Influx of Web Design/SEO Spam and Cold Calls

[tomcarl]

Just my little rant

Past couple of years I've been used to seeing some SEO / Webdesign spam emails a day in the spam folder, but now this is getting out of hand, wondering if anyone else notices the influx?

Today set a new record as I've gotten 4 separate cold calls for SEO/Web Design services, and now they're sending my phone texts. The emails were from 2-5 a day, now to 10-15. The spam folder is a spam folder, but the Texts and Phone calls are Intruding. It's becoming ridiculous to the point where soon *everyone* will register their domain PRIVATE to hide from this spam assault = bad news for domainers.

Some could argue domainers are doing the same thing but I'd disagree, we are sending emails to specific end users with a domain that is specifically targeting their business,not just shooting off emails, calls and texts to every single new domain registration, regardless of domain.

I'm thinking of the best way to battle this without putting my domains on private which I do not want to. Maybe I've got to start adding "DO NOT OFFER ME SEO / WEB DESIGN SERVICES, INC" in the Organization field of my new regs.

 

[buyselldoms]

tom, its the same here! More webdesign than seo usually.

I am guilty of using catch-all email addresses; and most of my spam comes from an (virtual) email address I created for registration on a macromedia website and fonetastic.com (send free sms or something).

 

[DomainBFF]

I wonder how it's working out for them.

Based on the quantity and consistency, I'd assume they're doing pretty well.

Just not sure since they never seem to make it past the spam folder..

 

[iowadawg]

So a domainer sends out an email to a possible enduser, email got from a website or other means.
That is good?
A web designer sends out an email to a new buyer of a domain.
That is bad?

Bit of a little hypocrisy there guys.

 

[tomcarl]

No domainers ever called me 4 times in a single day.

And a domainer manually emailing hand-chosen prospects compared to software auto-spamming every new domain registration is uncomparable in my book.

I've gotten the same email 5 different times for 5 different domains I registered on the same day.

 

[DnEbook]

They send me Seo Spam (occasional phonecall) All spam is then put on the block list

 

[N-A]

Privacy will only help with phone calls. Each email in your privacy account is linked to the registration account and is forwarded there. So, you still get spam... lots of it.

It would surely cut down on phone calls. That's why I love Uni and have been transferring domains in there. Best UI I've seen and flick on and off privacy for free (can even transfer your domain in with privacy on by default so you don't have to worry about caching).

$6 domain with 1 year free privacy at GoDaddy doesn't compare, cause they'll stick it to you the next year.

 

[Atomic Domains]

These people call me "private" all morning. Mostly people from India... It's annoying as hell....

 

[tomcarl]

Yup, 99% of all my spam emails/texts/calls are coming from ppl from India.

 

[buyselldoms]

Its good to see India becoming a growing economy (well up until it overtakes the UK haha) but its created a new type of freelance-entrepreneur where anyone with a laptop or internet access at an internet cafe, is skilled at everything and can sell you something.

It really annoys me, I know so many people from engineers at BT to really gifted coders, who are Indian - slightly cheaper than a Western European worker in general, but are just as intelligent or even more, and really gifted. Quite a lot of doctors here are also of Indian dissent. As the western world declines by being hooked on following what everyone else is doing, the eastern world is reaching more into I suppose you could call their age of enlightenment era.

Now India is getting a bad name from these freelance-entrepreneurs that are flooding the global marketplace. It could be cultural (i.e. our laws) but where I am from someone promising the earth who knows they aren't able to deliver to profit from is mis-selling, over there to these freelance-entrepreneurs its just a good deal negotiating. India is not alone, there is similar from Brazil. It frustrates me as why shouldn't these people have an equal chance on the world stage but at the same time the majority now seem to be giving reason why you should perhaps disregard them.

Their primary aim is to get money rather than trade skills (employment) which I see is immoral. As soon as they get the money, they will produce a product, no after sales or revisions as promised, they will slowly withdraw communication. Is it a scam or not? It is to some, and not to others.

Be careful of my terminology, this isn't to be confused with entrepreneurs or freelancers. All I mean is people doing all they can to make money, rather than proper freelancing. Not all these emails received are from those overseas, but they have hooked on a concept of "where the money is" rather than having a genuine interest in a field, developed to be skilled in it and then to sell what you are good at. Bottom line, I wouldn't buy anything from an unsolicited email... over here when you form a limited company you get mail offering you services typically domains, online marketing and web hosting... but when I get these emails they are never about new domains.... a lot of them are for developed domains... so they just automate a list of domain names without any substance.

 

[iowadawg]

Again, no domainer will refute in real terms what I wrote in a previous post.
You all justify in your mind the right to spam others, but do not want that right assigned to others!