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  1. #151
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
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    near Rockhampton
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    Default

    A new marketing technique I am not familiar with

    DE-MAGNETIZER 240V 060A - Engineering Tooling Supplies
    Gold, the colour of choice for the discerning person.

  2. #152
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Far West Wimmera
    Age
    63
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    Not quite my favourite, but I thought I would relate an interesting Website experience. I mentioned my purchase of a set of 3 Bosch cordless tools recently. I decided to go online to register them so I could get extra warranty. I had to open an online account first. The form was similar to most. Lots of options, some required, some not. When it came to phone numbers, fixed line phone number was optional, but mobile number was required. What The? I tried to give my home phone number. No good. Tried all zeros. No good. I finally fudged a number it was happy with and continued.

    What if one does not have a mobile phone? Nick off, we're not interested in you? For a number of reasons derived from problems in the past, I do not give out my mobile number except to very close friends and family or in special situations. My phone looses service someway down the road so I turn it off and leave it in the car when home. I have had too many people abuse me because I won't answer my phone.

    I wanted to email them and point out what the situation was, just to be honest. No email address available. The contact page has phone, fax (both 1300 numbers) and address. No email address anywhere. I thought I would wait to see if they sent an acknowledgement email. They sure did. The address was noreply@...........

    The last thing I noticed was my password was in view. Not very usual.

    Not a major problem but interesting that people are progressing to this stage.

    Dean

  3. #153
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Australia east coast
    Age
    71
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    2,713

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    Quote Originally Posted by Oldneweng View Post
    Not quite my favourite, but I thought I would relate an interesting Website experience. I mentioned my purchase of a set of 3 Bosch cordless tools recently. I decided to go online to register them so I could get extra warranty. I had to open an online account first. The form was similar to most. Lots of options, some required, some not. When it came to phone numbers, fixed line phone number was optional, but mobile number was required. What The? I tried to give my home phone number. No good. Tried all zeros. No good. I finally fudged a number it was happy with and continued.

    What if one does not have a mobile phone? Nick off, we're not interested in you? For a number of reasons derived from problems in the past, I do not give out my mobile number except to very close friends and family or in special situations. My phone looses service someway down the road so I turn it off and leave it in the car when home. I have had too many people abuse me because I won't answer my phone.

    I wanted to email them and point out what the situation was, just to be honest. No email address available. The contact page has phone, fax (both 1300 numbers) and address. No email address anywhere. I thought I would wait to see if they sent an acknowledgement email. They sure did. The address was noreply@...........

    The last thing I noticed was my password was in view. Not very usual.

    Not a major problem but interesting that people are progressing to this stage.

    Dean
    As a person who has done considerable data mining, allow me to enlighten you as to why they want a mobile number.

    People change names, they change addresses (which means their fixed line number changes), they do all sorts of things, but they don't change mobile phone numbers if they can help it. Providors, sure, but not the number.

    So - if you have a pool of data on people from different areas, and you have 4 Joe Bloggs from 4 separate databases, some with dates of birth, some without, but all 4 have the same mobile phone number, it's odds-on that they're the same person.

    Presto, data aggregation means the data mining people now know more about you and can better target offers to you.

    I lie cheerfully and often when filling out Web forms. In fact, generally the only thing you can rely on about any form I've ever filled in is, the email address is correct because nothing else is likely to be. At least it was when I filled out the form - there are ways of masking that, too....

    When I get my boat in the water, that's going to be my address. Let's see them sort that one out.

    PDW

  4. #154
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Far West Wimmera
    Age
    63
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    4,049

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by PDW View Post
    As a person who has done considerable data mining, allow me to enlighten you as to why they want a mobile number.

    People change names, they change addresses (which means their fixed line number changes), they do all sorts of things, but they don't change mobile phone numbers if they can help it. Providors, sure, but not the number.

    So - if you have a pool of data on people from different areas, and you have 4 Joe Bloggs from 4 separate databases, some with dates of birth, some without, but all 4 have the same mobile phone number, it's odds-on that they're the same person.

