UKNM: Re: cix posting on Internet Money

[Dave Stiles]

> Someone here had a problem with "Internet Money" (I think

> pestering for sale). While not directly relevant, you may be

> able to provide some 'angles' to a journalist. Need to be

> very quick though.


I'm coming from the stand-point of an internet designer who has been

pestered by

IM since they first started trading, about April 1999 (at least, they said

they were

new at the time).


At first I received one or two calls a month. These gradually increased

until about

ten days ago, when I was getting four or five calls a week. I've had no

calls for the

past ten days. Hopefully they have gone into receivership! Certainly, from

the

frequency of calls extrapolated against the number of potential prospects,

it would

seem they are not getting any advertisers.


Their professed method of finding phone numbers is to trawl on-line search

engines, directories etc. Lately they admitted to also going through various

paper

directories such as those produced by local councils, chambers and such.


They keep no database (they say) but call direct from the list in front of

them,

wasting the results afterwards. They have claimed, variously, to keep a

"Don't call"

database (subsequently denied) and even a list on a blackboard (must have

been

pretty large!).


I have contacted the local Chamber of Commerce here in Bristol (IM are

operating

from Clifton, Bristol - address available if you don't have it); I have

contacted the

Phone Preference Service (admitting I'm a business so I can't actually claim

immunity that way) - they said try Oftel concerning their telephone

licensing T&C.

Oftel did not, apparently, read my letter because their response ignored

most

points I made in it.


I have recently been contacted several times by two other companies

operating on

similar principles - e-web and Babylon Media. I have made them aware of my

feelings on the matter and one of them (I forget which) said they were

intending to

set up a database. I have to say this looks as if it could be a pernicious

trend,

encouraged by the fax/phone legislation permitting junk phone calls to

businesses.


_________

Dave Stiles

Linkcheck Limited

Tel: 0117 9248413

http://www.linkcheck.co.uk (Web Design Services)

http://bristol-web.co.uk (Bristol forums, noticeboards, features...)

http://about-bristol.co.uk (About Bristol Pictorial Tour)

http://www.bristol-views.co.uk (Bristol Views and Maps)

http://bristolindex.co.uk (Bristol Index business/community)



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