# Who are these creeps that actually buy into the spam? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 28, 2003, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-these-creeps-that-actually-buy-into-the-spam/164701 "2003-03-28T03:05:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aeropl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f05b48/32.png) [@aeropl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aeropl)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-these-creeps-that-actually-buy-into-the-spam/164701/1 "2003-03-28T03:05:49Z")
So I guess this is a poll… Has anybody reading this actually clicked and bought something from a SPAM advertisement? Ever? It seems somebody has to be buying something in order for it to be worth it sending millions of emails daily. So admit it, have you refinanced your house or bought penis enlargement pills lately? ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-these-creeps-that-actually-buy-into-the-spam/164701/2 "2003-03-28T05:09:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by aeropl \* > \*\*Has anybody reading this actually clicked and bought something from a SPAM advertisement? Ever? \*\* NO! ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-these-creeps-that-actually-buy-into-the-spam/164701/3 "2003-03-28T06:32:59Z")
Sometimes I think the spammers send spam not for the purpose of monetary gain, but for the sole purpose of pissing people off. “ADD INCHES TO YOUR TINY COCK, BLALRON!” That’s not the way to win customers. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-these-creeps-that-actually-buy-into-the-spam/164701/4 "2003-03-28T06:50:11Z")
I once read something (no cite, sorry) that said, basically, maybe 1 in every 100 or so actually buys what they’re advertising. Now multiply that across millions of people… ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_Bowe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-these-creeps-that-actually-buy-into-the-spam/164701/5 "2003-03-28T08:47:30Z")
Define Spam. If I don’t recognize it, it gets deleted. On the other hand I get email from established retailers who have done business with me in the past. Every now and then that results in a sale. Example: a florist knows I’ve sent flowers on the following consistant dates to the following consistant addresses (birthdays, holidays, etc.) and sends a reminder 2 weeks beforehand with suggestions. Whoops! I had forgotten about Aunt Agnes. Sale. That fruitcake bakery in Corsicana, TX will hit in September. They supply the known list of suspects and I just tell 'em to do it again. Does that count? ---
**Author:** ![typhoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ed8c4c/32.png) [@typhoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typhoon)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-these-creeps-that-actually-buy-into-the-spam/164701/6 "2003-03-28T11:28:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GMRyujin \* > \*\*I once read something (no cite, sorry) that said, basically, maybe 1 in every 100 or so actually buys what they’re advertising. Now multiply that across millions of people… \*\* Which is why we need to smack one out of every hundred people in the back of the head and hope we get the right ones. Don’t they realize that they’re only ENCOURAGING THEM?! ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-these-creeps-that-actually-buy-into-the-spam/164701/7 "2003-03-28T11:38:58Z")
I did once respond to an unsolicited mail. It was an Irish company who had sourced my email address via a trade directory. I complained to them about their method of advertising, but their service was so damn good that I purchased it. Everything else, however, goes in the trash immediately. Wonder what takeup rate they have? They probably measure it in fractions of a percentile. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-these-creeps-that-actually-buy-into-the-spam/164701/8 "2003-03-28T11:39:53Z")
To those turkeys who actually buy from spam: STOP IT! ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-these-creeps-that-actually-buy-into-the-spam/164701/9 "2003-03-28T11:53:26Z")
I always delete spam and completely boycott whatever it is they are selling. The same is true of pop-ups. I hope that Congress will eventually have a “Do Not Spam” list just as they will have the “Do Not Call” list. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-these-creeps-that-actually-buy-into-the-spam/164701/10 "2003-03-28T11:56:28Z")
**Zoe** : [the UK already has one, sort of](http://www.dmaconsumers.org/emps.html). It’s about as effective as you’d imagine, since the companies that would pay attention to such a plan are the same ones that are generally pretty good about ensuring opt-ins. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-these-creeps-that-actually-buy-into-the-spam/164701/11 "2003-03-28T12:00:08Z")
Huh. That, apparently, is a US website that the British organisation links to (which makes sense). I didn’t realise that. ---
**Author:** ![Zazie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Zazie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zazie)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-these-creeps-that-actually-buy-into-the-spam/164701/12 "2003-03-28T15:40:24Z")
I don’t understand how effective it can possibly be… Everybody knows it is all fake and annoying, I don’t understand even one person in a million getting hooked… ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-these-creeps-that-actually-buy-into-the-spam/164701/13 "2003-03-28T16:57:54Z")
