[Eug Wanker]

Once in a while when I get stupid fax advertisements which lists an email, I send this:

"Recently we received some faxed advertisements from your company. I wish to inform you that my colleagues and I have a policy to never do business with any company that sends us unsolicited faxes. Unsolicited faxes cost us money in consumables, and tie up our fax machines unnecessarily.

Thank you for warning us about your poor business practices and to stay away from you."

[ReggieX]

But do they start spamming your email back?

All spammers should be shot anyway, no matter the medium.

[Eug Wanker]

Originally Posted by ReggieX

But do they start spamming your email back?

All spammers should be shot anyway, no matter the medium.

The key is to use a throwaway mail account. I never use my main email account for this.

So far I haven't got repeated spams back, but I often get irate and even obscene emails back. I haven't sent this email in a while, but I think I'll start sending it regularly again. If I get any really interesting replies, I'll be sure to post them.

[Railroader]

Isn't it illegal to send "spam" faxes?

[Railroader]

Quick google search on "fax law" gave me this: http://www.keytlaw.com/faxes/junkfaxlaw.htm

Junk Fax Law - the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991
Senders of unsolicited ads for products and services may be liable to the recipient for $500 - $1,500 per fax under a little known federal law. Do not throw away your junk faxes, they could be worth more than their weight in gold.

Sue 'em.

[tooki]

Yep. Since it costs the recipient money to receive a fax, it's illegal.


That's why I sincerely hope they never make all cellphone plans have free incoming minutes (they can just make them some unusably high number instead, like 7000 minutes). As long as each incoming minute has a dollar value attached to it, telemarketing to cellphones can remain illegal...

tooki

[cjrivera]

Originally Posted by Eug Wanker

The key is to use a throwaway mail account. I never use my main email account for this.

So far I haven't got repeated spams back, but I often get irate and even obscene emails back. I haven't sent this email in a while, but I think I'll start sending it regularly again. If I get any really interesting replies, I'll be sure to post them.

Interesting. When we get faxes, there's usually a toll-free number on the bottom (in very, very tiny print) that connects you to an automated program that, after you punch in your fax number, stops sending their faxes to you. You don't have to talk with or email anybody.

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by tooki

Yep. Since it costs the recipient money to receive a fax, it's illegal.


That's why I sincerely hope they never make all cellphone plans have free incoming minutes (they can just make them some unusably high number instead, like 7000 minutes). As long as each incoming minute has a dollar value attached to it, telemarketing to cellphones can remain illegal...

tooki

We could always rely on the fact that cell phones runn on energy we have to pay for when we cahrge our phones and calls eat up more energy than when they are sitting idle. It's a stretch, but people have been awarded more money for less in courts of law.

But in reality, your idea is closer to the truth.

[tooki]

That's still illegal in the U.S. Unsolicited faxes are illegal with no exceptions. If you have an existing relationship with the sender, that's one thing. But unsolicited ones are plain and simply illegal. An opt-out method does not change this.

tooki

[Dark Helmet]

What kind of nasty replies do you get?

[Eug Wanker]

Originally Posted by cjrivera

Interesting. When we get faxes, there's usually a toll-free number on the bottom (in very, very tiny print) that connects you to an automated program that, after you punch in your fax number, stops sending their faxes to you. You don't have to talk with or email anybody.

True, but two things:

1) Sometimes the number is a voice mail. And you actually have to say your phone number onto the machine... and the first call doesn't eliminate the faxes from them. Even if it's an automated system, sometimes it doesn't work the first time. I think they screw up the deletion on purpose. Either that or their just totally incompetent. Both are easily believable reasons.

2) Somebody still paid the fax sender company to do this.

Originally Posted by tooki

That's still illegal in the U.S. Unsolicited faxes are illegal with no exceptions. If you have an existing relationship with the sender, that's one thing. But unsolicited ones are plain and simply illegal. An opt-out method does not change this.

I'm in Canada. I don't know if it's illegal here or not.

Originally Posted by Dark Helmet

What kind of nasty replies do you get?

Usually it's just some loser telling me how much of an idiot I am. Various expletives are sometimes included. I view these emails as more signs not to do business with these guys.

[cjrivera]

Originally Posted by Eug Wanker

Usually it's just some loser telling me how much of an idiot I am. Various expletives are sometimes included. I view these emails as more signs not to do business with these guys.

Sign their email up for some spam/porn.

[loki74]

Originally Posted by cjrivera

Sign their email up for some spam/porn.

hahaha yeah thatd be funny

but would they need to authenticate like how you have to for forums and some newsletters? or do the just start getting spammed?

=======

Yeah. I know someone whose email mysteriously got signed up with that Classmates service.. and after replying to one or two emails asking them to take him off their list he got pissed and cursed them out. It was pretty funny the stuff he said. Surprisingly, they remained completely cordial and explained that it took them a while to get him off the list and that was why he still was getting stuff after he sent his first mail. Even though it was still hella funny, he felt really bad about it after that, and sent an apology for cursing them out.

[CharlesS]

Here's how moki of Ambrosia deals with this sort of problem.

http://www.ambrosiasw.com/Ambrosia_T...6/3.3Prez.html

[Athens]

Originally Posted by tooki

Yep. Since it costs the recipient money to receive a fax, it's illegal.


That's why I sincerely hope they never make all cellphone plans have free incoming minutes (they can just make them some unusably high number instead, like 7000 minutes). As long as each incoming minute has a dollar value attached to it, telemarketing to cellphones can remain illegal...

tooki

I have a cell phone plan that is unlimited incoming and outgoing. And there was text message spam occurring in Ontario and again in Ontario another form of advertising, sending commercial voice messages to peoples cell phones mail boxes with out actually calling them, going direct to voice mail. Gotta love our new world of spam.

[Athens]

Some resources for dealing with it http://stopspamhere.ca/resources.html

Government is working on a set of rules, just wonder when its going to be put into action.

[Big Mac]

A guy on slashdot used to advertise the fact he got a good chunk of change out of a fax spammer by pursuing the remedies to which he was entitled by law.

[- - e r i k - -]

And he used the money to buy a G5 tower to boot

[Big Mac]

Originally Posted by - - e r i k - -

And he used the money to buy a G5 tower to boot

Yeah, that's what I recalled the punch line to the story was. . . If only I had that luck.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by Railroader

Isn't it illegal to send "spam" faxes?

Isn't sending spam mails, stealing, rape, murder and other stuff illegal ?
I don't understand why it still happens.

///naive

-t

[residentEvil]

Even with a No Solicitation on my front door, people still knock to sell crap or leave even more crap. i'm glad to take them; i then head over to fredericks online and put them on their catalog mailing lists. best are church fliers and need insurance? on the car windshields; those get the same treatment.

[olePigeon]

I *69 50 sheets of black paper. Only works sometimes. Most of the time they've faxed through a computer.

[cjrivera]

Originally Posted by olePigeon

I *69 50 sheets of black paper. Only works sometimes. Most of the time they've faxed through a computer.

What's *69?

[tooki]

That calls back the number that just called you.

tooki

[Dark Helmet]

Originally Posted by olePigeon

I *69 50 sheets of black paper. Only works sometimes. Most of the time they've faxed through a computer.

Ooooh, that is a good idea

[andreas_g4]

Originally Posted by CharlesS

Here's how moki of Ambrosia deals with this sort of problem.

http://www.ambrosiasw.com/Ambrosia_T...6/3.3Prez.html

Now that's cool!