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About Blacklisting
Innocent victim, though you may be, having your domain or e-mail address on SPAM gets you, your ISP's mail servers, your host provider's mail servers, your web site, your webmaster blacklisted. And it's not just one or two people. A typical SPAM list of 1 million or more addresses will get you and all your business associates know around the Internet for passing bad mail. AND IT ONLY TAKES ONE OFFENSE.
What does that mean? For your ISP it means outgoing mail, including yours, won't be received by other ISP's and servers. Ever wonder why your messages sometimes disappear? For your host provider, it means anyone using their servers potentially won't be able to send out mail. For all of you it means threats and black marks on your reputation. The cost is potential business.
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Someone offers to advertise for you on their mailing list. They *SAY* it's to opt-in subscribers and not SPAM. You send in your credit info and your ad and WHAM! You're bombarded with angry people calling you a crook for SPAM-ing them and threating to report you to the FBI. Even your ISP and your Host provider want to shut you down. How could this have happened?!
What to look for before it happens to you.
The key is that SPAM-ers are a "don't call us, we'll call you" kind industry. They cannot function without complete privacy. Even law enforcement officers have a tough time finding them.
Sometimes they appear to have a presence, but it's not real. For example, porn pushers often have open web sites and registered domains, all with contact information. However, except where it is absolutely needed, none of it's real. False names, false companies and addresses are commonplace.
No Web Site
The first sign that a company is up to no good is when they don't have a web site. Any business that claims to be into marketing without a web site is not one you should be interested in. Keep in mind, however, that having a web site doesn't guarantee legitimacy either.
No Phone Number
While mass marketing usually means less phone coverage, those paying for mass marketing should expect to talk with a warm body. Don't do business without a phone number.
Money Before Service
Did they take your credit card before you provided the advertising information? Big no-no! You may as well send a blank check to Nigeria. Never pay for any service without a contract or invoice that clearly indicates the party you're dealing with. If per chance they got your money before you finished the deal—DON'T PURSUE IT. The money's gone. Don't make it worse for yourself by sending the ad to them. You can try to get your money back later.
No Mention of Accounts
So when you send them correspondance, do they ask who you are or who is your sales rep? When you send your ad, do they ask if it's paid for? How do you know you've been credited for your account? Well...real crooks usually can't be bothered about that, so they might not make any effort to to pretend they have an account for you. Sometimes they just take the money when they can and don't question who's sending ads to send out.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line is that the SPAM'ers are NOT interested in marketing—only in your money. People say, "Well, it must work because they wouldn't keep sending it out if it didn't." The truth is, that isn't the whole truth. It doesn't have to work for the advertiser at all. They just have to entice you to want to send in your money. They don't even have to send it out to make money.
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