I find it amusing that all on the same day I’m invited to reduce my debt, refinance my house (I don’t have one), and enlarge bothe my penis and my breasts. As my sister says, “If I had both a penis and breasts I wouldn’t need to ‘Make $1000s per day with my home computer’ because I’d have a lucrative career in adult entertainment!” I especially like the ones that are from: qrc%gz8\*&6%. As if I’ll see that and think, “Hey! I haven’t heard from ol’ qrc%gz8 in a long time.” _Click_ ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-these-creeps-that-actually-buy-into-the-spam/164701/14 "2003-03-28T18:14:10Z")
I get Taiwanese spam! In Chinese (presumably!). Only I don’t have the right font or whatever installed, so I just get this email from ??? full of ??? !!! ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-these-creeps-that-actually-buy-into-the-spam/164701/15 "2003-03-28T22:23:51Z")
I read this as people who buy Spam. Heh. ---
**Author:** ![aeropl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f05b48/32.png) [@aeropl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aeropl)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-these-creeps-that-actually-buy-into-the-spam/164701/16 "2003-03-29T06:34:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GMRyujin \* > \*\*I once read something (no cite, sorry) that said, basically, maybe 1 in every 100 or so actually buys what they’re advertising. Now multiply that across millions of people… \*\* I doubt its that high for most spam, which i define as an unsolicited email advertisement from a company I have never bought from and never will buy from. I read a similar quote, except the percentage was more realistic, like 1 in every 10,000 people actually respond. ---
**Author:** ![aeropl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f05b48/32.png) [@aeropl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aeropl)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-these-creeps-that-actually-buy-into-the-spam/164701/17 "2003-03-29T06:40:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zazie \* > \*\*I don’t understand how effective it can possibly be… Everybody knows it is all fake and annoying, I don’t understand even one person in a million getting hooked… \*\* Exactly what I’m trying to figure out. With this thread I’m trying to see if anybody has actually bought a weight loss or penis gain supplement from an email advertisement. Also, I realize a small majority of Spam emails exist solely for the purpose of obtaining a list of valid email addresses in order to sell the addresses as a list to other companies. But this doens’t explain the sexual ads, because I don’t see how that kind of content would matter in that scheme. ---
**Author:** ![Space\_Vampire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Space\_Vampire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Space_Vampire)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-these-creeps-that-actually-buy-into-the-spam/164701/18 "2003-03-29T07:33:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GMRyujin \* > \*\*I get Taiwanese spam! In Chinese (presumably!). Only I don’t have the right font or whatever installed, so I just get this email from ??? full of ??? !!! \*\* I started getting Chinese spam, and I actually welcome them. It’s a fun challenge to read about bukkake movie galleries in Chinese. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-these-creeps-that-actually-buy-into-the-spam/164701/19 "2003-03-29T09:04:40Z")
I don’t see why it’s so unbelievable that people would purchase stuff from spam. I mean, this is the same general public that has kept psychic hotlines in business for the last decade or so. You also have to consider the number of totally clueless Internet users. I’ve known plenty of e-mail checkers and Sunday surfers who weren’t even familiar with the term “spam” outside of a processed meat context. I’ve never purchased anything from spam or a pop-up, but I can see how some of those subject lines would be appealing, and not just the ones selling phony big-dick-quick schemes. I mean, if I was my mom, I could see myself clicking on the spam entitled “neutron’s mom, Here is your $1000 in brand name grocery coupons!” I could also imagine how the subject “Offer expires in 30 minutes” from sender “FREE WeightWatchers Cookbook” might snare a few impulsive folks. And who doesn’t want to “Become Debt Free in Record Time?” For someone unfamiliar with computers and terrified of viruses and blue screens, sender “PC Doctor” is on the scene with the subject “Here’s Your Regular PC Check Up 3/28/03.” What a generous fellow! Nobody else is looking out for poor grandma’s computer! I really wouldn’t be surprised if some people looked at spam the same way they look at TV commercials. Excepting the bizarre forms of porn, most of the stuff they’re selling in spam is available from late-night infomercials. You’ve got your penis mightiers, your bust enhancers,\* your get-rich-quick schemes, and your debt reconsolidation offers, among other crap. Sure people are buying this stuff. It depresses the hell out me, but it doesn’t shock me one bit. \*results shown not typical ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-these-creeps-that-actually-buy-into-the-spam/164701/20 "2003-03-29T13:52:05Z")
Really the only way to combat it to make it not worth the minimal cost, which is a difficult task. I recently found this: [www.cloudmark.com](http://www.cloudmark.com) This is a free Outlook plug-in that filters SPAM. The way it works is that the users identify what is SPAM, and those SPAM IDs are sent to all the other users of the network. It works fairly well, but it has drawbacks: 1. No Outlook Express support 2. Some idiots ID newletters as SPAM instead of unsubscribing to them, to all the other subscribers of the newsletter using cloudmark have to unmark them as SPAM. Not a big deal, but annoying. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-these-creeps-that-actually-buy-into-the-spam/164701.md?page=2)