    Presto, data aggregation means the data mining people now know more about you and can better target offers to you.

    I lie cheerfully and often when filling out Web forms. In fact, generally the only thing you can rely on about any form I've ever filled in is, the email address is correct because nothing else is likely to be. At least it was when I filled out the form - there are ways of masking that, too....

    When I get my boat in the water, that's going to be my address. Let's see them sort that one out.

    PDW
    I was more under the impression that the mobile number was because you always have your mobile with you and so they can contact you quick, without having to waste their time. When you try to contact them, on the other hand, you get put in a queue and have to wait 2 hours for their phone system to shunt you somewhere else then hang up without warning.

    That is my main beef about a lack of email address. I hate sitting around waiting for someone to finish talking to their workmates so they can answer the phone, 2 hours later. I avoid it like the plague. That is one reason I like being with Southern Phone Company. If you ring for assistance, they will almost always answer very quickly, do not use a computer answering system and the person at the other end has an ordinary Australian name and talks just like an Australian. They are actually in Australia. They also give great service. (Just a happy customer)

    I think tho that you are probably right about the data mining in a lot of cases. I would hope that Medical Services would not be guilty of this tho. We have had issues on a number of occasions when people from these services have found our mobile number and used it exclusively from then on. My wife has had major problems as a result of this as these people will not accept that it is pointless trying to ring her. Her phone might be on for 4hrs per week, but they will still cancel appointments that involved a 12 month wait because she will not answer the phone that they have been told is not to be used.

    The TAC (Transport Accident Commission) of Victoria was one organisation that was seriously guilty of this. We did not give them the phone number but they insisted on using that number exclusively despite being told on about 3 occasions to stop using and remove it from the records.

    I lie cheerfully and often when filling out Web forms. In fact, generally the only thing you can rely on about any form I've ever filled in is, the email address is correct because nothing else is likely to be. At least it was when I filled out the form - there are ways of masking that, too....
    I feel much better about lying now! I use "DoNotTrackme" and it's email masking most of the time now.

    Data mining for targeting me with offers is a waste of time. I don't read ads. I don't watch TV. I rarely listen to the radio. Guess why for the last 2? The second time I see or hear an ad I want to tear my hair out so I turn them off. We rarely get catalogs, flyers get filed immediately and we don't get phone marketing since the "Do Not Call Register". In short, I refuse to allow anybody else to influence how I live my life!

    Dean

  5. #155
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
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    near Rockhampton
    Posts
    6,216

    Default

    You could just put down the new UK emergency services number

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rdwm2C_YbYg

    There are a fair few businesses I have dealt with that will not give you a contact number... Everything must be email... Usually the cheap companies... cheap couriers, cheap electronics goods.... etc
    Gold, the colour of choice for the discerning person.

  6. #156
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
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    Far West Wimmera
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    Default

    I don't feel comfortable dealing with a business by phone that only provides a mobile number. I know it is sometimes the only way with very small businesses, but to me if they don't give any indication of a fixed location it does not feel right. I guess I am old fashioned to a degree. I don't see my mobile as a general form of communication.

    Dean

  7. #157
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Kyabram. Vic
    Posts
    632

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    Dean,

    I will not deal with any business unless as a very last resort that only uses a mobile number and does not wish to divulge their fixed location. Alarm bells ring with me on this and I see it as the 1st sign of dishonesty with trying to hide. The honest people miss out for being cheap and possibly stupid. The youngest son found this when he started in a performance mechanical business.
    Customers would not deal with him until they had the assurance that he was not a fly-by-nighter and could be found at a fixed address. I had spoken with him about this early in the piece but he knew best. It must have burned his ego with 'the old man' being right again. I just love those moments.

    Ken

  8. #158
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Victoria, Australia
    Age
    74
    Posts
    5,080

    Default

    Hi Ken, You've got to savour those winning moments, they don't come around often enough..

