Crutchfield Bass CD sampler - Privacy Issues (if you did the deal)

[purduephotog]

Hello all-

I originally sent this note to several deal sites, but none have posted it. With my junk mail increasing by 1 letter per day so far, it's gotten well out of control.
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I do not remember which site posted the information about Crutchfield, but apparently any purchase you make automatically rents your personally identifiable information out to several different companies. They do this in full violation of their purchase statements about wanting to receive emails, etc.

I know this because when I sign up for said offers I choose a different first name. Each name is used only once so that I may track the dissemination/viral properties of list 'rental'. This time its gone to BMG and others- the volume of junkmail has literally doubled.

I called their 800 number and was quickly fed to customer service, whom then modified my account (I don't have one that is web accessible, mind you!) to prevent further use of my information.

As a service, since I've now proven that crutchfield has used personally identifiable information without my consent, would you consider letting your readers know so they may call the 800 number (1-888-955-6000) and have their accounts blocked as well?

Thank you for your time,

Jason Hirsch

[purduephotog]

Hey all-

I just wondered if this was useful for anyone out there- if you did call crutchfield and ask to be blocked from list rental, how were you received? Was this even useful to anyone? 86 reads and no posts.... I'm wondering if I am freaking about nothing at all.

Jason

[paulwpark]

Anyway I can get a copy of that Bass CD Sampler? Anyone got the link? Or is the deal dead?

[civicdidex]

yeah i agree, everyone sells your info. thats why u make up names. btw, its a crappy cd...

[djradam]

Originally posted by DarkFury
More or less, since the Justice Dept wants to go after RIAA targets, why can't we make them go after spammers...

spammers don't have money

[sbp]

Sure they do and they are finding new ways to make it.

Spammers make profits without making a sale

Many spammers have found ways to profit from sending unsolicited e-mail without selling a single product, using a range of tactics from simple banner ads to outright deception and identity theft.

It has long been thought that spammers made money only because people bought the products advertised in e-mails, like pornography or weight-loss plans. Now antispam advocates are warning consumers against even replying to spam or going to sites advertised in e-mail, because it could put more money in spammers' pockets.

"I really don't believe [spam] is about selling things," said Joe St. Sauver, a director at the Computing Center at the University of Oregon, who has worked with the state attorney general to craft antispam legislation. "It'd be nice if that were true, but that's not the case anymore."

Online industry observers say many spammers make money as long as people visit their Web sites. In such cases, spammers get revenue from banner advertisements displayed on those sites. Web site operators receive a fee from the advertiser for every user that visits the site, and often use unsolicited e-mail ads to attract Web users there. The recipient of the e-mail does not need to register at the site or pay any money.

Some spammers also use banner ads on Web sites designed to allow people to opt out of future e-mails. For instance, a spammer may include in an e-mail a link titled "Click Here to Opt Out of Future E-mails." But most often the opt-out requests are not honored and spammers simply lure e-mail recipients there to collect banner ad revenue, Mr. St. Sauver and others said.

Other ways spammers have profited from spam without selling any products include:
•Offering e-mail recipients "free pornography" if they download a software program. The program often provides the pornography, but only after the user's computer dials a 1-900 number to an overseas location, racking up hundreds of dollars in phone charges.
•"Pump and dump" stock schemes, in which a spammer sends e-mails touting a certain stock and encourages people to buy it. The stock's value goes up, and spammers sell it at a profit.
•Accepting payment for an item without sending it. Spammers bet that someone buying Viagra or pills for the enlargement of body parts would be too embarrassed to call the police or Better Business Bureau.