"Spam" deals?

**isabel.loveday** · 11-17-2007, 02:46 PM

As a frugal individual I'm always on the look out for good deals, although I'm wary regarding what goes into my junk mail. It's a shame because I know there are good deals to be had from some of these messages, I just honestly don't have the time to sift through all of them and weed out the hazardous ones, you know? What do other people? I'm assuming that aside from sites like this where people share what they've heard there aren't places to go for legitimate savings offers. Just curious if others have a system for trackin' the deals!

**peanut** · 11-18-2007, 09:01 PM

No. I automatically delete all spam from my email and will continue to do so. I don't believe these are bonafide deals. If they were, they wouldn't need to resort to such tactics to sell their product/service.

Often they are "bait and switch" advertising. You think you're getting one thing, but they really are trying to sell you something else that is not a good deal. So I simply use my nose and shop local...unless I make first contact with the on-line seller.

Jean

**annertak** · 11-18-2007, 10:33 PM

Ditto what Peanut said.

**wulong32** · 11-18-2007, 11:11 PM

Originally Posted by peanut

No. I automatically delete all spam from my email and will continue to do so. I don't believe these are bonafide deals. If they were, they wouldn't need to resort to such tactics to sell their product/service.

Often they are "bait and switch" advertising. You think you're getting one thing, but they really are trying to sell you something else that is not a good deal. So I simply use my nose and shop local...unless I make first contact with the on-line seller.

Jean

completely agree

**kaykwilts** · 11-18-2007, 11:29 PM

I refuse to do any deals through any kind of spam. Even though it may be a good deal I don't want to encourage the spammers in their activity. I find out about the deals through word of mouth at the various boards I visit and prefer to let people I've become friends with on the boards get the referral credit.

**isabel.loveday** · 12-07-2007, 07:01 PM

Hm, thanks to those who wrote in, I kind of neglected this thread after starting it, although I did still look around for more info. Mostly what I found are places like Flamingo World, coupon-related deal sites that check for trojan horses and other scam tactics. Even those are not always the best way to do deals, however.

Supposedly there's a new kind of advertising called "hand-raising" that some businesses are attempting, it's where you get deals based on how you shop. There's an article (in the LA Times, of all places) that talks about a new company's use of it:

"Retailers also can direct ads and special offers at those most likely to buy their products, based on factors including user profiles and the gift cards a person registers or buys.

But Leverage's backers say they won't compromise users' privacy. Retailers won't be able to contact users directly or get access to their personal information."

Sounds great to me, although I don't know much about marketing!