    The world is changing, I deal on a regular basis, buying stuff on ebay, sending money overseas (paypal).. totally unheard of for a private citizen just a few years back.. Most of these people, I have no way of contacting other than through email...

    Just establishing contacts overseas was specialized business, if you wanted something from overseas, you found out who the distributor was and dealt through them, they would handle the complex import documentation, language difficulties, currency exchange issues, timezone differences and they would help solve problems with the product... those businesses are fading or changing...

    I can remember when sending a fax to a company in the US was a big deal, now you send an email without a second thought...

    But when it comes to Australian companies, I want a bricks and mortar address and a real phone number... that's just the way it is..

    Ray

  9. #159
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Far West Wimmera
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    Quote Originally Posted by Toggy View Post
    Dean,

    I will not deal with any business unless as a very last resort that only uses a mobile number and does not wish to divulge their fixed location. Alarm bells ring with me on this and I see it as the 1st sign of dishonesty with trying to hide. The honest people miss out for being cheap and possibly stupid. The youngest son found this when he started in a performance mechanical business.
    Customers would not deal with him until they had the assurance that he was not a fly-by-nighter and could be found at a fixed address. I had spoken with him about this early in the piece but he knew best. It must have burned his ego with 'the old man' being right again. I just love those moments.

    Ken
    Very well put Ken. I have also had those moments along the way.

    Dean

  10. #160
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Far West Wimmera
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    Quote Originally Posted by RayG View Post
    Hi Ken, You've got to savour those winning moments, they don't come around often enough..

    The world is changing, I deal on a regular basis, buying stuff on ebay, sending money overseas (paypal).. totally unheard of for a private citizen just a few years back.. Most of these people, I have no way of contacting other than through email...

    Just establishing contacts overseas was specialized business, if you wanted something from overseas, you found out who the distributor was and dealt through them, they would handle the complex import documentation, language difficulties, currency exchange issues, timezone differences and they would help solve problems with the product... those businesses are fading or changing...

    I can remember when sending a fax to a company in the US was a big deal, now you send an email without a second thought...

    But when it comes to Australian companies, I want a bricks and mortar address and a real phone number... that's just the way it is..

    Ray
    Too many Australian businesses seem to have the opinion that just by opening their doors, they have the right to have people flock in and pay whatever price they wish to charge. A recent thread highlighted this attitude. Then a current thread shows the other way to do business. Unfortunately, it is a tough world to survive in, now in the business sector.

    Dean

  11. #161
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    SA
    Posts
    1,649

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    Quote Originally Posted by Oldneweng View Post
    Unfortunately, it is a tough world to survive in, now in the business sector.

    Dean
    Yes, but good PR will always reward you.

    Bad attitude and you get what you deserve

    Rob
    The worst that can happen is you will fail.
    But at least you tried.



  12. #162
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Athelstone, SA 5076
    Posts
    4,255

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    interesting to note that the dovetail end mills shown on this store

    http://www.aliexpress.com/store/grou...252665181.html

    are same type I ordered from c%c tools

    his prices seem good to boot as does he freight charges

  13. #163
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Lower Lakes SA
    Age
    58
    Posts
    2,607

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    My first transaction with aliexpress left a bad taste as the seller was simply dishonest.
    Also Aliexpress continue to spam me and there seems to be no way to unsubscribe.
    For these reasons I will not use them again.

  14. #164
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Athelstone, SA 5076
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bryan View Post
    My first transaction with aliexpress left a bad taste as the seller was simply dishonest.
    Also Aliexpress continue to spam me and there seems to be no way to unsubscribe.
    For these reasons I will not use them again.
    sorry to hear that Bryan,
    However, I have not had a problem with aliexpress (not that i can immediately recall)....

  15. #165
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    SA
    Posts
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    Default Dividing head

    I was in General Tools at Cavan today and I see they have a Vertex dividing head and accessories (the kit) going for $360 including GST.

    Looks like it might be ex display but as new. Too big for my lathe, but cheap.

    Worth a look for anyone that wants one.

    Rob
    The worst that can happen is you will fail.
    But at least you tried.



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