Custom listing

[kevin]

I received an e-mail that I.ve been chosen lucky me
My question waste of money ? any experience out there?


I saw some of the client they didn.t look high end .Just seem if you have the money they'll list you:eek:




Hi Kevin,

Do you do custom work? I just did a quick search for "concrete furniture maker" and noticed that you've been making some pretty cool stuff. I work for CustomMade.com www---custommade.----rsvp1.com-----s1c0325Xmx0f where we hand select some of the finest designers throughout North America for exhibition.

Part of my job here is to find makers who I think best represent the quality of craftsmanship we like to see exhibited through shows and our website. I thought you might be interested in hearing from me, given the opportunities my company can provide for professionals like yourself.

If you can find some time to speak with me today I would really appreciate it.

Hope you had a great weekend!

Cheers, Emma
--

[myxpykalix]

The quickest way to make this a short phone call is to ask..."how much is this going to cost me?"

If they start telling you about how they market you to...wah..wah..wahh..

then you know its simply a marketing scheme to get you to pay for a service that may or may not do you any good.

On the other hand, if they tell you "it costs you nothing...we just think you have talent...then you might have something.

All it costs is a phone call and a little of your time.:D

[dana_swift]

The email appears to originate from a very sophisticated Spam email generator.. Because there is no information in the email that could not be obtained by a data mining program, this email may be outright dangerous.

Notice the tracking code "s1c0325Xmx0f" at the end of the URL. This confirms to them who clicked on the link. When you click that link I will bet you dollars to donuts that it attaches about 50 cookies as well as attaching a tracking beacon to your cache.

Now no matter where you go on the internet they can track your activities, sell the information to others, etc.

I would not only recommend not clicking on the link, I would recommend editing the post and removing the link so other people dont click on it and confirm your email info and perhaps get a virus in the process.

A person would have written something other than "concrete furniture maker", they would have noted what they saw on your website, etc.

Strong caution advised-

D

[dlcw]

I remembered getting something like this and called Custommade.com (when I was still a member). They didn't know anything about it.

[michael_schwartz]

I would forward a copy of the email to custommade support along with a complaint. They might not even now about this. They probably purchased an SEO or Web traffic package without realizing they were essentially hiring spammers.

Out of curiosity I decided to check out the link in a secure environment. Nothing too alarming but still none the less there was the typical stuff associated with these sorts of things.

there were indeed tracking cookies, one for doubleclick . net which owned by google, and then and rsvp1 . com which seems to be an email marketing (aka spam) service. If you clicked the link it would not be a bad idea to delete your browser cache, along with cookies. This is something you should do periodically anyway since 5 minutes of web browsing fills up your browser cache with the same sort of junk.

It may also be worth running something like malewarebyte for the heck of it, especially if your using XP.

[kevin]

I was just curios if any body sign and received leads and was reputably .
I didn't know it was spam

I'll save my money they want 19 dollars a month

When I first opened better business bureau approached me I paid 250.00 a year waste of money .The St.John's office is now closed

Yellow pages 450.00 a year I get call like
"we need a piece of wood to make it even in one room to the other the contractor has left can you come over and measure " Those where the same kind of leads I had in Montreal I removed the yellow pages ad

Canadian Federation of Independent bussiness They want 350 dollars a year .They came to the shop I ask what about cabinet makers where disappearing like the polar bear will you help bring this fact to the power that be ? There out of touch

My web site 120 dollars a year .Best investment
Thanks for feed back
Any thought's I'm missing any thing ?


(http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=canadian%20small%20bussiness&source=web&cd=8&ved=0CK0BEBYwBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cfib-fcei.ca%2F&ei=3723Tq3TOYj00gHV0YjRBw&usg=AFQjCNE4WkTGefEsY1oah0DUL7FyZ7nPbA&cad=rja)

[waynelocke]

custommade.com, itself, is not spam. I don't know about a specific email. I have been listed there for a while. It is a nice site worth a visit. My experience, and that of a few others I know, has not resulted in a plethora of large jobs but it does drive some traffic to my site. I am working on a small job today from custommade.com.

They seem committed to making the site work and to constantly assess and change the site to better generate good leads and work.

[michael_schwartz]

I have been contemplating buying a listing from them for a few years but I have never gotten around to it. Seems like at the very least it should be better than some forms of advertising I have purchased...

