A while ago, I started receiving emails from newsletter@netflip.co.uk. Google marks every one as spam, but that still means they go to my spam folder. Because the company they’re apparently from changes every time (but they’re always from the address – newsletter@netflip.co.uk), it makes it hard to see at a glance if it’s more Netflip junk without opening. Gmail lets me filter them straight to the bin, but then they’re not being put in spam, so presumably don’t work to improve the system, or whatever.
I imagine they got my email address from me being a member of a discount website called GreasyPalm that they own (years and years ago, I’m pretty sure I no longer have an account). I’ve tried to unsubscribe, which doesn’t work. It says it does, then the next day, more spam cometh.
I signed up for Spamcop.net and have been reporting them there. Still they come. Spamcop tells me that their mail originates from “theplanet.com”, an email provider who merged with http://www.softlayer.com a while ago. I’ve spoken to Softlayer and lodged a complaint by emailing Submission Technology’s mail to abuse@softlayer.com. They seemed most helpful, so if you want to do the same, go right ahead.
Submission Technology – who run the Netflip spam list, are on Twitter. They’re @subtechteam. Don’t waste your time messaging them. They don’t reply to anybody with a criticism.
They’re also featured in this econsultancy article, here. You’ll see from the comments that me (and several others) are complaining about being spammed. I have my reasons to believe that several of the comments on that page (including one of mine) have now been removed. Why remove them? I don’t know. I asked econsultancy:
This seems unlikely to me. I use Akismet for several blogs, and it’s never yet removed any legitimate comments for me.
How to stop the junk mail.
@boojess on Twitter (someone I found while looking for others being spammed by Netflip/Submission Technology) advised me:
I’ve now contacted Submission Technology twice. Once before this, asking them to stop – via their contact form. The second was a slightly more sarcastic method, where I forwarded one of their own spam mails back to email addresses of people working for their company, telling them about what a great deal this was, and how I think they’d be interested.
I’ve not received any mail from Netflip/Submission Technology in the last couple of days, so maybe some of that has worked. I wait in anticipation.
This morning I was contacted on Twitter by Andy Merrett – the same Andy who features in the econsultancy comments. He’s got Netflip mails to stop, by doing a more advanced version of my forwarding-mail-back to them. Here’s his step by step guide to removing yourself from from Netflip junk lists. Take a look.
It looks like they are under ‘paid offers’ also. Unfortunately I have just signed up to this (was looking for home work)! guess I can look forward to a load of spam now! Do you know if this paid offers site is genuine? it is really hard to know what to do these days, and who is genuine! Do you know of any genuine home working companies?
I’ve no idea about paid offers I’m afraid, but there’s very few legitimate homeworking jobs IMO.
I don’t know your background, but you could try a contract site like peopleperhour or elance, maybe? The problem with those sort of sites though, is you’re competing against people from developing countries, who will offer to work for $2 an hour(!) (or other such crazy amounts which aren’t viable if you’re living in the UK, as you can’t afford to eat/live).
There are things like adult chat lines (some of which are genuine), or tupperware/ann summers could be done in the evenings (if that’s helpful?).
A lot of retail (supermarkets, etc.) will accept odd shifts here and there, as they have to find people 24 hours a day. I know someone who works in a supermarket just on Saturday mornings 7am-1pm, say.
Or you could always start your own business….?