attempts to stop emails.

As I've mentioned before, your idea is a great idea. Your marketing needs a lot of work. I have never and will never support spam or harvesting of names off message boards.

[Sample-swap]

Iabcdefghij

[Ravish30]

Hello Denise

So you just emailed Audrey right out of the blue because you saw a posting of hers on a message or forum board and thought she might be interested?

If that is the case, that is indeed spam because she did NOT request to receive information from you and you were NOT requesting information about something she posted.

It should only take a person 1 request to remove them from a email list, especially since that person did not sign up to receive it in the first place.

Shelly

[Sample-swap]

abcdefghij

[Audrey]

Even computer generated removal requests take a week to 2 weeks to take place –

I have NEVER had anything more than INSTANT removal when I ask to be removed.

In the case of Audrey I have apologized for the error. I was focused on trying to get Tupperware involved in our swap. I love Tupperware products. I don’t have a local Tupperware rep. For purposes of my swap, ideally, I want products involved that I am interested in personally ordering from. I wish Audrey would have seen me as a potential customer and not a threat.

Not once in all of the emails I received was Tupperware mentioned. Instead because of the many boards I participate on, I continued to recieve a copy and paste solicitation. You were not viewed as a potential customer, because you were not one LOL. You were/are a soliciter spamming for business.

FYI for Audrey - When I go to the tupperware main website, it says that my current Tupperware rep is Audrey Oka. Could there be some kind of glitch in the system that when I try to reach another Tupperware rep it defaults back to you? Because I swear my sent box says I only emailed you twice.

I sent you at least 4 of the emails you sent me.

Go to tupperware.com and type in your zipcode. Unless you live in my town, you will not get my site.


As I have previously posted, I guess I am not seeing where that fine line is. If I had a store and saw your website had beautiful handmade jewelry and emailed you to ask if you wanted to put your jewelry in my store, would that be spamming or if I saw your website and asked you send me samples so I can try out your product, would that be spamming? Both are unsolicited. I see it as doing “business”

If you wanted to buy Tupperware, please feel free, place an order. What you sent me was a solicitation to hire you to send out samples for your business. You are not offering a free service. One must pay to use your service.

If I go to your website and say “hey, you have great stuff. I am having a sample swap, do you want to join us?” I see that as doing business.

Had you mailed me and said "Audrey I'd love some fillers from you" which I've had happen, we might have begun a conversation. However, you did not send me a personal email, you sent me a copy and paste ad to buy your service.

This is a direct quote from your site:

Packets will only be swapped once the $10 shipping and Handling fee has been received.

You are selling a service. You are making a profit.

I am not trying to sell you anything and I am not trying to push a product on anyone.

See above, you are indeed selling a service.

I am curious to what anyone would suggest. I cannot sit around and hope that people just stumble across my website and I cannot afford “conventional” advertising at this point.

Other people pay for advertising, both online and offline, write articles, run contests, etc.

[Ravish30]

I agree with everything Audrey has stated. You are charging for a service, you are providing a service.

If you can not afford conventional advertising then place your ads on forums (in their appropiate threads) and let people contact you if they are interested in your service.

I don't go around emailing folks (snagging their emails off of forums) and saying "Hey, you want to buy some TW, if so let me be of service to you".

I place ads..both free and paid and let people come to me.

There is a DIFFERENCE!

Do you think Walmart runs around online snagging email addys off of forums and emailing them emails about their services and/or products? Hmmm NO, because its considered SPAM.

[Sample-swap]

abcdefghij

[Ravish30]

It's not WHAT you are doing....there is NOTHING wrong with your sample swap...its how you are going about it....it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that you can't legally run around online snagging folks email addresses and sending them your OFFER/ADV about participating.

[Sample-swap]

absdefghij

[taraburner]

Obviously we are not seeing things the same way and we won't agree. I am not here to fight with you or to irritate anyone, but I am not breaking any laws. I already apologized for the duplicate emails and I really have better things to do with my time.
Denise
www.sample-swap.com

well, I too have gotten countless spam emails asking me if I want to be in your sample swap but I don't respond because well I've got too much to do to even take the 2 secs to tell you not interested especially with someone who spams but see I'm not the only one :(
Tara

[Sample-swap]

abcdefghij

[taraburner]

I've actually had a great response to the swap. With some new marketing ideas I put into place this weekend, people have actually found my site and have been coming to me. It has been a very exciting few days!
Tara, I see you have many business ventures with many different email addresses. I respect that you are a busy. If you would like to email me a list of your email addresses, I'd be happy to remove them from my list so you get no more sample-swap emails. I am sorry that I inconvenience you, especially since you have always been nothing but kind to me in welcoming me to different forums. Denise
www.sample-swap.com


I'm all about being nice and welcoming people and all but I'm not keen on spam.
Great that peeps are finding you and doing it but I'm not hot on people spamming me to try to get me to do biz with them, they automatically go on my 'dont do biz with' list
sorry to say
Tara

[Ravish30]

I agree Tara!

There is NO reason to run around harvesting peoples email addy's from groups and forums and then spam them...NO REASON AT ALL! Its illegal! People do not post on forums and groups so that others can run around and snag their email addys to send them offers and spam.

It's called...Advertise YOUR business and let folks come to you.

[taraburner]

I agree Tara!

There is NO reason to run around harvesting peoples email addy's from groups and forums and then spam them...NO REASON AT ALL! Its illegal! People do not post on forums and groups so that others can run around and snag their email addys to send them offers and spam.

It's called...Advertise YOUR business and let folks come to you.


and the only thing worse than this would be consultants posting 'fake' ads to get people's responses and then harvesting emails, then adding them to their list and then when the owner of the company they rep for doesn't want to take responsibility for what her reps are doing... that's right up there as well as just plain downright NOT RIGHT, tacky, and pretty much and instant 'boycott' by myself and others, not to mention what goes around comes around, sowing and reaping, guess people don't think about that!

Tara