But does it work, though?

[Orwar]

   Two days ago, Neph received a note card from some absolutely random store owner, advertising their latest release. Neph had never been to that store, nor had she purchased anything from the creator's marketplace. When the card arrived, an automated message pointed out that if she didn't want to receive any further cards, she was to send a note card to the creator letting them know.

   I, of course, blocked the spammer on the spot.

   Today, it happened again, with a completely different creator. 

   Again, they were blocked immediately.

   Now I'm just curious - do creators with this invasive kind of business practice actually get something out of it, or do they just end up getting themselves blocked by half of their potential future customers? Don't get me wrong, I totally get that there are people who are A) stupid enough to go 'yay shinies' and B) might not be as easily peeved off as I am, but ... Are they so numerous, that they outweigh people who don't hesitate to use the block button when spammed? 

[Rowan Amore]

23 minutes ago, Orwar said:

   Two days ago, Neph received a note card from some absolutely random store owner, advertising their latest release. Neph had never been to that store, nor had she purchased anything from the creator's marketplace. When the card arrived, an automated message pointed out that if she didn't want to receive any further cards, she was to send a note card to the creator letting them know.

   I, of course, blocked the spammer on the spot.

   Today, it happened again, with a completely different creator. 

   Again, they were blocked immediately.

   Now I'm just curious - do creators with this invasive kind of business practice actually get something out of it, or do they just end up getting themselves blocked by half of their potential future customers? Don't get me wrong, I totally get that there are people who are A) stupid enough to go 'yay shinies' and B) might not be as easily peeved off as I am, but ... Are they so numerous, that they outweigh people who don't hesitate to use the block button when spammed? 

I do like you and block them immediately.   I've never once even looked at whatever it is they've sent me.  There was one, I swear, created new alts and kept at it.  I reported that one.  I think possibly the only ones who might pay attention are newer people.  

[Doc Carling]

1 hour ago, Orwar said:

When the card arrived, an automated message pointed out that if she didn't want to receive any further cards

Funny thing to tell people how and where they can opt out, when these people never opted in. Some of the opt out links I saw were also suspect looking websites where I wouldn't click anything.

[Paul Hexem]

Generally that kind of spam is reportable and actionable. I block and report, personally. 

[Sorciaa]

just got one.. blocked.

[Janet Voxel]

I block them. I always say, sending those notecards is probably the worst way to advertise in SL. Just about everybody I know, either blocks the sender or just closes message without looking at it.

[Sorciaa]

and another...le sigh

[Orwar]

9 minutes ago, Sorciaa said:

and another...le sigh

   ... Yeah, just got yet another one myself. Same shtick about 'if you don't want this, just write me a notecard'. Blocking and ARing. 

[Horus Salubrius]

I am so going to regret saying this .....

This has not happened to me ! 

[bigmoe Whitfield]

I get product updates on my alt, when I've never bought anything for the alt from the store no, have I ever visited and the items they are giving do not fit the slink body. sooo. I muted for now.  I wonder what some of these people are doing.

[Fritigern Gothly]

5 hours ago, Paul Hexem said:

Generally that kind of spam is reportable and actionable. I block and report, personally. 

I don't always agree with you, but in this case I do. Report and block (in that order). 
 

[AdminGirl]

Getting any marketing stuff that I didn't subscribe to annoys the hell out of me. They really shouldn't bother - I never read them and it only puts me off. Even stores that automatically subscribe me just because I visited their store - that just makes me not visit them again. I prefer unsubscribing to blocking though so I'll visit their store just to do that.

[Paul Hexem]

2 hours ago, Fritigern Gothly said:

I don't always agree with you, but in this case I do. Report and block (in that order). 
 

Life would be boring if everyone agreed on everything. 

[Evah Baxton]

10 hours ago, Orwar said:

'yay shinies'

All I see is this and I accept.

I can't ... seem ... to let ... go ........

[Arduenn Schwartzman]

13 hours ago, Orwar said:

Are they so numerous, that they outweigh people who don't hesitate to use the block button when spammed?

Apparently they are. Like people who still fall for Nigerian scams and for ads endorsing body part-enhancing substances. To get an idea of how crazy the internet still is, just for fun, open up your spam folder and read the subject lines. (I just did. OMG, so many lotteries I just won today.)

As for SL spammers, it's probably like the majority of SL jobs: a hundred times less efficient than making money IRL. Every time I get spammed like this, I can't but help than just feel very very sorry for them.

[Gabriele Graves]

I have gotten this a fair amount over the years.

These days I send them back a notecard in which I inform them they are sending unsolicited spam and quote them the relevant ToS section with the notification that I will report them if they don't desist.  I have this all in a notecard template and so there is no typing, I just share it with them in a couple of clicks.  Most of the time I don't hear anything back but the unsolicited advertising stops.  Sometimes I get an IM, "sorry, it was a mistake" and then they stop.  There are those who try "you clicked on a subscriber..." to which I assure them that I never click on any subscribers ever at which point they give up and stop - sometimes banning me from their shop where I never go and shop anyway.  Rarely does it not work and I still get spam.  In those cases I AR them and send them another pre-written notecard informing them that I have AR'd them.  I cannot recall anyone sending spam after that.

Note to shop owners - If you do this crap, you should stop because instead of making me want to buy your stuff (surely the point), it makes me curse the day I first heard your name.

[BelindaN]

I get this almost daily, plus spam from stores I do shop at.

I discard or block. I never look.

Edited November 12, 2020 by BelindaN

[Orwar]

7 minutes ago, Gabriele Graves said:

I have this all in a notecard template and so there is no typing, I just share it with them in a couple of clicks.

   Had to make one myself!

1 hour ago, Arduenn Schwartzman said:

As for SL spammers, it's probably like the majority of SL jobs: a hundred times less efficient than making money IRL. Every time I get spammed like this, I can't but help than just feel very very sorry for them.

   I'm too much of a Darwinist to pity idiocy. No one is entitled to earning a living in SL; that is achieved through skill, experience, creativity, and dedication. There are perfectly decent ways to advertise your stuff, both in-world and on the marketplace, but sending spam to strangers isn't one of them. 

[Dafadilia Wayfarer]

I've been getting this a lot lately from a business I've never even heard of. I did block them after I seriously began thinking I was losing my mind by forgetting places I had been as of late. 

I actually got a message from I suppose an alt of the creator telling me I was very rude and asking why I had blocked them because they had been trying to chat with me and couldn't. 😖

That account got blocked too.

[Nick0678]

I think they probably store usernames to a database of people going to events or whatever since i rarely do any purchases with my "main" avatar but after visiting a few places the last few days with a friend and although i haven't bought/clicked on anything i start getting such notices as well out of nowhere.  I block them, they are using a silly strategy.

[Drakonadrgora Darkfold]

There are new fools everyday in sl, so there is always a chance that someone who is spammed in such a manner will actually go to their store and possible buy something. Plus there is always the chance that the person receiving it might not care about it sooo much and would just delete it if they dont plan on going  or keep it for a possible idea later in time.

It is a form of marketing that does work in many ways. just like pressure sales, and time limited discounts, and one day at x% off sales. these kinds of things target those kinds of people that can be influenced by the fear of do it now or loose out and pay more later.

And to some its not spam, its just like getting adds in a newspaper.. you read them or dont.. you buy or dont. you dont make a fuss about it, because its not worth it.