Edgars and the responses…
I have a catch-all account on my domain outsourcehouse.co.za. This means that I can receive my normal email messages, paul@outsourcehouse.co.za and I can use other emails @outsourcehouse.co.za, like yahoo@outsourcehouse.co.za and hello@outsourcehouse.co.za and they all come into my normal mailbox and no matter what the spelling, they will all come into my inbox.
For some time, I have been receiving spam emails on a derivative of my wife’s name. I could never understand why all of them are coming to this email. All of them were sent to the same address. That address has never been published as it is not my wife’s name.
Now, for the first time, we received an electronic statement from Edgars. The account is in my wife’s name and it reflects that on the statement.
The interesting thing is, is that it was sent to the same address as all the spam.
The only thing that I can deduce from this, is this:
1. When the account info was filled in by my wife on paper, it was then captured incorrectly on the Edgars’ system.
2. All the email addresses that Edgars has, are then sold to these bulk emailing companies.
3. The bulk emailing companies then email the crap that they send.
4. Edgars sent a statement to the email that they had captured wrong, raising suspicions that they have sold my email address.
Now, I am not too clued up on the electronic communications act, but this seems like this might be illegal in South Africa.
Now if this is happening from Edgars, one of the largest account holders in South Africa, who else is doing this? You give out your email address often, as do I, how can we make sure that these huge companies are not selling your email address?
As an example below is a print screen of one of the spam messages that i have received on the incorrect email address.
If you have any other stories or comments about this, please comment below.
Edgars and the updates…
Update 15 March 2011 : As an update, I made a rule that filters out the emails sent to the incorrect address, to check what types of emails I am getting. We are getting emails from companies using the bulk email service certech.co.za and investmail.biz. That is irritating, but we are also getting phishing emails. Now if this is Edgars who sold my email address, then shouldn’t they be liable for any monies scammed from users?
Update 16 March 2011: I have been receiving more and more of these spam emails. Now if you go here : http://www.ispa.org.za/spam/south-african-law/ then you will see a template that I have now started replying to the companies that are emailing me. And here is my reply. Try it yourselves and let’s see if we can nail down who is selling our email addresses:
On the DATE****, I received the attached message from you:
Since this is a commercial message, and since I have not requested to be placed on your mailing list, this message constitutes an unsolicited communication in terms of section 45 of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act (Act 25 of 2002).
I hereby request that you immediately disclose where you obtained my contact details, as per section 45(1) of the ECT Act.
Failure to comply with this request constitutes a criminal offense in terms of the ECT Act.
Should you wish to familiarise yourself with the relevant legislation, or check my facts, a copy of the ECT Act is available on-line via the Government’s web site: http://www.info.gov.za/view/DownloadFileAction?id=68060
Your co-operation in this matter will be appreciated.
Regards,
Paul Ogier
Update 17 March 2011: Since I have not received any responses from my email on the 16th March 2011, I have now sent all of the offending companies, the following email. Let’s see what happens.
Due to the fact that you have not responded to my email, attached below, I will be forced to report you to the Internet Service Providers of South Africa.
This will include you on the ISPA Hall of Shame Page http://www.ispa.org.za/spam/hall-of-shame/
We will be filling in this form: http://www.ispa.org.za/code-of-conduct/complaints-form/
And we will be starting the Take-down procedure: http://www.ispa.org.za/code-of-conduct/take-down-procedure/
This take-down procedure will started by the 25th March 2011, unless the information requested in the attached email is given by the 24th March 2011.
Regards,
Paul Ogier
Here are also some of the offending companies that have used this sold email address. You should know some of them. If you have received an email from these people, please don’t just delete it, please reply to them and use the template that we have used below and let’s bombard them with the questions about where they got our email addresses from.
Update 24 March 2011: So I was getting no joy from contacting Edgars, so I went to HelloPeter.com, to complain about Edgars selling my email address. You can see the report here : http://www.hellopeter.com/edgars-complaint-[546510]
What does surprise me is their response to the complaint. Here it is:
Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. We apologise for any inconvenience incurred. We have forwarded the matter to Accounts department and they will be assisting soon.
Please see the information below regarding the Direct Marketing Association of Southern Africa(DMA):
Registering on this database will mean that you will not be contacted by members of the DMA. The DCM (Do Not Contact database) helps you to make sure your address, e-mail address, telephone and cell number are no longer available to organizations, who are members of the DMA, who want to make offers and send information that you do not wish to receive. You can also do these by contacting companies directly and asking them not to contact you.
To de-register, contact the DMA on 0861 362 362.
Now what this response says to me is this:
Hello,
We are sorry that you caught us selling your email address. Please contact the DMA to get your email, that we sold, removed from their database.
Now am I just being silly? If they sold my email address shouldn’t they get it removed asap?
I have also received many emails in response to my emails from people that have my incorrect email address about where they got it from. 99% said that they got it from
MLD Marketing, Jeremy@mld-marketing.com 082 358-4848 Fax: 086 622-041
There was one very interesting one from SA Consumer Initiative who said this:
I looked into the matter and a while back you entered a competition which was sponsored by the SA Consumer Initiative
Now firstly we do not enter any competitions where we have to enter our email address and secondly we would not have written our email address down wrong if we really wanted to win the prize. They obviously just didn’t want to say that they bought our email address from someone.
Update 4 April 2011: So on the 25th March 2011 I received an email from Sandile Mabaso <SMabaso4@edcon.co.za> copied to these people. Mokone Leqabano <MLeqabano@edcon.co.za> Lerato Marwane <LMarwane@edcon.co.za> Liezel Towell <LTowell@edcon.co.za> And they said this:
Dear Paul
No!!! Edcon doesn’t sell your address…
I would like to assure you that as a registered credit provider we do treat our customers profile discreet as one of our core values.
Regards
Sandile Mabaso
Customer Services
Tel : (011) 498 8100
Fax : (086) 568 5461
I really like the 3!!! It really means to me that there is no way that this could have happened.
So I replied and said this.
Please read this article : http://outsourcehouse.co.za/did-edgars-sell-my-email-address/
And please explain how this is possible without you guys selling our email address.
Regards,
Paul Ogier
Then the deathly quiet descended. I emailed on the 31 March 2011 and again on the 4th April 2011. Still nothing. Well Sandile Mabaso from Customer Services, please reply to my email as I would like to complete this Soap Opera that started way back on the 11th March 2011.
PS, I have included all the email addresses above so that if you have a suspicion that your email address has been sold by Edgars that you can email them directly, yes, I am that kind.
