Link warning: counties-surnames

[piedstilt]

Yesterday I received this email:

"This is a reminder, sent out once a month, about your
county-surnames.co.uk mailing list memberships.  It includes your
subscription info and how to use it to change it or unsubscribe from a
list. etc etc"

I have no recollection of subscribing to this (though they obviously have my email address) and promptly wrote back trying (unsuccessfully) to 'unsubscribe'. 

Today I opened my mailbox to find over 30 messages. Many of them were copies of emails complaining to counties-surnames about the same thing, but lots of others were from people saying that they had started to receive dozens of duplicate messages of people complaining to counties-surnames ... The whole thing is a mad circular nightmare - the site seems to have run amok.

Many of the emails contained attachments (which I didn't open). Most of them seemed to come from Australia.

Does anyone know if this is a reputable site? (I see it has been recommended on RootsChat at some point.) It certainly seems to be making free with people's email addresses and should be approached with caution.

Maybe the best thing would be simply not to answer such a message - but it is worrying if you think you are being charged for something you did'nt subscribe to.

Ros

[bigwood]

Ros - Ditto your message except I received 26 messages - I've just checked and deleted another 3.
I did a Rootschat search and several people have recommended the site - I know I haven't subscibed to it so how did they get my email address?

meg

[piedstilt]

Hi Meg,

The trouble is I'm so vague I couldn't swear I didn't subscribe - though I'm pretty sure I didn't. Haven't found any rogue charges on my Visa bill, at least. Have received only one more copy of a desperate plea from someone else being inundated. But what is going on? We don't need this!

Ros

[Shanko]

Oh JOY! others who are having the same problem as I am. I did a long long time ago have my research names on the website but took them down over 12 months ago. I never subscribe to any online places and I also got the initial email about the subscription but knowing what these emails are like I never went to the website via the link nor have I replied to any of the 40+ I have received so far.
I have emailed the webmaster and the other email on the site, using my hotmail address which is safer but have had no reply what so ever as yet

I am to like you both probably are now getting quite 'agro' about these emails, if only people would wakeup and realise the sooner they stop replying this will stop

My advice would be continue to delete them and whatever you do do not reply to them or you will get more replies

If I hear anything from the owner of the website I will post it up on here

In the mean time don't tear your hair out just delete them and also block the individual repliers

Shanko
 

[Siouxzie]

Hi all,
I did subscribe to this counties surnames list and like you I have had the same trouble, 34 emails to date.  I logged on to counties and used their online live help.  And "spoke" to Malcolm.  He is trying to fix the problem and had been away, but is now aware of it.  i havn't received anymore of these annoying emails since I spoke to him and he assured me this was getting fixed.

Siouxzie

[Carmela]

I also received that first email about my supposed subscription. Being quite sure that I had never subscribed to the site or even heard of it, I simply deleted it. No more emails. I assumed it was some sort of scam.
 
Carmela

[piedstilt]

There is now an apology and explanation for the weekend's email explosion on the counties-surnames website.

Suppose I believe him ...  Anyway, the drama seems to be over.

Ros

 

[Carmela]

Hmmm... , but one still wonders how he came by the e-mail addresses of people who had never subscribed to his site!
 
Carmela

[JAP]

Carmela and Ros,

The apology includes the following:
"...  If you have any further question or require further details as to the cause and effect of the recent problems, please do not hesitate to contact me (Use the LIVE HELP button if it is showing as LIVE then I am online and will answer your questions...  "

In fairness to Malcolm Hills why not do this rather than posting continuing doubts here?

Incidentally, I notice that his site recommends RootsChat ; )

JAP
PS: I have never had anything to do with Mr Hills but, from correspondence on another list I am given to understand -by people whose opinions I trust - that Mr Hills is a reputable genealogist and has run the site for many years.  I see that his name and email address are on the site, and that his full address is given in his occasional newsletters (also on the site).