By Reza Ganjavi, MBA
I got junk mail from some companies after signing up for a newsletter. I called one up and they said they BOUGHT my address!! So I investigated it. The responsible company admitted to renting and selling addresses! Shame on them!
I wrote a series of emails about my address having been “sold” to some marketing company!!
My emails to them are as follows:
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URGENT : LEGAL MATTER: Phillips Investment Resources & Michael Murphy
Phillips Investment Resources / Michael Murphy
I have been told that you have sold my address through some brokers to certain companies who in turn are sending me junk mail. They have stated you as the source.
You have caused me a lot of distress and hassle by such transactions.
You have sold my address to third parties without my consent while I had specifically asked you to remove my name and never authorized you to such submissions.
I subscribed to Michael Murphy's New World Investor and since then I have been getting numerous spams in US mail by companies related to you. Murphy's company points to Phillips as their list administrator.
I need this practice STOPPED RIGHT AWAY.
I need assurance from you that you will no longer sell my address as part of your Phillips master list through brokers and other parties.
I need an explanation as to why my previous request was not acknowledged. Please do not make things up - I am not stupid. Be honest. If you made a mistake admit it. If you were being malicious admit it, and we can move on.
Your agent said: "you were removed from mailing list but you were still on our email list and email list generates paper mailings as well” [and apparently sets you up as a bait for our sold lists]. She said you didn’t give my address to Los Angeles World Affairs Council as an example but they said on 6/20 that they got my address from you.
Be honest. Be candid. Correct the problem, and we can move on because as far as I've been advised your action has been far from correct.
I hold both Mr. Murphy and Mr. Phillips' companies responsible for this mess.
Awaiting feedback before taking any further action.
Sincerely,
Reza Ganjavi
PS -- today I also left a phone message for Mr. Phillips with his assistant, Phyllis (sp?)
_________________________________________________________
Cindy: this is my problem with you guys:
I asked you specifically to remove me from your mailing lists back in February.
I never permitted you to rent or sell my email to other parties.
I only subscribed to Michael Murphy's newsletter for a short time and then unsubscribed and asked to be removed from further listings.
This has caused me a lot of hassle, stress, and waste of time.
Your agent Clare has told me on 2 occasions that when my name was removed i was still on an email list and that meant i got both email and paper mailings.
under what legal framework did you take the liberty to rent my name out? did you have my permission?
thanks for the feedback.
Reza
_________________________________________________________
Thanks for the note Cindi. I need to understand a few things still.
I subscribed to Murphy's newsletter not Phillips. Phillips took my name from Murphy (which I understand is the same company).
So, correct me if I am wrong:
1) a subscriber to Murphy gets their names on a mailing list of Phillips which is rented.
2) a request for unsubscribe from Murphy is only acknowledged for Murphy list and one's name remains on the Phillips list
I like to know, since you're the same company as Murphy's, under what legal basis, upon lack of my explicit agreement you took the liberty to
a) put my name on a list other than Murphy's
b) rent my name out
Please refer me to your lawyer if you do not know the answer.
Thanks in advance.
Reza
_________________________________________________________
I'll have to check with a lawyer. As far as I know it's the other way around: you need my specific permission before you commercialize my address (i.e., rent it out). At what name or address can my lawyer contact yours?
thank you.
_________________________________________________________
BOTTOM LINE:
I got removed from their mailing lists, including lists they sell and rent!! How shameless!! They rent and sell people’s addresses !!
Cindi Leach, Executive Director, Customer Communications, Phillips Investment Resources wrote me back. In her last email she wrote:
Dear Mr. Ganjavi,
We did mark you as “Do Not Rent” and “Do Not Promote” in February, however, when people buy lists, it is far in advance when we send the file.
[Blah blah!]