This is one of those angry posts as I just sent the email reply below to a domain registrar - name removed as I don’t want to give them any free press but I digress …

Each year domain registration fees continue to go up … This makes absolutely no sense because every year the cost of computers, computing and bandwidth continues to get more efficient … I’ve actually had ISP’s lower their hosting costs for clients who locked in a year or two back in order to be competitive with the ISP’s current hosting plan offers but again I digress …

But when it comes to domain registrars, they seem to think like pirates and thugs believing they are entitled to raise the annual renewal price every year just because they can get away with it …

I’ve changed registrars many times over the years and unfortunately my favorite one sold out to a group that totally doesn’t get it and is this close from inspiring me to yet again find a new registrar …

e.g., every week this registrar sends out Domain Promotional Offers - buy one, get one free or at reduce cost; signup two or more and get xyz free added on; refer a new customer and get bla bla bla …

So over past couple years I’ve thought “wow cool offer - let me go register for this” and only after spending 5-10 minutes reviewing the offer, completing the form with credit card, have I been bummed to get the proverbial error message “Sorry - your wholesale account does not qualify for this offer” …

So after wasting my time, time after time, today I got yet another email promotion and sent them this in return:

fyi - your promotions STINK and are a complete waste of time … i can’t remember how many times i thought “wow cool” and then tried to signup for promotion only to get the “sorry - your account does not qualify” message …

thus your marketing team continues to violate Net 101 = Don’t Waste Customer’s Time …

if you are smart enough to flag my account during signup for service then you should be smart enough to not keep sending me your bogus promotions that don’t apply to my account …

ditto on your continues raising of domain renewal prices … save the stamp and analog mail and save some trees - will you … then keep my renewal prices low … after all, your 44 cent postage fee (plus ineffective marketing costs) certainly show up in my increasing renewal fees …

boy do i miss the original [name removed] owners from Pennsylvania - they knew how to run a domain registrar but i digress … cordially, chuck scott

Today we live in a world of permission marketing and you would think that everybody “Gets it” - in that if you are going to SPAM people, at a minimum you provide a way to opt-out. And while I have yet to figure out who I’m voting for in the upcoming 2008 Presidential election, John McCain’s team sure did loose a lot more credibility with me today with their recent email, closed loop survey, and lack of privacy policy.

Here is my reply to their email:

Dear John McCain -

Your survey has no options for comments and your email below has no “opt out” option - it is also spam in that i did not give you permission to use my email … all of which confirms my reason to distance myself from the Republican Party as you are a huge historical embarrassment … consider the following:

1. The war in Iraq was result from lies headed by Republicans …

2. The supreme court let Exxon off the hook even though “the people” as juries saw the truth but this was over-run by a biased, perhaps even corrupt court …

3. The passage of FISA allows criminal behavior to go on without accountability …

I could go on but suffice it to say the Republican party is out of touch … the only candidate who seemed to make any sense was Mike Huckabee … note my displeasure with Republican’s does not mean I approve of Democrats but I can not continue to support a party where lies continue to be told …

Consider Mark Twain, “Once a man is caught in a lie, everything he says there after is followed by a question mark.” … with Bush saying, “yes there are weapons of mass destruction …” how can we believe anything he (or his administration or the republican party) has to say about any other matter …

John McCain, you might be a good man but you’re coming to the dance floor literally with the wrong party …

cordially, chuck scott

And here is the original email they sent:

Subject: Victory 2008 Critical Issues Survey

Dear Friend,

I am 100 percent committed to leading our Party to victory in this November’s elections all across the country.

As a critical first step in uniting our Party and putting together a winning campaign plan I am asking you to take part in a Victory 2008 critical issues survey. I hope you will help our efforts today by following this link and completing it online.

Your support for RNC VICTORY 2008 and your survey answers are vital to electing Republicans this November. Your participation will give us a greater understanding of the views of voters in your area. And it will provide an invaluable up-to-date reading on many of the key issues that will decide the outcome of this momentous election.

The fate of all of our Republican candidates and the fate of our Party in the 2008 election is in the hands of Americans like you. We cannot succeed without your immediate input. Please join us in our campaign to make sure America is on the right path by completing your Victory 2008 Critical Issues Survey today.

With warmest regards,

John McCain

P.S. Your participation in the Victory 2008 Survey Project is crucial to getting a better understanding of the views of voters in your area. I hope you will return your completed Survey to RNC Headquarters today.

Contributions or gifts to the Republican National Committee are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.

Contributions from corporations, labor unions, federal contractors and foreign nationals
without permanent residency status are prohibited.

Republican National Committee | 310 First Street, SE | Washington, D.C. 20003
p: 202.863.8500 | f: 202.863.8820 | e: info@gop.com

Paid for by the Republican National Committee and authorized by John McCain 2008
310 First Street, S.E. Washington, D.C. 20003

Copyright 2008 Republican National Committee

And here is the link to their survey - click here

And take special notice that they HAVE NO PRIVACY POLICY on their site … again, another reminder (at least for me) that they don’t get it.

If you can’t take privacy seriously and respect individual rights, well then, you’re not the man for the job IMHO.

For those of you who Santa delivered a Windows Vista machine, be sure to checkout this clip and my recommendation is to return your machine, get your money back, get a new machine with WinXP or maybe jump ship and get a MAC … ho ho ho!

On Thursday Aug 18th, WICC’s Ann Karrick hosted Prill Boyle and Chuck Scott talking about sundry business pet peeves - hence the following five audio chapters from said interview … BIG THANK YOU to WICC, Ann Karrick, and Prill Boyle for permission to share … to be continued cs

Chapter 1: Ann Karrick introduces the pet peeve theme plus the on-air guests … audio clip is approx 1:49 minutes

Chapter 2: Chuck gives AT&T a virtual whirley - why is it that permisson marketing is so hard ..??.. audio clip is approx 3:20 minutes

Chapter 3: Prill talks about SPAM - what kind of friend are you ..??.. audio clip is approx 5:05 minutes

Chapter 4: Overwhelming Perfume, Online Customer Service, Privacy Issues ..??.. audio clip is approx 5:08 minutes

Chapter 5: Breaking News and predatorial pet peeves ..??.. audio clip is approx 3:00 minutes

PS - Here is a picture of the unwanted AT&T phone books that Chuck talks about in audio Chapter Two - so much for permission marketing … There are about a dozen other similar mailbox drops like this throughout the condo complex and this picture was taken the first night AT&T contractors forced their liter onto our private property … One member of the Board of Directors told me that it cost the Condo Association over a $1000 last year to remove this trash … This year after five days and some nudging by you-know-who, the Association Management called AT&T and demanded they come pick up their trash … The woman on the other end of the phone representing AT&T stated that their contractor responsible for this was off-the-map and that she would personally round-up some people to help her collect the unwanted books - which they did - so Kudos to Corporate Responsibility