Unsolicited
posted on november 23, 2004, tag: web
I got a call on my cellphone today from an 877 number. Sometimes it happens—I use my cellphone as a primary contact point for my credit cards and such—but it is usually rare. "Gah... ger... um, uh... G-Garnet M-Murphy?" Not a good start. "Garrett," I said. She said she knew she'd mess it up. She told me she knew I had just bought a new domain, and she was calling from Aplus.net because I could use some hosting and web design services now. It took a moment to sink in.
"What, did you crawl the whois listings and call me unsolicited to sell your services?" I asked, dumbfounded. She said yes, she knew I would need their services. "This is the most atrocious thing I have ever heard," I said, to which she responded that whois listing are public records and they can do whatever they wish with the information.
Well, I'm here to say it: no you can't. This is wrong, wrong, wrong. And it needs to stop. Aplus.net sucks. Spread the word.
Comments
There are 6 comments, comments are closed
Cranium oxide on 11/24/2004:
I bet you wish you hadn't chased me up on changing the telephone number on the domain record before selling it to you now :) I'm assuming it was that domain?
Garrett on 11/24/2004:
Hah, no, actually it was another one. But, on a related note, I finally got the domain you sold me transferred. Took forever!
Hon Kam on 11/25/2004:
It is the first time I hear abut that kind of sales strategy. Aplus.Net is really something...... You already know you won't get a successful deal calling others unsolicited through crawling the whois lists.
Shawn on 11/26/2004:
Isn't this basically just cold calling? Isn't this exactly what you have done yourself in the past to promote your business? Find people who might need your service and call them up, unsolicited? Right? We may find it annoying, especially if they mispronounce our names or are obnoxious, but this is basically what all businesses, especially small ones, must do... I don't understand the anger. Especially since I believe it is an option having contact information in the whois database, right?
Jason on 12/01/2004:
i got the same exact call on my voicemail on my cell phone. i think godaddy may have sold our numbers.
Psilogen on 01/25/2005:
I just got a call from aplus.net today! On one hand, it is a relief to know that my webhost didn't sell me out, but it's disconcerting that they didn't have to in order for me to be telemarket'd.
I will be sure to tell every web-deigner I know to avoid aplus.net, in addition to sending them some "feedback." As soon my sister gave me the message and I saw the 1-877 number and a url I'd never heard of, I was immediately suspicious. I'm glad that I don't have to call them now.