We all receive spam emails from time to time, some more than most. I personally receive hundreds each day – most are caught by spam filters but many make it through. It’s an occupational hazard of having so many different domains.
However, one thing you can usually rely on is that when you receive a spam email offering some shoddy product or service, you won’t normally receive it again that day… and you certainly won’t receive any other emails from people who also received that spam.
Not so with an email that was sent yesterday on behalf of the website www.miamindmusic.com through the spam site grouplygroups.com though. I not only received the following spam email from them, but I have also received hundreds of follow up emails from people asking to be removed from the mailing list.
Have a read of the spam from this law breaking company:
From: em-8587008@grouply.com [mailto:em-8587008@grouply.com]
Sent: Thursday, November 04, 2010 11:25 AM
To: superstars@grouplygroups.com
Subject: [superstars] You’ve pressed your record – now what? MIA MIND MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT PROMOTIONYou’ve pressed your record – now what? MIA MIND MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT PROMOTION
You’ve pressed your record – now what?
MIA MIND MUSIC
ENTERTAINMENT PROMOTION & MARKETING
- RADIO PROMOTION
- PRESS COVERAGE
- RECORD DISTRIBUTION
- INTERNET SERVICES
- ADVERTISING
(212) 564-4611
MiMiMus@aol.com
www.MiaMindMusic.comFREE consultation!
Mia Mind Music – we’re keeping you buzzed!Reply via web | Reply to sender | To reply to group use “Reply to all”
View full conversation (9 messages) | Start new conversationView member profiles | Visit group
Want to stop these emails? Unsubscribe Create your own group!
As you can see, pretty useless as an email and irrelevant to me, and most recipients no doubt. What’s worse is the fact that it was sent to an email address that I do not use, and have never used, for a domain that is completely irrelevant to the subject of the email – so I clearly never signed up or joined any group.
The real comedy, or tradegy – depending on your take, comes from the many, many emails I have since received from people wanting to be removed from the list. You see, whenever someone replies to the spam, their email is also sent to every single person on the list, generating a whole swathe of self replicating spam.
Here are some of the more printable responses to the spam from GrouplyGroups.com and Mia Mind Music:
What IS THIS… ? Stop sending please. What is this spam?
Pretty annoyed there, then there’s the short and sweet:
Remove me now!!!!!!!!
One person has even been really aggressive and to the point, but still without swearing:
Do you really think that loading my inbox up with the same whack ass email is going to bring you any business? How is it that you claim you are a good marketing company but don’t know being a nuisance is a turn off?
Someone else even tried politeness – but as you’ll see later this was a waste of time as well.
To whom it may concern,
Why am I receiving not only your promotional advertisement but requests from strangers to delete them from a mailing list that I have no knowledge of.
Finally I really feel for this guy because I have seen his previous two requests to be removed also come through.
Please RESPECT my 3rd request and take me off your email list
Now, while I have seen his two previous emails, and the hundreds of others, it seems that the imbeciles at GrouplyGroups.com haven’t seen them – if this email from Jackie Wright, who also replied to every single person on the list when she intended to just reply to the poor chap who’d asked three times to be removed, is anything to go by:
From: Jackie WRIGHT
superstars@grouplygroups.comSIR, AT THE BOTTOM OF THE EMAIL YOU CAN OPT OUT. THERE IS A LINK THAT WILL MARK YOU MARK AS DO NOT MAIL. THIS IS THE FIRST REQUEST I HAVE SEEN…..IT WILL BE A FEW DAYS BEFORE I WILL BE GOING OVER THE DATABASE…SO QUICKEST WAY IS TO OPT OUT YOURSELF…VIA PHONE…JACKIE
Email marketing has, over the years, managed to clean up its act from the shady beginnings it once had. Many professional and respected companies use email marketing to offer new products and services to their clients, but only AFTER they have opted in – this company has not done that. They have ignored laws against sending spam emails and have repeatedly bombarded unsuspecting, and unwilling people with spam – hundreds of times a day.
If you want your company’s reputation shot down like Mia Mind Music then, by all means, use GrouplyGroups.com as well. Otherwise, use a reputable Internet marketing agency – one that doesn’t use spam and black hat tactics.