barrys plumbing and electrical (why yell123.com sucks)
I got a spam text message on my phone yesterday.
It said:
Barrys Plumbing and Electrical, 24 hour service, work done quickly and cheaply. Ph 1800 350 079. sms STOP to 0447174014 to OPT OUT. Number Ex Yell123
Since I really don’t like spam SMS, and I also don’t like spending money on a (possibly) expensive SMS in order to opt out of something I shouldn’t be getting in the first place, then I decided to annoy the annoying people at yell123
I simply wrote an email to: data@yell123.com which said:
OPT OUT the following numbers:
0402 133 xxx
0435 467 xxx
0404 579 xxx
Obviously I’m not going to show the actual phone numbers in this post.
So what happens?
The next day, Yell123 decides to send me the same spam message again
So I send the same email back to them again.
I can keep doing this for as long as they can.
I also urge anyone else who got this message to: send yell123 a daily email asking them to opt them out.
The way I see it is:
If I send the opt out message via SMS, then they probably have an automated computer program to (possibly) remove you from their database… so it doesn’t cost them anything.
But sending them an email, means that it doesn’t cost ME anything, but they need to employ someone to process the emails they receive.
Either yell123 stop spamming, or they implement a free method to opt out of this garbage.
And a message to the owners of barrys plumbing: dump yell123 … any short-term gain you get in business will not help you in the long term, given the damage in your reputation thats caused by this type of spamming.
I received the same spam SMS both yesterday and today. I had previously been spammed by the same advert last year and opted out via text. Clearly this is a waste of money and I have also emailed yelp123 to opt out.
I am also going to contact the business in question to let them know they have paid money for what is essentially an annoying and invasive waste of money.
I’ve had three spam sms from the same source. After the first message I sent a message to opt out. That didn’t work because I receive two further messages. I reported them to the ACMA (http://www.spam.acma.gov.au), who then contacted me to see if I wanted to make an official complaint (which I did).
You should consider forwarding the SMS spam to the too : 0429 999 888.
It does cost money to forward the SMS, but at least you’re not playing their game…
update:
I got an email from yell123.com on 13th Jan, which simply said said:
Will do
And of course, today (17th Jan) I receive another text about barrys plumbing.
I wonder if someone at yell123 will wake up before their business goes down the plughole?
thank you for including my number with that!
Has anyone had any luck getting these people to answer an email or phone call?