[myxpykalix]

I know its not the most glamorous of places to solicit business but you would be surprised at what www.craigslist.com (http://www.craigslist.com) has done for me. I offered to do some small carving (like an address sign or whatever) for a small job i needed done and i got 3 paying jobs out of it.

People seeing samples and asking..."I don't have what you want to barter for but can you do this?" and of course the answer is YES! i can do it!

maybe put an ad in under Services/Skilled trade with some pictures.
Bottom line is it's all FREE:eek:

[dlcw]

I was a subscriber to CustomMade.com for about 8 years. It didn't generate any leads for me but I did have a few hits a month on my website that came from there.

Once I told them I was discontinuing my subscription, I started getting all kinds of leads with the caveat that I could get to them if I started my subscription back up. I thought this was a little suspicious. I heard of a lot of other people reporting the same thing happen to them.

Not accusing anyone of anything. Just seemed a little fishy....:confused:

[michael_schwartz]

Craigslist in my area seems to more or less what happens when white trash get computers. Then again I have used it to sell two machines, and to purchase another.

[kevin]

Micheal I hear you on the white trash part .That's how I feel about the yellow pages

Custom dot com I never heard of it I think its not good for my area.I know concrete network is good

Thanks for feed back

I.am lucky i have a good location fair amount of walk in traffic .But I would like to have more internet traffic

[Brady Watson]

Before you spend money or put yourself on another internet marketing list or scheme...you should honestly ask yourself, "Who is my customer?" Aside from a very few discreet examples, I simply refuse to deal with the general public. B2B is king and no advertising generates more qualified leads than word of mouth referrals.

CL, Ebay et al generate zero qualified leads. If you make knick-knacks or are part time in your garage, you may be able to sell a few jobs. It is not a viable option for a pro.

The most successful marketing I have found so far is machining a small novelty item with your information on it that demonstrates what you can do. MAIL it to recipients on your researched market. Plain & simple, human nature shows us that people like stuff...separate yourself and your marketing message from the rest of the junk mail. Besides, if your marketing plan cost you next to nothing (like free options on the net), then you can expect next to nothing to nothing in return. There is no free lunch.

-B

[myxpykalix]

Craigslist in my area seems to more or less what happens when white trash get computers

OUCH!:eek: lol

maybe the operative words are "in my area". For some things i think you are right, i do get some "less then desirable" applicants for my rental properties when i advertise on CL and i agree that the guy who wants a 50K renovation isn't checking CL but one ad for a barter i used lead to a house sign that lead to a expensive 4 poster bed and other projects in the future. So you never know.....

[michael_schwartz]

I have used CL to sell two machines and in both cases I got about 5 leads within an hour. The first 1-2 people I contacted turned out to be buyers. Then again I did read inbetween the lines to sort out the tire kickers. (the replies that asked too many dumb questions, or asked me stuff I addressed in the listing)

Buying equipment via CL is harder. I managed to find an old green and white powermatic 30 belt disc sander for $200.00. I sent the guy an email and offered to buy it sight unseen and that I would show up ASAP with a truck and ramp. After the deal he mentioned he had about 20 responses and that he contacted me first because I was the only one who offered to buy it. Of course I spent about $400.00 having it rebuilt so the price was appropriate for the condition it was in but it turned out to be a nice machine.

Craigslist is weird in a sense because it is rather legitimate to one extreme, but also quite sleazy to the other. I don't advertise there for that reason. Glad to hear it has worked out for you though.

[wberminio]

I've been with CustomMade for about a year-So far no real leads.
They started a job board where you can bid on jobs-along with 20 others
So far a big waste of $$$$.
The One job I almost got was with a guy 50 min away
He had some many cats I had to hold my breath long enough to leave!
It was so dirty I had to talk two showers to get the smell off me!
Not their fault but .....only Real job I got from them
anyone interested!

CustomMade told me it was basically my fault I didn't get any jobs!
After 20+ years I think I know something about getting work!


Now they have a basic fee and want 10% of any job through the job board

10% of 0= 0 + annual fee = -199.00
Looks like lose lose to me

Follow Brady's advice!It has been working for me!




Erminio

[kevin]

Gene and Brady I know your right

Stay out of the trailer park