Words of Caution about Google Adwords Resellers

With so many Google Adwords Resellers coming out of the woodwork in the past couple of years, it is more and more important that you check out the company's credentials and, equally as important, what they will be doing for you, in detail, and, how they will be doing it.

Few will be very transparent, but without transparency, who do you trust.

---

If any company promises they can get you to the top of the Search - then they are being either really optimistic, really cunning (deceitful) or they will cheat. There is NO way to make such a guarantee.

Nobody can guarantee that your advert will appear at the top unless they are prepared to bid to an unlimited click value - and that would not make good business sense.

Unwanted phrases
However, it is most likely that they would only make such a guarantee of they target very specific phrases - less likely to be searched for - therefore completely unprofitable for you.

I suggest writing down, and asking them, all your questions and insist that they spell it out for you, exactly, on their company headed, paper, with their signature and date.

Read the full article at:
http://www.koss.co.uk/PPC-Advertising/Pay-Per-Click-PPC-Tips/get-the-details-of-the-service.html

Yahoo 421 4.7.0 [TS02]

I got a very annoying, and upsetting error from Yahoo today.
"

Delay reason: SMTP error from remote mail server after initial connection:
   host f.mx.mail.yahoo.com [98.137.54.237]: 421 4.7.0 [TS02] Messages from [ip hidden] temporarily deferred due to user complaints - 4.16.56.1; see http://postmaster.yahoo.com/421-ts02.html

"

Here's what I sent to Yahoo today:
What the heck did I do to get this error? I innocently emailed someone on your system. My IP address and my hosts IP address are NOT blacklisted ANYWHERE.
I emailed 2 people on Yahoo this weekend, one of them (not the one pasted above) is my own mother in Canada who has recently had a bloody stroke, but your cyber police decide that my mother can't have my bloody email... WHY? TELL ME THE TRUTH. WHY DID YOUR SERVER PREVENT ME FROM EMAILING MY SICK MOTHER?

I AM FUMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I do NOT SPAM ANYONE.
I do not EXCESSIVELY USE YOUR Bloody servers.

I just want to send an email to TWO people, is that too much?

HSBC Bank - Account Verification Error ;-

Gosh they are all at it this week. Now the world's local bank is telling me I'm a 'Valued Client' and I don't even bank with them. But before I delete the email, lets have a quick look at it.


The world's local bank
Dear Valued ClientHSBC Bank Plc is sending you this notification message because we seem to be having errors in the proper verification of your account. This might be due to one of the following reasons:*A recent Change in your access codes*A recent Change in your billing information or *An Internal error within our serversTo rectify this error as soon as possible please use the button below to verify your Account Information
Failure to verify your information will lead to the temporary suspension of your Internet Bank Account for security reasons.RegardsHSBC Bank Plc Uk.

The email is sent to 'undisclosed-recipients:;' Not me, no names at all.
As usual, the start is 'Dear Valued Client' (not my name).
And the link in the email, goes to : http://www.atlantis-jeux.com/games/hpmarauders_data/IBlogin.html

atlantis-jeux.com/games - and I'd like to go there because..?

Periodical Review Halifax Bank

Because I do bank with the Halifax, I thought I better read this one... And laugh!


Dear Halifax Customer
During our regularly scheduled account maintenance and verification procedures, we have detected a slight error in your billing information.
This might be due to either of the following reasons:
A recent updates in our billing server ( Due to slightly problem )
A recent change in your personal information ( i.e. change of Question ).
An inability to accurately verify your selected option of payment due to an internal error within our processors.
Please update and verify your information by clicking the link below:
https://www.halifax-online.co.uk/update/straightup.no/language/Login.asp?source=halifaxco.uk
If your account information is not updated within 48 hours then your ability to access your account will become restricted. Thank you
The Halifax Security Department .
If you are not a UK resident, or are trying to access this site from outside the UK, please read this important message Halifax plc, Registered in England No.2367076. Registered Office: Trinity Road, Halifax, West Yorkshire, HX1 2RG

Halifax Customer? Not my name!
Linked to http://www.tomatonet.com/home/pages/info/halifax.co.uk/index.php
TOMATONET.COM

Yep - I'd fall for that!

Dear Valued Customer

Yippee... This bank really appreciates my business! I feel so encouraged to click the link in the email because I am a valued customer! No way!

'Dear Valued Customer'. Did they forget my name? Or is it simply that I don't bank with them?

Here's the full email:

Dear Valued Customer,
You have a new message waiting in your Inbox Folder.
Click here to read.
Best Regards.
Abbey National plc Security Department Team.
* Please do not reply to this email as your reply will not be received.
Abbey National plc. Registered Office: Abbey National House, 2 Triton Square, Regent's Place, London, NW1 3AN, United Kingdom. Registered Number 2294747. Registered in England. Telephone 0870 607 6000. Calls may be recorded or monitored. Calls may be recorded or monitored. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. FSA registration number 106054. For more information visit www.fsa.gov.uk/register. Abbey and the flame logo are registered trademarks

They've even got the bank's fine print, blah blah blah.

But how could I have an 'inbox' at a bank I don't use?

The link in this one goes to http://myonlineaccounts1.abeynational.co.uk.myw9btj.com/

If you ever see an email like this, just delete it and get on with your day.

-----SPAM----- security alert. (message id: 0540641700)

Oh dear. I better pay attention to this one because it's a SECURITY ALERT from my bank...

Duh! Am I that stupid?

Reference Number: 28993133648193781
Dear Lloyds TSB bank customer,
As part of the new security measures, all Lloyds TSB bank customers are required to complete Lloyds TSB Customer Form. Please complete the form as soon as possible.
To access the form please click on the following link:
http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6388479662258466167#
Thank you for banking with us.
Sincerely,Lloyds TSB Customer Service
Please do not reply to this e-mail.
© Lloyds TSB 2008

The link in this one, almost the same as the previous one, would actually send you off to: http://online.lloydstsb.co.uk.dlltr.ch/customercare/serverid/cform.jsp?id=87701298639685702356010965259332585375761961657597755379392155857200474228478
Notice the dlltr.ch?

NEVER FOLLOW ONE OF THESE EMAILED LINKS?

Always check the link before you follow it.

Never trust an email from your bank unless it has your name on it, and unless you are sure you believe what it says. Personally I wouldn't expect my bank to email me out of the blue and expect me to put my details into a website.

SPAM - Lloyds TSB Bank reminder: please update your details! (message ref: 0980619782)

Why do so many SPAMMERS and SCAMMERS waste so much time?

Is it not obvious that something like this would be a no-brainer for the recipient?

Reference Number: 39953297648431449
Dear Lloyds TSB bank customer,
As part of the new security measures, all Lloyds TSB bank customers are required to complete Lloyds TSB Customer Form. Please complete the form as soon as possible.
To access the form please click on the following link:
http://online.lloydstsb.co.uk/customercare/serverid/cform.jsp?id=3525686696351881531706924583768521152966341
Thank you for banking with us.
Sincerely,Lloyds TSB Customer Service
Please do not reply to this e-mail.
© Lloyds TSB 2008

As soon as I opened that email, I instantly knew it wasn't for me because it doesn't have my name on it or ANY reference to me!

But, more interestingly, the link is not as it seems; http://online.lloydstsb.co.uk.dlltr.cz/customercare/serverid/cform.jsp?id=3525686696351881531706924583768521152966341

Can you see the difference?

Notice how the first one could easily be assumed as 'real'. But it actually links to online.lloydstsb.co.uk.dlltr.cz

The real destination is: dlltr.cz

No I have not been there and have no intention of going there...!