[SpamCop-List] Re: spamcop - where is the form to fill out to file a complaint against being listed erroneously?

[Larry Kilgallen]

In article <cqobgq$23m$1 at news.spamcop.net>, "Forms in Word" <forms at formsinword.com> writes:
> We sent out a marketing email to our clients and were listed by SpamCop,

Apparently there is a difference of opinion regarding whether all those
clients gave their informed consent to have you sent them marketing
material.  Certainly any supplier of mine who sent such email would
quickly become a former supplier (and also get reported via SpamCop).

> and 
> now our ISP wants to shut us down.

Good for your ISP !  Please share their name so we know which ones to
patronize.

> We abide by all laws and only provide 

SpamCop (despite the name) is not a law enforcement agency.  It is involved
in spreading the word about IP addresses that are engaged in abusing the
norms of polite society.  Many recipients of that information choose to
engage in a boycott, refusing all email from those impolite IP addresses.
But for other customers of your ISP, there is hope, because when your ISP
shuts you down the source of offensive email will be eliminated and the
IP address will expire off the SpamCop DNSbl.  (This is much better than
many private lists, from which it will never expire.)

> forms to customers who are very satisfied with our services.

What does that have to do with the price of tea in China ?
Being satisfied with your services has nothing to do with being upset
at your decision to send spam.

> We had the opt 
> out, the name, the phone number, the address, the subject line, etc.

And what does that have to do with anything ?  Opt-out email _IS_ spam,
by definition.

> We are 
> a legitimate business.

No, you just admitted you are engaged in opt-out email, a.k.a. spamming.

> I have read the federal law, and I don't see any 
> violation;

Spam is a matter of violating the norms of polite society.  The fact
that some law may or may not be violated is inconsequential.

> in fact, our ISP (Matanuka Telephone Association) had approved 
> our email before we sent it out!

I am not certain what basis they used for approval (indecency laws?),
but spam is about conSent, not conTent.  The standards for spam is that
it was
	1. Unsolicited
	2. Bulk
	3. Email

> But because of one person's email 
> automatically sending it to SpamCop or some person sending it there, we are 
> now targeted as spammers, after over 20 years of business.

If you sent spam, you are a spammer.  It is as simple as that.

> It is very 
> depressing, and it cannot possibly be the real intent of SpamCop.

If you sent spam (even once), listing your IP address _is_ a major
purpose of SpamCop.  The other major purpose is sending a report to
your ISP.

> I have no 
> problem myself deleting the hundreds of spams I receive each week;

And some people have no problem cleaning up after dogs that have relieved
themselves on their property.  Attitudes vary.

So long as you restrict your spamming to people who take the same "Just
Hit Delete" attitude as yourself, there is no problem.  Somebody once
tried to set up an Internet Backbone to be patronized only by people
who did not mind spam.  Unfortunately, there were not enough such folks
to keep the business afloat.

> I 
> consider it just like junk mail.

Then you have not done enough economic analysis.  The sender pays for
postal mail, and by some measure even keeps the US Postal Service afloat.
(International readers, his ISP is in Arkansas.))

> What I would like is to make my case to 
> SpamCop to have us removed, but I can't seem to do so, as their online form 
> simply takes you back to the home page and the circular cycle continues.

The IP address involved will drop off the SpamCop DNSbl a few days after
the last spam from there is reported.

> I 
> can see no way to actually contact a person or to fill out a complaint form 
> at www.spamcop.net.  Will someone please help?

I presume others have helped with their responses before me, but I felt
your case was one of such detachment from the difference between laws
and societal norms that one more response would not hurt.

> This is odd business 
> behavior from Spam Cop, and they are costing us our income and our 
> livelihood.

This is an odd business spamming, stealing a little bandwidth from
each of us and hoping that none of us will care enough to take action.